Finding Joy in Trials: Strength Through Weakness

Are you able to take joy and sing thanksgiving in your trials? We all struggle to find the bright side in difficult situations, but what if we could find joy even in life’s valleys? God’s word tells us we can, not through our own willpower, but by relying on God, our ultimate source of strength and joy. Let’s explore that.

Psalm 89:17 tells us:

“It brings God joy and pleasure to make us strong.”

To make us strong, we must first be weak. Our moments of suffering, pain, loss, and confusion are when we are most vulnerable. God’s work through our weakness doesn’t have to be a time of misery, but a time to worship Him despite our circumstances, a time to find joy in unexpected places.

The Lord delights in helping us, and we can be filled with that same joy as we witness His love and help in our pain and sorrow, as Psalm 28:7 shows:

“The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.”

Like David in the Psalms, when God helps us, we can break out in thanksgiving, knowing He is working in our lives. His work is most evident in our weakness, both to us and others, a reason to celebrate or “boast,” as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9:

“Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”

Christ works through our weakness to reveal Himself more fully to us and those around us. Whatever we are struggling with today, let us praise God for His work in our lives.

When life is hard and I’m tempted to complain, I quote the Psalmist from Psalm 118:24:

“This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.”

I know that through my trials, God is working to make me more like Him and to reveal Himself to others, as James tells us in James 1:2-4:

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

Last night, as I struggled with my health, I could only say, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, please be with me.” I took comfort in knowing that this time of suffering was making me more like Him and that He would use it for His glory.

I urge you today to identify your struggles and give thanks to God for His work through your weakness, tapping into the joy He has for you. It won’t erase your struggles, but it will give you the strength to bear them and find joy in unexpected places.