What Is The Benefit Of Going Through Hard Times?

2 Corin. 1:3-5 -  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.   NASU 

• First Benefit Of Hard Times 

According to verse 4 above God comes alongside us when we are going through hard times.
 
WOW!
 
I don't know about you I can only speak for myself, but many times when I've gone through hard times I thought God wasn't there. It was like God had gone on a vacation, and I was left to handle the mess by myself.
 
I was wrong.

In the book of Hebrews 13:5-6 it says, "for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID."

• Second Benefit Of Hard Times 

We get to use our experience from enduring hard times with others who are going through the same or a similar hard time.
 
"…so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

We get to be the shoulder a person can lean on as they go through their difficult time. We get to share with them how God was there for us and that God is there for them.
 
God isn't in the business of baling out on us when we need Him the most.  
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• Conclusion 

You will want to assure the person enduring the hard time that all they have to do is wait patiently for God. He will help them make it safely to the other side of this trial.
 
Patience and trust are the key ingredients that are needed when going through hard times.
 
The next time you are going through a hard time, you will want to remember God is with you and you will use your experience to help someone else in the future.
 
My suggestion is take good notes because you will be called on in the future to share your experience with others.
 
Think About These:
 
This would be a wonderful world if men showed as much patience in all things as they do in waiting for a fish to bite.
 
Patience is often bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
 
Patience is the ability to count down before blasting off.

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago      
    
Minister of God’s Word