When trouble comes... Rejoice and worship God in hard times !
Updated: Feb 21
By Session 3:14, 10/02/2026
Personal notes from the verse of the day study in the Bible App
Verse of the day : 10/02/2026
Scripture
Video
Watch This Teaching Clip about Romans 5:3-4 by Derwin Gray :
Time 1:30
Devotional
Joy in Hard Times
Nobody enjoys suffering. It’s hard to find joy in the midst of trials or difficult seasons—it’s much easier to feel sadness or misery.
That’s why Paul’s encouragement in Romans 5 may sound contradictory. Paul was writing this to the church in Rome experiencing suffering from ungodly rulers, and yet he encourages them to rejoice in their suffering.
It wasn’t enough to just endure suffering—he tells them to have joy. Paul knew that it wasn’t natural to be joyful in hard times, but through the work of Jesus, Christians have peace with God and access to faith (Romans 5:1-2). Faith allows us to hold onto the hope that suffering isn’t the end of our story.
FYI : Romans 5:1-2 : Peace and Hope : 1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b]boast in the hope of the glory of God
Because we know that God works within our difficult situations, we can have patience and perseverance for God to complete His work. Perseverance refines our character. As we wait on God, we become people who look more like Jesus, and our trust in God grows stronger. This increases hope within us.
It’s not easy to have hope when you're suffering. But as we trust in God, we are strengthened to continue to endure. When we look at suffering from God’s perspective, we begin to realize that He is working to bring glory to Himself in every situation.
Notes : Because He is your solution, He is The solution.
God has shown us through the Holy Spirit that He loves us. He suffered and gave Himself for us so that we could have a relationship with Him, and He will continue to give us everything we need to live a life that honors Him.
Notes :
God is the same
this shows that ; He was, He is and He will always be who He is LOVE. It is not a coincidence that God’s name is “Yahweh” which means “I am”. Not “I was” or “I will be”, “The great I AM”. It shows that no matter where your are in time, ”Yahweh “ He is ! He is present, there with you, no matter where you are in life He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end and everything in between.
Yahweh is with you
His promises in the Bible are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Because He doesn’t change, His promises doesn’t change, His faithfulness doesn’t change and He remains ! So when God tells you “do not worry for I Am with you”(Isaiah 41:10), DO NOT WORRY FOR YAHWEH THE GREAT I AM IS RIGHT THERE WITH YOU !
God is faithful to His promises
And because God is with you :
nothing and no one will be against you (Romans 8:31)
AND all things are possible through Christ for He is your God, (Philippians 4:13, Matthew 19:26)
AND He will guide you and protect you because He is your Shepherd and Father in heaven (Psalms 23:1)
AND because He is your shepherd, YOU WILL LACK NOTHING means you will have everything through Him ! Everything means strength, hope, peace, joy, everything! (Psalms 23:1)
Jesus as LORD AND SAVIOUR
So stop being in fear of the future, Jesus himself told you there is no need to worry about tomorrow, because each day has enough trouble of its own(Matthew 6:34). The fact that you do not worry about tomorrow shows that you have faith that God is in control and Yahweh is today and tomorrow.
Stop worrying and crying about the future, about your situation, about your problem, it is a lack of hope which is a lack of faith in God !
It’s time to consider Jesus as your Lord AND Saviour. Call on :
Adonai (אֲדֹנָי) means "Lord", a person of higher rank, means HE IS IN CHARGE
Definition of Adonai
= "Lord," "Master," or "Owner,"
= the Lord, the ruler, the provider.
▶︎ His subjects relate to him by serving him, submitting to him, trusting and obeying him. The servant shows reverence and respect for his master.
▶︎ commonly used in the Hebrew Bible as a title for God to denote His supreme authority and sovereignty.
▶︎ It is a plural form of Adon ("lord") paired with a possessive suffix, often interpreted as a plural of majesty or fullness. It serves as a spoken substitute for the Tetragrammaton (YHWH), the sacred, unpronounceable name of God.
ANECDOTE : Today the Holy Spirit woke me up with a worship in mind that I had to write. He put words into my mouth and I recorded as He was creating a worship song through me. I kept repeating “Adonai, my alpha and omega” and look what the theme of this study is. God is good !
