Through the Good Times & the Bad

God has walked me through some tough times in my life, to include depression in high school (& after) & my severe stress in Hokkaido more recently.

I figured since we talked about trusting God in the midst of our doubts through pain & suffering last week (read more, here) that we should also talk about a powerful, God-given way to protect/defend ourselves when faced with harsh difficulties. (Hint: It has more to do with what GOD can do, than what WE can do.)

Now Stop Right There

Satan doesn’t quit once you feel secure in your eternal salvation. He wants to isolate you, make you freeze up, keep you fruitless, & keep your life set to mediocre, preventing you from seeing God’s hand in your life as much as possible, because Satan’s goal is that your testimony of God’s work remains silent, unseen, & unheard (to you AND to those around you).

There are a lot of passages in the Bible talking about Satan’s goals to destroy us & also the importance of taking a stand against him, armed with God’s Truth & a faith in God’s power & all of that is in the Bible for a reason—It’s NEEDED.

And usually when life feels great, we may not see that Truth as necessary, but it is important that we arm ourselves always so that 1)We are less likely to fall into Satan’s traps or fall for his tricks, & 2)When we are faced with a struggle or trial we will already be prepared & trained on how to combat it.

God-Given Advice AKA Truth We Can Count On

So, we are going to walk through some God-given advice that is based on the sure hope of His Truth.

When we approach God’s Word, the Bible, it is easy to think of it as one opinion or some advice that might help. BUT, this is THE God who created the universe & everything in it. This all-powerful God is not just guessing or supposing something COULD help, He is telling us because He KNOWS what WILL help.

Make sure to keep that in mind as we move forward, also keeping in mind that I am not a learned Bible teacher, but am coming from the perspective of experience with God’s Truth & knowing it CAN be trusted, even if I don’t always understand how.

Also, it’s important to take God at His word when He speaks & instead of tossing what we don’t understand, to ask instead for His wisdom to understand or to help you trust Him in your lack of understanding, even simply by beginning (& continuing with) the prayer spoken in Mark 9:24 where it said, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!”

EPHESIANS 6: Armor OF God

I have seen this set of verses quoted so many times that it seems almost like, “Yeah, yeah, I get it… Do these things to maybe make trials easier to handle….” But never from the perspective that this is the armor OF God. HE supplies it. He makes it. HE is the power & strength behind it!

“Finally, be strong in the Lord & in His mighty power. Put on the full armor OF GOD, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh & blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world & against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor OF GOD, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, & after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth [God’s Word] buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, & with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith [in God’s POWER], with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation & the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” (Ephesians 6:10-17, emphasis & brackets mine)

Some Highlights to Remember

I am not going to walk through each of the pieces of the armor of God with you, as some Bible studies can help walk you through those, but I am going to point out some helpful things to keep in mind when we read that section of Ephesians.

1. The power behind that armor is not based on how much you believe but in how strong our God is. Trust HIM, not in how well you feel you trust Him.
2. Faith in God is not proving you believe Him enough to do it in your own strength, but in knowing you need HIS. Lean into Him & call out to Him for help in all things.
3. Memorize, don’t just read, God’s Word. Tuck His Truth in your heart & be ready to use it when Satan tries to kick you when you’re already down. It will help keep you steady when the world begins to shake.
4. Realize that you have an eternal HOPE in Christ Jesus & NOTHING Satan can throw at you on our temporary earthly home can EVER take away that hope. Stand firm in that secure hope that we have if we have put our trust in Jesus.
5. If you don’t know Jesus yourself, or aren’t sure if or whether you feel you can trust Him, visit my Hope is Found personal testimony & the link I have provided at the end of that page for any further questions you may have. You are lacking the defenses mentioned in this passage if you haven’t started by turning your life over to Him for His hope, forgiveness, & grace.

And Don’t Forget to PRAY

Oh, & while I am on the subject of putting on the full armor OF GOD, let’s be reminded that this passage is followed with a call to turn to God & talk to Him through all things… & it keeps emphasizing it.

We can’t do this life on our own & we were never meant to because the King of all kings offers His grace & hope & strength & peace & courage & POWER as we seek to live for Him.

