Prefer a podcast? Click here to listen to the podcast version of this message.
Transcript:
Hello, welcome to Walking in Step with God. I am Steve McDonald. Today we explore the topic “Worship Through Struggle” as we wrap up our series “The Power of Worship”. I hope you have enjoyed our previous messages as we learn about the power of worship in our lives and our walk with God. Find all of the messages of this series on our YouTube channel within “The Power of Worship” playlist.
Over the course of this series, we have explored many angles as it pertains to the importance of worship in our lives. We have discussed the importance of acts of worship being a part of your everyday life. We have discussed the importance of worshiping without fear.
Today, we explore the idea of the importance of worship amid struggle and hardship. It can be easy to make time to worship when things are going well in our lives, but when we are experiencing challenges, we may find ourselves struggling to muster the desire to worship.
Amid trials and tribulations, we can be tempted to feel that God is not recognizing the hardship we are experiencing and as a result, we may be further tempted to not worship God. We can be tempted to believe that He is not coming to our aid. We may feel very normal human emotions such as anger and even resentment toward God. We may also feel that our difficult circumstances suggest we are not worthy of worship.
Let’s explore 3 things to remember to help us understand the importance of worship even amid struggle, trials, and tribulation.
Before we dive in, let’s take a quick break. I will be right back.
Welcome back. Let’s continue in our discussion of 3 things to remember that help us worship through struggle.
#1 God is with you
First and foremost, let us understand that God never said that we would not experience trials and tribulations in our lives. All of us have experienced good times and bad times. What is important to remember is that regardless of what we are going through, God never changes. God and His love, grace, and compassion are always the same.
Amid your struggle, God is with you. He is aware of the circumstances and He is aware of the challenges. He is aware of what led to your situation and what needs to occur for you to be aligned with His plans for you. He seeks to comfort you, to shine His face upon you, and to let you know He is near.
Remember, that no matter how difficult things may be, keep your eyes on God. As you are pushed and pulled, as you are stressed and strained, keep your eyes upon the almighty God and ask Him to comfort you and give you peace.
#2 His plan is the perfect plan
Often, as we go through our lives, it is not always clear what choices should be made that will lead us to our best life. We all have goals and many of us have hopes and dreams but only God knows the gifts He has planted in us and the plan that would align us with our perfect plan.
When we are going through a difficult time, it is possible that our own actions may have contributed to our circumstances. It is important to reflect on whether our choices have led us away from God’s plan for our lives. There is nothing wrong with having goals and there is nothing wrong with pursuing our hopes and dreams. We can even be successful in reaching our goals through education, careful planning, and hard work. There are times, however, when our life takes a turn for the worse despite our best-laid plans.
What is important to remember is that only God knows the perfect plan for you. He knows the gifts He has planted in you. He knows the pathway in your life that will cultivate and activate these gifts.
I invite you to consider that your plans for your life may not be the same as the perfect plan God has in store for you. When we are struggling, let us consider turning to the One who knows of a plan that is best for us.
#3 Â Follow Him
The third and final point I want to make today is that we can worship God through struggle by following Him.
We have established today that God is with us at every moment. We have also established that God’s plan is the perfect plan. The good news is that if we have deviated from a plan that would lead us to our best life, God can work with us as we are, where we are.
Once we decide to follow Him, He can lead us to a life that He knows is best for us. God can work with your current circumstances, no matter how complex and convoluted they may seem. You see, nothing is impossible for God, no-thing is impossible for the One who created you, everyone you know, and the entire universe.
You need only to place your trust in Him. You need only to surrender your will to His will. I am not suggesting this is an easy thing to do. I can honestly say it took me many years to reach the point I am right now, seeking God’s will for my life. In fact, I still have work to do in some areas of my life where I confess I try to cling to my own plans, but these moments are fewer and fewer as time goes on.
If you are struggling in your life, I want to encourage you to go before God, surrendering your will to Him. Ask Him to lead you. Ask Him to show you the way.
 Wrap Up
Today, we learned three things to remember when we are struggling in life that allow us to worship God even as we are in trials and tribulations. We learned that no matter how difficult things may seem, God is with us at every step. He knows the exact circumstances we are in and even knows things that we do not. We learned that despite our efforts to seek out goals and dreams, only God knows the best plans for us. Lastly, we explained the importance of following God and placing our trust in Him for our plans in life above our own plans.
Worship through struggle can be a difficult thing to do, but if we can remember to keep our eyes on God first and foremost, we can follow His light and His love to a full and rewarding life. One that is (prosperous, blessed, and full of abundance)
Are you struggling in your life? Turn to God. Ask Him to lead and guide you to the life that He has in store. Ask Him to show you what you have yet to see or know. Share your heart’s desires, your dreams, and your goals, but ask Him to reveal to you His will for your life.
Are you interested in discovering more about the guidance offered in this message? Learn more in the companion article Going Deeper with the Word: Worship Through Struggle
