Praising Jesus Through Life’s Storms: Trusting God When Life Gets Hard  - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - September 11, 2025

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"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being" (Revelation 4:11). 

Throughout this year, I've been faced with trouble after trouble. This year has been one of my life's most challenging years. While it has been challenging, I have learned many things about God, life, and myself. Even though bad things will try to destroy us, we can actually see them as a learning opportunity. If we never went through hard times, we would never appreciate the beauty of a day without pain or hardship. 

Over the course of this year, I have been in and out of doctors' appointments, and this has caused me to lose hope in God. I blamed Him for my struggles, and I thought He was bringing all of these problems upon my life. After a few months of my original symptoms starting, I realized none of this was God's fault. God doesn't repay us as our sins deserve (Psalm 103:10-14). 

Instead, He extends limitless mercy, love, and forgiveness to us.

Similar to many people, I was told that if you do bad things, bad things will happen in your life, and if you do good things, good things will happen in your life. Mind you, all of these things were told to me by Christians. However, upon reflecting on these teachings, I have found them to be unbiblical. If anything, this type of ideology promotes the belief in karma.

If we do good, good will return to us, and if we do bad, bad things will return to us. This comes from a belief in karma. While I'm not sure how the belief in karma has infiltrated the church, it has become a common belief among Christians. The good news is that karma is not real. If it were, we would all be doomed to face terrible days for the rest of our lives. 

If we were repaid for the evil we do, none of us would ever smile again. As it is, God is always pouring blessings upon our life because He loves us. The Gospel itself goes against the idea of karma because God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins (John 3:16-17). Jesus died on the cross, not because we deserved it, but rather because He loves us. And ultimately, this is why the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit do not repay us as our sins deserve.

Out of God's great love, we are not consumed (Lamentations 3:22-23). During my intense struggles this year, I learned that God was not cursing me for my actions nor was He condemning me. Instead, the pain and suffering I was going through resulted from living in this fallen world. Due to living in a fallen world, we will get sick, and some of us will have chronic health conditions. This doesn't mean God has caused the problem because He hasn't.

Each time we face a problem, we must remember that God loves us. He didn't bring this problem into our lives. However, He will help us walk through this season of darkness and make us stronger on the other side. We might feel weak now, but this darkness will not endure forever. Hope and health will be restored to our bones, and we will smile again. 

The Bible tells us, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being" (Revelation 4:11). Similar to this passage, we can praise Jesus despite the storms in our lives. Even if everything feels as though it is falling apart, we can still praise Him. He is our good and wonderful Savior, who deserves all the praise, glory, and recognition.

There will come a day when all pain will end. We will reflect on our hardest days and see God has always been with us. He has never left us, and He never will. During our darkest and stormiest days, He is right there beside us. Lean into His love, comfort, and peace. Rest in the knowledge that He will walk you through this time and comfort your soul.

"Dear Jesus, I praise You. Even in the midst of this storm, I know You are with me. I had been angry at you in the past, but now I know that it was never your fault. You don't repay me as my sins deserve, and I praise You for this. Help me walk through this season of darkness with confidence, peace, and hope, knowing that You are right there beside me. In Your Name I pray, Amen."

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/bestdesigns


Vivian Bricker author bio photoVivian Bricker obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry, followed by a Master of Arts with an emphasis in theology. She loves all things theology, mission work, and helping others learn about Jesus. Find more of her content at Cultivate: https://cultivatechristianity.wordpress.com/

Related Resource: Soft Words for Hard Days: A Conversation with Aundi Kolber

Some days feel heavy. Some moments leave us wondering how to keep going. If you’ve ever longed for encouragement amid life’s hardest moments, I have a special episode of The Love Offering for you. This week, I’m joined by therapist and bestselling author Aundi Kolber to discuss her latest book, Take What You Need: Soft Words for Hard Days. This beautiful collection of quotes, scriptures, prayers, and gentle exercises is designed to be a balm for your most tender places—a reminder that you are never alone on your journey to healing.

In our conversation, we explore:
✨ How to hold space for yourself and others in difficult seasons
✨ The power of compassionate words when life feels overwhelming
✨ Practical ways to embrace healing and take one more step forward

If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to The Love Offering on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

 

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Mike Gallagher Mike Gallagher began his broadcasting career in 1978 in Dayton, Ohio. Today, he is one of the most listened-to talk radio show hosts in America, recently having been ranked in the Talkers Magazine “Heavy Hundred” list – the 100 most important talk radio hosts in America. Prior to being launched into national syndication in 1998, Mike hosted the morning show on WABC-AM in New York City. Today, Talkers Magazine reports that his show is heard by over 3.75 million weekly listeners. Besides his radio work, Mike is seen on Fox News Channel as an on-air contributor, frequently appearing on the cable news giant.

