You Can Do Hard Things by Barbour Books

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You can do hard things You do

Renae Brumbaugh Green

You can do hard things You do

Empowering Devotions for Women

Print ISBN 978-1-63609-956-9

Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 979-8-89151-048-7

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Scripture quotations marked esv are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The esv® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked nlt are taken from the Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked rsv are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Introduction

Most of us, if given the choice, would choose easy over hard. We’d choose new Cadillacs over broken-down Buicks, highpaying jobs over entry-level grunt work, grassy meadows over desert cacti. But have you noticed that books, movies, and plays where the main character doesn’t have to ﬁght for something are boring? Maybe you haven’t, because those kinds of movies don’t get made. Those kinds of books rarely get published. Nobody is interested in easy except in their own lives.

The hard stu isn’t fun. Yet it’s the hard stu that builds character, wisdom, and faith. God does hard things—He gave up His Son for people who didn’t deserve that kind of love. And we’re made in His image, which means, like God, we have what it takes to do hard things. When we’re weak, He is strong. When we’re at the end, He is eternal. He will never leave us to do the di cult tasks alone. He is right there with us, cheering us on, leading the way, and making us stronger than we thought possible.

What hard things do you face? Hold on to God. Let Him point the way. And when you feel like you can’t go on, let Him carry you. Trust Him. He is writing the amazing story of your life.

In His Image

God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:27 niv

We all go through hard things. It’s part of being human. Sometimes we may wonder why a loving God would allow His children to face trials, di culty, and pain. That’s a legitimate question, but it may not be the right question.

A better question might be, Why would the God of the universe allow Himself to go through hard things? Why would He allow Himself to hurt? He does, you know. He hurts every time we sin. He feels the sting each time someone rejects Him. And He faced the ultimate grief when He watched His perfect, ﬂawless Son die. But He allowed it because He knew it was the only way to save the rest of us.

He made us in His likeness. That means, like Him, we have the strength to do hard things. It may seem like we won’t make it through, like whatever we face is too much for us. But God sees. He has been there, and He understands your frustration. He cares deeply for you, and He will give you the strength to get to the other side.

You know what I’m dealing with, Father. You know how hard this is for me. Thank You for this reminder that I’m made in Your likeness. You have given me access to Your strength, power, and wisdom. Hold my hand and help me through this trial. I trust You.

Listen to God

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Genesis 3:2–5 niv

Isn’t that just like Satan? He made Eve question herself and doubt what she knew was right. He convinced her that she was being silly. He even made her believe God was wrong! She knew God. She’d walked and talked with Him. He was perfectly clear in what He said. Satan may have been around a long time, but he doesn’t have any new tricks. He does the same to us today. We face a hard choice, and he whispers in our ear and makes us question ourselves. He casts doubt on the things we know are true and good and right. He tries to convince us that we’re overthinking things and being foolish, and that surely this one little thing won’t hurt.

When you accepted Christ, the Holy Spirit came to live in you. His voice is clear. Don’t let Satan or anyone else tell you otherwise. Seek God. Listen to Him. He will never steer you wrong.

I’m sorry for ever doubting You, Lord. When I face hard choices, help me to hear Your voice. I trust You, and I know Your ways are perfect.

Righteous

This is the account of Noah and his family.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.

Genesis 6:9 niv

What an honor for Noah’s name to be recorded in God’s Word as a righteous person. The word righteous means “one who does what is right in God’s eyes.” A righteous person is in right standing with God.

Don’t ever question your righteousness. It doesn’t come from yourself but through Jesus Christ. When we accept Him, He blankets us with His righteousness and brings us into right standing with the Father. The Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to shed our sin nature and do what’s right even when it’s hard.

Righteousness doesn’t mean perfection. God created us, and He knows everything about us. He knows we’ll mess up sometimes, just like Noah did. But God loves us, and He is full of mercy and grace. He focuses on what’s right about us. When we repent, He tosses out what’s wrong and forgets all about it.

