Have you ever been in a situation where it seemed like the harder you tried the worse things got? Well, you’re not alone. If you have decided to live by faith, there are going to be times when it seems like everything is going wrong
You will face challenges, but I’ve got three points to help you reach the high side of victory!
The first point is that God is not testing you.
Jesus told us in John 10:10 that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. He will use anything he can to get you to throw in the towel and quit because he knows that’s the only way he can defeat a Christian. The devil wants you to doubt God and His Word. Stand firm and believe God.
The second point is that Jesus warned us of tribulation ahead of time.
In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
In this world you will have tribulation. That means affliction, distress, pressure, and burdens. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve missed God. There are times in Scripture when God’s people are in the center of His will, but it seems like everything is going in the opposite direction.
This leads me to my third point. Be of good cheer!
Jesus said, when tribulation comes, be of good cheer. That’s not what we want to hear in times of trouble. But Jesus said this more than once. Why? Because He has overcome the world! When Jesus healed the man with palsy in Matthew 9, He told him to be of good cheer because his sins were forgiven. When the disciples were in the storm and Jesus came walking on the water, He said, “Be of good cheer; it is I” (Matt. 14:27 and Mark 6:50).
If you don’t have anything else to be cheerful about, you can be of good cheer that Jesus has overcome the world, your sins are forgiven, and He will never leave you nor forsake you in your storm!
In Acts 27, Paul was a prisoner on a ship in the middle of a storm at sea, and it seemed like things couldn’t get any worse. Everyone had lost hope of being rescued—except Paul, who encouraged the men to be of good cheer; he even said it twice! Why? Because he had sought the Lord, and the Lord said, “Fear not” (Acts 27:22–25). In a time like that, Paul chose to trust in God and put this into practice. As a result, they all lived to tell the story.
If things are getting worse in your life, hold on. Be of good cheer! Stand on the promises of God, and you’ll be on the high side of victory!
Even the greatest people of faith in the Bible experienced doubt. We have a teaching article that will help you learn to deal with doubt and strengthen your faith.
Wendell Parr, Ministry Ambassador
With fifty years in ministry as a pastor and teacher, Wendell teaches some of the most fundamental truths of Christianity. As a senior instructor at Charis Bible College, students receive a wealth of wisdom through his Holy Spirit, Old Testament Survey, and New Testament Survey classes.
