Amid life’s uncertainties and the problems we face in the world today, we as Christians must make a decision to keep our trust and our faith in God and His Word.
When things go wrong in life, what do we do and to whom do we turn? What is our stand? Do we throw in the towel and quit, or do we press on in our Christian walk and remain faithful to God?
These are questions that many don’t want to deal with and that some refuse to face, because these issues involve maintaining faith in God through the hardships of life.
Problems, tests, trials, and disappointments in life are real facts, but a strong faith in God is the answer to every one of life’s difficulties. We must realize that God has not promised us that we would never face a test or trial. But He has promised us that He would never leave us and that He would cause us to triumph, because He has overcome the world (John 16:33)!
The answer to life’s problems is not to “hide our heads in the sand,” hoping the problems will go away. Nor is the answer to question our faith in God. We must instead do as the Bible exhorts: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Prov. 3:5).
Many have faced adversity in life, yet they maintained their faith in God. If you were to talk to some of these people, you’d find that they are stalwart men and women of God today – not because of their adversity, but because they chose to persevere. With their eyes fixed on Jesus, they came through the storm and discovered once again the calm that awaited them on the other side.
The ocean of life may not always be as smooth as glass. But through faith in God, we always have an anchor of hope to steady us and keep us on course. So when the storms of life assail, and everything appears to be going wrong, ask yourself, “Is not God still God? Or is He only God when things are going smoothly?”
Purpose in your heart that the unchanging God is God at all times – when times are good and when times are difficult. In all places and under all circumstances, God is still God!
It’s during the hard times that we need to dig our heels in the ground and make the decision, “I cannot be defeated, and I will not quit!” It’s a decision that each of us has to make. We can allow the situations and circumstances of life to either bring us closer to God – to a place of confidence and certainty in Him – or drive us further away into the uncertainty and suffering of the world.
If you have been discouraged or have wavered in your faith, I encourage you to pick up the pieces of your disappointments and failures and make the decision to go on with God. Stand stronger on His Word than you ever have before!
Rise up to your full stature in Christ, and be more determined than ever that victory belongs to you! The choice is yours. God is still God!
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications
Kenneth W. Hagin, President of Kenneth Hagin Ministries and pastor of RHEMA Bible Church, ministers around the world. Known for calling the Body of Christ to steadfast faith, he seizes every ministry opportunity to impart an attitude of “I cannot be defeated, and I will not quit.”
Rev. Hagin began preparing for his call to ministry—a ministry that now spans 50 years—at Southwestern Assemblies of God University. He graduated from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and holds an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Faith Theological Seminary in Tampa, Florida.
In his early years of ministry, Rev. Hagin was an associate pastor and traveling evangelist. Later, he went on to organize and develop RHEMA Bible Training Centers in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and in other countries around the world.
Kenneth W. Hagin’s array of responsibilities also includes International Director of RHEMA Ministerial Association International. He hosts the annual A Call to Arms® Men’s Conference, and with his wife, Lynette, cohosts RHEMA Praise, a weekly television program, and Rhema for Today, a weekday radio program broadcast throughout the United States. They also conduct Living Faith Crusades, spreading the message of faith and healing around the world.
Recognizing the lateness of the hour before the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, Rev. Hagin has expanded his speaking schedule beyond his regular pastoral duties. To fulfill the urgent call of God to prepare the Church for a deeper experience of His Presence, Rev. Hagin delivers messages that reveal key spiritual truths about faith, healing, and other vital subjects. He ministers with a strong healing anointing, and his ministry leads the Body of Christ into a greater experience of the glory of God!
Kenneth W. Hagin and his wife live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is the son of the late Kenneth E. Hagin.