Adonai : LORD
"Lord" means everything is Him in your life, you pleaded allegiance to him when you confessed Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. So act like it ! Start acting like you mean being a Christian. Start acting like you accept Jesus as your Lord ! Which means you put Him above everything !
Everything IS God, the first thing you do is talk to him, when you wake up, before going to sleep, when you are in your shower, when you need to make a decision as little as what you want to wear ! When you are happy, when you are sad and particularly when you are stressed, feeling anxious, in hard times. Talk to Him, Cry to Him the Bible tells us that :
God is near the broken-hearted
He cares about every.little.detail of your life.
Do not let Emotions overpower you
But do not remain in the negativity, because feeling stressed or anxious and having anxiety is two different things. One is a natural and human emotion the other is a state, one is temporary and the other is more permanent which leads to open doors like depression etc. God does not want that for you. That’s why He tells you to not worry for He is with you.
The immeasurable greatness of God
The creator of the universe is with you, why would you have fear and live in fear ? The Bible says that :
"Clouds are dust at His feet"
Mind you, dust is not visible without a microscope, because it is so tiny that it is a particule, microscopic), it also tells that God walks in storms, and the whole world lay in His hands (Nahum 1:3, Isaiah 40:12) . You can’t even imagine the immensity of His grandeur, the immeasurable greatness of God, because His greatness is beyond measure. So why do you worry ?
The apple of His eyes
Paul encourages us to rejoice in your suffering. Because even if you are as tiny as a microbe for Him, He loves you unconditionally, the Bible says that :
"We are the apple of His eyes"
"la prunelles de Ses yeux ", so He does worry about you, He does love you ! Matter of fact He loves you so much that He gave His only Son to save you !
John 3:16 : “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."- ESV
Jesus has Victory : Glory be to God
Good news for you :
Jesus has victory over everything !
Over the enemy AND your anxiety AND your problems AND your fears AND your health AND your money problem EVERYTHING. That’s why you need to rejoice ! It is not enough to just go trough it, have joy in hard times because Jesus saved you from every single things. Instead of wasting time worrying, WORSHIP HIM ! CALL ON HIM !
as a simple prayer : “ADONAI MY LORD ! YOUR GREATNESS IS BEYOND MY PROBLEMS, I DO NOT WORRY BECAUSE OF WHO YOU ARE, YOU ARE LORD, YOU ARE MY LORD, YOU ARE IN CHARGE, YOU ARE FAITHFUL TO YOUR WORDS, …”
Recall His promises ! God is faithful, God is Good, God is love and God is peace.
Life is not easy, but with God life is easier!
So change your heart
Change your heart posture from fear to joy and peace will come, that is a promise God made to you, remember that in your heart and cling onto it. That is how :
even in the storm you will remain calm, because you know that Jesus is in the boat with you ! So go sleep next to him !
That is how you will grow your faith !
From fear to joy, have the right heart posture, let it go ! Let your burden at the altar :
My testimony: Jesus in my storms
Storm 1 : Money
Letting go : That is how my mom remained calm when bailiffs came to our house in order to take everything in it ;
That is how I remained calm as I was budgeting for my Erasmus, even before planning it and the price was more than 10k€, which I didn’t have, which my mom didn’t have either, but I told my Lord : “you gave me this opportunity and you gave me this dream 10 years ago. I can’t but You God, can (acknowledge your limits),
I called upon the name of Jireh (the provider), provide God ! “
AND HE DID ! I went to Switzerland (you know...the most expensive country in Europe eheh), without a job, without my mom’s money, without nothing ! Only my Father in heaven’s promises and His favour. Grants after grants after grants he provided. I lacked of NOTHING, I even got too much and had to give to others. I went there and came back, 15k later. He provided !
Storm 2 : Depression
Depression is your storm ?
I was lost for years, anxiety, fear, suicidal thoughts and tendencies, I used to cry on my birthdays and cry myself to sleep. GONE ! In the name of Jesus ! Jesus healed the sick, not just physically, mentally too !!!!! So I let my burdens at the altar and I started trusting God, even when doubts and fear arise, first thing I try to do now is put it in the hands of my Father in Heaven. Submitting negative emotions and feelings to Him.