And pray for your leaders & those who are striving to live their lives as a shining light for Him & for fellow believers. This life is not easy & turning to God on each other’s behalf is such a huge help & encouragement. So, please pray!

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers & requests. With this in mind, be alert & always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” (Ephesians 6:18-19, emphasis mine)

Goodbye Doubts, Hello Truth

Don’t let doubts rule you. Don’t hide from them in shame, hoping to wish them away.

Face them bravely, by accepting their presence & turning them over to God Who already knows your heart, asking for His help as you wade through uncomfortable waters.

He is able, He is patient, He is gentle. He is kind. He is ready & willing & able to walk you through every one. So, don’t turn away from Him in them, turn TO Him every time.

Shine light by trusting in the Armor OF God in every struggle & hurt, leaning into Him & turning to Him with your pain & cares… because He CARES for You.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

Share with friends & Subscribe by Joining My Tribe, so you never miss a week!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Petal Necklace

This cubic zirconia floral pendant hangs from an antique golden chain and pairs perfectly with the Petal Stud Earrings.

Artisan Information:

The women we partner with in India do so much more than just create beautiful products. With every purchase, another woman is empowered out of poverty to be self-reliant! Women have the opportunity to earn an income, attend financial management classes, & receive education & healthcare. These women are now able to give their family a promising future because of your purchase!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

An Aching Heart

Have you ever felt stuck in a hurt? Drowning, aching, numb, overwhelmed, or defeated?

Maybe it’s a harsh word from someone you love (or many).

Maybe it’s the raw ache of loneliness, like you have to face the world alone.

Maybe you lost someone who meant the world to you.

Maybe you feel unlovable & that your loneliness means you’re not enough.

Maybe you or someone you love is faced with a (potentially even) deadly disease or injury.

Maybe depression is making you feel like the world would be better off without you.

Maybe you have been abused or hurt deeply by someone you trusted.

Maybe you are drowning in a debt that haunts your ever step & only seems to get worse as time goes on.

Maybe shame & guilt haunts you & makes you feel like you’re not worth anyone’s grace or forgiveness.

Maybe you blame yourself for the heartache in your life. Maybe you blame the world. Maybe you blame God.

It is no surprise to me if you have any of those wars raging in your heart right now because I have personally struggled through each one at different times in my life & probably so many more.

The Hurts We All Face

I know that if you are a living, breathing human being, you have felt hurts & heartaches & pains, even if you try to deny them & shove them deep down inside your heart.

I wish that I could take them all away & set you free from them, but I know I don’t have such power or wisdom.

But I can pray with you. I can lift up your hurts with you to the One who CAN do something about them.

And I can encourage you to lean into Him every step of the way—Allow yourself to come to the end of you & to reach out to HIM in your times of greatest weakness & hurt. He is the true answer of HOPE in the worst of our circumstances.

The Doubts That Surface

In the midst of those greatest hurts & longings, we can have some painful doubts pop up about God & today I want to share the doubts I experienced through those hurts & the HOPE that brought me through them… the REAL hope… Not just a hoped-FOR hope, but a steady, sure, secure, lasting, reliable HOPE.

As always, my ultimate goal in writing this is to encourage you to reach out to HIM. I am limited & my answers only scratch the surface of who God is, what He is capable of, & how much He loves you, so turn to Him in every step & every tear. <3

“The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod & Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness & mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.” (Psalm 23, emphasis mine)

“God, where are You when I’m hurting?”

Have you ever felt like God is just ignoring you or maybe doesn’t even notice you at all in your pain? It’s an easy doubt to feel, especially when you know (or want to know) God to be kind & good… the hurts don’t jive with those ideas of God.

But, we need to remember something very important here:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, emphasis mine)

He Is with Us in the Hurts

God doesn’t promise that we will live a struggle-free life. In fact, He tells us just the opposite. We live in a sin-torn world & until heaven, we WILL struggle.

BUT, God does promise to be our ENOUGH in the struggle.

