Make It Through Your Days

Is anyone out there struggling to make it through your days? Do you feel as though it’s all too much and the light at the end of the tunnel is a train? Are you crushed beneath a burden you can’t seem to bear? Does it seem like you are bombarded with one trial after another and there’s just no relief?

You are not alone! At different seasons in our lives, we all feel this way. God tells us in his word, that we will have trouble in this life. Placing our trust in the Lord does not ensure smooth sailing and a life of ease. No. But God does promise to be with us and to give us peace.

I just wanted to encourage you with 4 things you can do to help you make it through your days. These have been a blessing to me, and I hope, that by sharing them with you, you will find new strength and be able to lift your eyes, raise your weary heads and press on in victory, to whatever God has for you.

The first of these little things to remember is this:

1.    Face forward – don’t look back.

Philippians 3:13-14 - Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

These verses in Philippians remind us to press on, and not dwell on the past, but set our eyes on the end goal. Focus our attention on things of eternal value.  Paul’s focus was on forward momentum, not prior mistakes. We cannot move forward if our thoughts and our eyes are focused on the past.

A while back, I wrote a post where I explained the difficulty of driving forward while looking in the rear-view mirror. Not a smart idea. We need to be looking ahead, through the windscreen. It’s a whole lot bigger and we can watch where we’re going and look forward to what lies ahead.

Proverbs 4:25- Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

This verse in Proverbs reminds us to look straight forward. We need to keep our eyes on the Lord and what he has for us. We don’t need to dwell on what he has already forgiven.

The only time we should look back is when we are reminding ourselves of past blessings or trials that God has used in our lives to teach us valuable lessons. Don’t look back in order to bemoan past failures. Look back to relive the blessings!

2.    Focus on the positive – look up

Psalm 103:2 KJV - Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

We all know that what we think about controls how we feel and ultimately how we act. So, wouldn’t it be better if we spent our days rejoicing in God’s goodness and praising him for the blessings, instead of dwelling on the hurts and stresses in our lives?

Although you may be struggling to make it through your day, make it a point to stop and mentally or physically write down the blessings God has given you. If you really think about it, you’ll come up with a list. It doesn’t matter if everything is going wrong in your day, you will still be able to praise God for something. And if you are one of his children, then your salvation should be at the top of that list.

I find it so draining to be around people who are constantly complaining. They never seem to have anything positive to say. I am trying to make a habit of nipping it in the bud by stating something praiseworthy and drawing their attention back to the goodness of God. I intentionally try to draw out of them something good God has done for them that very day and encourage them to focus on that.

Psalm 106:1 - Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

3.    Focus on God’s promises – they are numerous

Matthew 11:29-30 KJV - Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

There are so many precious promises in God’s word, far too many to list here, but I encourage you to dig into your Bible and find for yourself promises that God has given that you can claim as your own.

If your days are long and tedious, take time to remember God’s promises to you. This will bless your heart and bring comfort to your soul. Don’t forget, that God always keeps his promises. So, when he says, “I will never leave you”, he means it!

4.    Face your trials knowing that God is with you – Always!

Isaiah 43:2 - When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

You have no idea what a comfort this verse was and still is to my soul. I have a very tear-stained copy of this verse on my desk as a reminder of God’s goodness and faithfulness to me. During my darkest trial, I clung to this promise. I reminded myself over and over that God was with me. Through the waters. Through the fire. He was with me.

Although we may not see God physically with our eyes, we can sense his presence when we draw near to him. When we cry out to him, he is there.

James 4:8a - Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you….

Face each and every day with the assurance that God is with you. He goes before you, and he walks beside you.

Psalm 23:4 - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

A very well-known passage is found in Psalm 23. Let us not be so familiar with it that we skim over it without thought. Did you notice that in verse 4 it says, “the valley of the  shadow of death”? It doesn’t say the valley of death. It says the ‘shadow’ of death. It’s just a shadow. Translated in the Hebrew it means darkness, a dark valley or dark shadow.

 Oftentimes we feel as though death is come upon us, or we wish it would, when we are in a very low state, but it’s just a shadow. It will pass. We need not fear. God is with us. Those shadowy, dark times in our lives do not need to be lonely times. We have God right there beside us. We have only to reach out.

Psalm 23:1-2 – The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

The shepherd knows what is best for the sheep and he has their best interest in mind.

God always does what is best for his children and although our days are often crazy and we fret and worry, we can take comfort in knowing that God is in control and that if we obey his Word, he will make good his promises. We have to do our part. We need to trust him and obey him.

Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Face forward. Focus on the positive.

Focus on God’s promises. Face your trials with God!