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Michelle Malkin is a mother, wife, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, longtime cable TV news commentator, and best-selling author of six books. She started her newspaper journalism career at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1992, moved to the Seattle Times in 1995, and has been penning nationally syndicated newspaper columns for Creators Syndicate since 1999. She is founder of conservative Internet start-ups Hot Air and Twitchy.com. Malkin has received numerous awards for her investigative journalism, including the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) national award for outstanding service for the cause of governmental ethics and leadership (1998), the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award for Investigative Journalism (2006), the Heritage Foundation and Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity's Breitbart Award for Excellence in Journalism (2013), the Center for Immigration Studies' Eugene Katz Award for Excellence in the Coverage of Immigration Award (2016), and the Manhattan Film Festival's Film Heals Award (2018). Married for 26 years and the mother of two teenage children, she lives with her family in Colorado. Follow her at michellemalkin.com. (Photo reprinted with kind permission from Peter Duke Photography.)

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Praising Jesus Through Life’s Storms: Trusting God When Life Gets Hard  - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - September 11, 2025

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

ibelieve truth banner

"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being" (Revelation 4:11). 

Throughout this year, I've been faced with trouble after trouble. This year has been one of my life's most challenging years. While it has been challenging, I have learned many things about God, life, and myself. Even though bad things will try to destroy us, we can actually see them as a learning opportunity. If we never went through hard times, we would never appreciate the beauty of a day without pain or hardship. 

Over the course of this year, I have been in and out of doctors' appointments, and this has caused me to lose hope in God. I blamed Him for my struggles, and I thought He was bringing all of these problems upon my life. After a few months of my original symptoms starting, I realized none of this was God's fault. God doesn't repay us as our sins deserve (Psalm 103:10-14). 

Instead, He extends limitless mercy, love, and forgiveness to us.

Similar to many people, I was told that if you do bad things, bad things will happen in your life, and if you do good things, good things will happen in your life. Mind you, all of these things were told to me by Christians. However, upon reflecting on these teachings, I have found them to be unbiblical. If anything, this type of ideology promotes the belief in karma.

If we do good, good will return to us, and if we do bad, bad things will return to us. This comes from a belief in karma. While I'm not sure how the belief in karma has infiltrated the church, it has become a common belief among Christians. The good news is that karma is not real. If it were, we would all be doomed to face terrible days for the rest of our lives. 

If we were repaid for the evil we do, none of us would ever smile again. As it is, God is always pouring blessings upon our life because He loves us. The Gospel itself goes against the idea of karma because God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins (John 3:16-17). Jesus died on the cross, not because we deserved it, but rather because He loves us. And ultimately, this is why the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit do not repay us as our sins deserve.

Out of God's great love, we are not consumed (Lamentations 3:22-23). During my intense struggles this year, I learned that God was not cursing me for my actions nor was He condemning me. Instead, the pain and suffering I was going through resulted from living in this fallen world. Due to living in a fallen world, we will get sick, and some of us will have chronic health conditions. This doesn't mean God has caused the problem because He hasn't.

Each time we face a problem, we must remember that God loves us. He didn't bring this problem into our lives. However, He will help us walk through this season of darkness and make us stronger on the other side. We might feel weak now, but this darkness will not endure forever. Hope and health will be restored to our bones, and we will smile again. 

The Bible tells us, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being" (Revelation 4:11). Similar to this passage, we can praise Jesus despite the storms in our lives. Even if everything feels as though it is falling apart, we can still praise Him. He is our good and wonderful Savior, who deserves all the praise, glory, and recognition.

There will come a day when all pain will end. We will reflect on our hardest days and see God has always been with us. He has never left us, and He never will. During our darkest and stormiest days, He is right there beside us. Lean into His love, comfort, and peace. Rest in the knowledge that He will walk you through this time and comfort your soul.

"Dear Jesus, I praise You. Even in the midst of this storm, I know You are with me. I had been angry at you in the past, but now I know that it was never your fault. You don't repay me as my sins deserve, and I praise You for this. Help me walk through this season of darkness with confidence, peace, and hope, knowing that You are right there beside me. In Your Name I pray, Amen."

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/bestdesigns


Vivian Bricker author bio photoVivian Bricker obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry, followed by a Master of Arts with an emphasis in theology. She loves all things theology, mission work, and helping others learn about Jesus. Find more of her content at Cultivate: https://cultivatechristianity.wordpress.com/

Related Resource: Soft Words for Hard Days: A Conversation with Aundi Kolber

Some days feel heavy. Some moments leave us wondering how to keep going. If you’ve ever longed for encouragement amid life’s hardest moments, I have a special episode of The Love Offering for you. This week, I’m joined by therapist and bestselling author Aundi Kolber to discuss her latest book, Take What You Need: Soft Words for Hard Days. This beautiful collection of quotes, scriptures, prayers, and gentle exercises is designed to be a balm for your most tender places—a reminder that you are never alone on your journey to healing.

In our conversation, we explore:
✨ How to hold space for yourself and others in difficult seasons
✨ The power of compassionate words when life feels overwhelming
✨ Practical ways to embrace healing and take one more step forward

If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to The Love Offering on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

 

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