So, cry out to Him, slump into Him, & pour out your heart to Him (even if all you can manage is a slew of mumbled sobs directed toward God with an ache so you deep you don’t know how to verbalize it—He knows & He hears & He understands), asking for Him to be your strength & comfort & love & courage & HOPE when you feel you have none left to spare.

Where is He? He is right there with you in it & through it, so call out to Him & lean your full weight into Him through every ache & tear.

“God, if You ARE Good & All-Powerful, how could you let this happen to me?”

This one is a more fleshed-out form of the last doubt we just covered, getting to the heart of why that doubt hurts us so much. It really reveals our uncertainty of whether we feel we can trust God’s power or goodness or both when our world feels so incredibly consumed by hurts.

But, as I mentioned above, God doesn’t promise a lack of struggle—but He sees you & He loves you & He does promise to be our enough as we walk through the hurts, so lean into Him!

We also have an eternal HOPE to look forward to if we have put our trusting Hope in Jesus Christ to pay the price for our wrongs.

We may face trials “of many kinds” here on earth, but Heaven is a sure hope we can close our eyes, take a deep breath, exhale, & feel the comfort of knowing that this is just our temporary home & the trials aren’t for forever. But, in the now, God promises to be our help when we need Him.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers & sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4, emphasis mine)

“God, are You punishing me?”

Oh, dear one, how I have felt this one.

Most of us are not ignorant of our own mistakes, past or present. Deep down, we know we don’t deserve God’s grace… & sometimes we don’t cry out to God for help simply because we don’t feel we deserve it.

But while God does allow struggles to shape us & strengthen us, as we are told in 1 Peter 5:10, God does not seek to hold us in a place of shame because He offers us ready forgiveness with His FREE gift of grace through Jesus Christ.

”But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, & settle you. To Him be the glory & the dominion forever & ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10-11)

So, when you feel that shame keeping you stuck in the muck of your sorrows, don’t let Satan keep whispering those chains of lies to your heart. Call out to God for forgiveness if there IS something you know you have done, & receive the forgiveness & grace that God is always so quick to give.

Read Luke 15:11-32 if you don’t believe me. <3 (Hint: God represents the father, & getting the inheritance NOW is us wanting to live OUR way NOW.)

“God, am I just not good enough? Do I deserve this?”

Sometimes we wonder why we feel so unloved when treading through the darkest times in our life, but rest assured that God does not make mistakes & that He makes EVERY person with a God-designed purpose AND HE loves every one of us more than we can ever comprehend.

Don’t let Satan blast you with everything you feel you are missing or lacking or losing, but instead, ask God to show you how He made you& to help you see both God’s design for your life AND how much you truly are LOVED by Him.

He is always willing to show us His care for us that somehow ends up seeming (& being!) so much richer than any of the ways we were seeking & missing it here on earth. He is the best expression of LOVE, true love, that you will ever experience if you learn to rest that fear in His loving arms & ask for His help.

The Key Element

I know there are probably many more doubts that can pop up in times of distress & aches of the heart, but the key element in all of these doubts is to TURN to HIM in them all. He can help you much better than I ever can.

So, let my experiences act merely as an encouragement that God really CAN help you, even when you see no possible way. And lean into Him every step.

Don’t let Satan paralyze you in these hurts & questions. Turn to God & seek TRUTH & find His hope to carry you through each moment. God, through Jesus Christ, is where our true hope comes from—so shine hope by shining His love & grace to a hurting world. He’s got you, babe.

Even in your darkest moments, God has you & loves you & will show you just how much when you take those fears & hurts to Him & lean your full weight of pain into Him for your true source of HELP.

He is where our help comes from. Not in us fixing it, but in us leaning into HIM.

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven & earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2, emphasis mine)

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

Share with friends & Subscribe by Joining My Tribe, so you never miss a week!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Nairobi Necklace

Small hammered ovals & ethically sourced bone shapes adorn this golden necklace that shimmers in the light. Crafted in Kenya.

Artisan Information:

In Kenya, where many people struggle with starvation & poverty, the women we partner with are defying the odds! Your purchase empowers these women to earn an income, overcome physical disabilities, & become important parts of their communities!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in Kenya!

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!