Going Deeper with the Word – Worship Through Struggle

Welcome to “Going Deeper with the Word.” In this segment, we welcome people of all backgrounds, religious or not, to review the Word of God. The Word of God provides guidance, direction, and instructions for living our lives and walking with God. 

Today, we examine how God’s Word provides clear guidance and direction worshiping through struggles, trials, and tribulations.

Let’s review examples of God’s Word that can lead and guide our steps and back up the principles we learned in today’s message. I will be reading scripture today from the Amplified Bible.

Here is our first verse:

[10] Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].

– ‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:10‬ ‭AMP

In this verse, we hear God explain through the prophet Isaiah that He is with us. We need not be afraid during difficult times because God is aware of our circumstances and will lead us. Notice the reference to a holding hand, much as a loving parent might hold a child in love and compassion. We also see a reminder in the Amplified version that God’s support is one of justice, power, victory, and salvation.

Have you experienced a challenging time in your life where you sensed God was near? Share your experience in the comments.

Let’s have a look at another verse.

[11] For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

– ‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭AMP‬

In this verse, we hear from God through the prophet Jeremiah. We see a clear reference to the fact that God, the creator of all things knows the plans and thoughts He has for us.

Today we explored the idea that there is nothing wrong with having our own plans, hopes, and dreams. There is nothing wrong with doing everything we can to pursue our plans, but in this verse, we hear God very clearly saying He has plans for us that will bring peace, well-being, and not end in disaster. If we know that God’s Word is truth, doesn’t it make sense to seek God’s plans for us first and foremost?

Is there an example of a time in your life when you asked God to direct you to His plans for you instead of your own? What were the circumstances? What did you learn? Share with us in the comments.

Let’s look at one last verse.

[5] Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. [6] In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].

– Proverbs‬ ‭3:5‭-‬6‬ ‭ AMP

This is a very popular verse in our ministry. Here, King Solomon explains that we must place our trust in God. When we find ourselves in circumstances where we are struggling and experiencing challenges, we must consider that God knows far more than we know. We must not assume that our own insight or understanding is complete. Only God has a full view of our situation, so we should do our best to trust and rely upon Him, knowing He will make our path, our plan, smooth and straight.

Is there an example of a difficult time in your life where you trusted God and learned later that you did not have full insight into your situation? Let us know in the comments.

When we are facing struggles and hardships, let us not lose hope. Let us stay in a posture of worship. Let us keep our eyes to the Lord, knowing He is with us at every moment. Let us ask Him to lead us from our current situation to His perfect plans for us.

Thank you for your time in reviewing these verses with me today. Please be sure to share in the comments how these or other examples of God’s Word have helped you worship admin struggles and hardship.

Thank you for the opportunity to share encouragement. Here @walkinginstepwithGod we truly appreciate your support. We are fully committed to Christ and the community. We invite you to join us in fellowship and to seek opportunities for fellowship in your local community as well.