Storm 3: Relationship
Your storm is relationships ? Friends, family, spouse, girlfriends or boyfriends (subject that need to be treated in next articles 👀).
People that hurt you, people that are still hurting you but it is hard to let go of them, complicated relationships, etc. We often talk about relationship with others but you can have a storm within yourself too.
My storms were : Broken heart from my dad, lust with boys, assaulted, toxic situationships, toxic relationships with “friends”. Anyone that hurt me, myself included, God takes care of that too. GOD HEALS & GOD SAVES YOU ! He is near the broken hearted and He frees you from bad people and wounds !
Storm 3: helplessness and hopelessness
Definition Helplessness & hopelessness
Helplessness is the belief that one's actions cannot change a negative outcome (powerlessness to act),
while hopelessness is the belief that the future will never improve (lack of hope).
Both are interconnected, often resulting from prolonged stress or trauma, and can lead to depression, anxiety, and a feeling of being stuck or unable to cope.
"I can't do it anymore"
Discouragement is your storm ?
I never struggled in school, I went to uni, failed 3 years in a row, changed school and major, got diagnosed with adhd, health problems, money problems, etc. Everything was against me having my degree, I was even against myself having this degree to be honest.
But I called upon His name ! “JIREH provide me the strength and intelligence to make it !” God provided ! I graduated from college this year ! Class of 2026 ! 6 years after graduating high school.
If your problem is bigger or smaller then that, God is with you in every kind of storm, no matter the size or intensity of storm !!!
Money is not your problem ? Health ? Depression ? Confusion ? Relationships? No matter what you are going through, God is here with and within you, so call upon His name and rejoice !
Rejoice !
For now honestly I don’t know where to go, I don’t have a job (yet), literally don’t have money (yet), don’t have dreams or aspirations (yet).
But, what I do have is faith in a good and faithful God, and that’s all I need. The Bible tells us that :
Matthew 6:33 : "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Located in the Sermon on the Mount, this verse directs believers to prioritize God's will and spiritual righteousness over daily anxieties, promising that God will provide for essential needs like food and clothing and SAFETY (physical, spiritual and emotional !).
Jeremiah 29:11 : "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"
This Bible verse offers encouragement that God has good, hopeful intentions for His people.
Key Context and Meaning:
Original Audience: These words were part of a letter from the prophet Jeremiah to the Israelites in Babylonian exile, promising restoration after 70 years of captivity.
Promise of Hope: The verse reassures that despite present suffering, God has a purpose that brings welfare and not evil.
Seeking God: The following verses (12-13) emphasize that when people call upon God and seek Him with all their heart, He will be found.
Application: While originally contextually directed at Israel, it is often interpreted as a promise of God's providence and good intentions for believers.
It is frequently cited to bring comfort during difficult times, emphasizing trust in God's ultimate plan.
I trust and believe that and I know that my God : will provide mana for my needs,
AND He will provide guidance and directions on where to go like He did with Israel in the desert,
AND He will provide opportunities, open doors,
AND He will provide protection
AND He will provide the right people, the right friends AND the right man
AND He will provide joy and peace IN the process !
Because the provider is a good Father, and because our Father is LOVE !
And all I have to do is be patient and have faith in Him even in the storms, and there will be ! But He told me that : He is with me, so I ask Him to put my heart in the right posture and rejoice and praise Him.
WHY ? Because rejoicing and worshiping Him in hard situations, is you putting God back at His place which is on His Throne of Glory and Victory over your life, So praise God because He is ADONAI, the Lord who is in charge. PERIOD !
Conclusion
So consider how God is working in your life, even through difficult seasons.
Think about the ways God has poured His love into you through the Holy Spirit.
Ask Him for strength to persevere, and let that perseverance develop into a strong character that hopes and trusts in God even in hard times.
And when persevering gets difficult, hold onto this truth: God has given everything for you, and He will never leave your side.
Application
Prayer
Thank you for reading !
May God bless you !
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