The Best Thing to Know During a Difficult Time

I always want to understand what is happening in my life. I can put up with a lot of discomfort if I just know why.

Gideon, who lived in Bible times, felt that way too. One day the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and announced, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” “But sir,” Gideon responded, “If the Lord is with us why has all this happened to us?” (Judges 6:12).

I can relate to that! Yes, I know in my head that God has promised never to leave me or forsake me. But if that is true—and it is—why am I going through such a hard time?

The apostle John wrote something that you have to mull over for a while to appreciate the full meaning. He said, “Perfect love drives out fear” (John 4:18). No, John, I think you have it wrong. That should read, “Perfect understanding drives out fear.” If God would just tell me why I have to deal with this nasty problem, I wouldn’t be afraid. But that’s not what John says. He says that love is the supreme weapon against fear.

Yes, it’s true that when I truly understand how much God loves me, fear leaves my heart like darkness when the sun rises. God’s love says, “I want the best for you—always. I have in mind your ultimate good, not just your present comfort. My love includes discipline, for I care too much for you to allow you to become a spoiled brat.”

The best thing I can know during a difficult time is that the One who allows that difficulty is the One who loves me more than anyone else in the whole universe. We can “rely on the love God has for us” (1 John 4:16). Especially in painful times.