Many times when we encounter problems in our lives, we experience the familiar feelings of anxiety, fear, and distress. However, our loving and faithful God counsels His children not to be afraid, because our Lord is close and has a plan to use our difficulties in a positive way to strengthen us, even though our difficulties. To spiritually progress from anxiety, fear, and distress to reassurance, faith, and peace requires time and God’s grace to walk us through our experiences and strengthen our hearts and minds. We are all at different spiritual levels, but God meets and recognizes each individual at his point of need. He has not promised that in this world troubles and struggles will not come our way, but He has promised that He will strengthen and harden us to difficulties.
The dictionary states the meaning of harden is “to make hardy, robust or capable of endurance; to become confirmed or strengthened with reference to character, intentions, or feelings.” In other words, the crisis that feels so difficult to undergo today is being used by God as a tool to build and create emotional strength and spiritual endurance for our tomorrows. Because of this powerful hardening to difficulties, we will be full of faith and hope rather than full of fear and worry. We will find ourselves undefeated about the circumstances that would have caused us enormous concern in the past, as we remember the Truth that God holds the answers to all of our difficulties. Then we will continue to trust Him during and through the tough and trying times, as He strengthens us with His Spirit of Truth!
“Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice” (Isaiah 41:10).
