06/26/2026
Many of us pray for God to remove our problems, but what if God is more interested in what the problem is producing in us than in removing it from us?
God often allows challenges, trials, and painful seasons to enter our lives, not to destroy us, but to develop us. He uses adversity to cultivate character, deepen our faith, increase our prayer life, transform our hearts, and most importantly, create intimacy with Him.
Intimacy is where true spiritual growth takes place. It's "into Him" we see, and "into me" He sees. In His presence, masks come off, walls come down, and our relationship with Him becomes real and personal.
I know this firsthand. Eight years ago, I experienced a painful situation that turned my world upside down. I pleaded with God to remove it. I cried, prayed, and asked Him repeatedly for relief. But instead of taking it away, He spoke to my heart and said, "Go through and count it all joy."
Those words changed everything.
I began to seek God daily with a passion I had never known before. Through tears, prayers, and unwavering time in His Word, He gave me direction, encouragement, wisdom, and strength. What started as pain became a pathway to intimacy.
Today, I am grateful for what that season of three years produced in me. The problem didn't destroy me, it developed me. It pushed me closer to God than I had ever been before. I'm also grateful for the gift and presence of my dog Sam. He witnessed my prayers and pursuit of God, and never left my side. His presence was a constant reminder that God was with me, walking me through this difficult season.
So if you're walking through a difficult season, don't just focus on getting through it. Pray your way through it. Worship your way through it. Seek God until the trial produces a deeper intimacy with Him. What the enemy meant for harm, God can use for your spiritual growth and His glory.
Be encouraged. Problems may come to test you, but God can use them to transform you and draw you closer to His heart.
"Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." β James 1:2-3
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