You’re able to do hard, righteous things because you are righteous. Don’t ever convince yourself—or let anyone else convince you—that you’re anything less.

Father, thank You for Jesus and for making me righteous because of Him. Thank You for focusing on who I am in Christ, not on who I am outside of Him. Give me strength and wisdom to always do what’s right in Your eyes.

Everything

Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

Genesis 6:22 niv

Have you ever tried to follow directions that weren’t clear? Whether it’s putting together a child’s toy or following a map, clear instructions are key. God is always clear about what He wants from us. The closer we are to Him and the more we listen to Him, the easier it is to follow His instructions.

First Corinthians 14:33 tells us that God is not a God of confusion. If something is confusing, it’s probably not from God. The word chaos in the Bible is associated with those who don’t follow God—and Satan is always behind it.

When you face hard choices and you don’t know the right thing to do, study God’s Word. Ask yourself, What is right in God’s eyes? What is just? What choice shows goodness and kindness, compassion and mercy? Which way reflects humility before God?

Once those questions are answered, if you still don’t know what to do, be still. Seek God and listen. Sometimes He gives you a choice— such as which college to attend or which job to take. He does give us free will, after all, and He’ll go with us wherever we are. Other times He’ll give us a clear sense of what we should do.

The more we follow His commands and try to please Him, the more clearly we’ll hear His voice. Trust that voice. Obey it. He is 100 percent for you, and He will never lead you wrong.

I want to be like Noah, Lord. I want to do everything You command me to do.

Starting Over

“Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you— the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.”

Genesis 8:17 niv

Can you imagine how frustrated God must have been in the days of Noah? He made the choice to destroy just about everything He’d worked so hard to create. Things were that bad. God chose to start over with a righteous man and his family.

Think about that. Noah was righteous in a time and place where everything was so bad, that God couldn’t stand it anymore. What strength of character Noah must have possessed. Today, as we look around, it’s easy to think, How much worse could things be? We struggle to be godly, righteous people in a time and place where sin is celebrated and righteousness is mocked.

But we can do this. We have God’s strength to power us and the Holy Spirit to guide us. It may be hard, but we can be like Noah. We can be lights in the darkness. We can be righteous even if we’re the only ones who are.

Father, it’s hard to be godly and righteous in a society where those qualities are scorned. But I want to please You more than I want to please people. Use me to be fruitful and multiply Your love in this dark world.

Faith

The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 12:1–3 niv

What would you do if someone told you, “I want you to leave behind everyone and everything you have and go. I’m not going to tell you the destination until you get there.” Would you do it?

Most of us wouldn’t. But that’s exactly what Abram did. God said, “Go,” and Abram went—without knowing the details. He trusted God even when he didn’t have a clue what God was doing. That’s called faith, and that faith is why Abram (later named Abraham) was called a friend of God.

If we trust God only when we already know the outcome of a situation, that’s not faith. God wants us to have so much certainty about His goodness, power, and love that we place all our conﬁdence in Him. When we do, God will be pleased, and we will be blessed.

Father, I trust You. I don’t know what You’re doing, and I don’t like it. I’m on a hard path right now. But I trust You, and I’ll do whatever You say.

Humility

So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”

Genesis 13:8–9 niv

When God told Abram to go to a new land, his nephew Lot went with him. When they settled, they both grew very wealthy in ﬂocks and herds and tents and servants. They grew so much that the land could no longer support them both. Their herdsmen started arguing over the land, the water sources, and other things. That’s when Abram told Lot to choose whichever land he wanted.

Abram was the oldest and had the right to choose ﬁrst. But instead, he chose humility. He gave Lot the higher honor of choosing which land he wanted. Humility is never the easiest path. It requires us to set aside our own wants and needs in favor of others. But God blessed Abram for his humility.

When we choose others before ourselves, it shows strength of character—not weakness. Christ humbled Himself by placing our needs above His own. When we do the same, we model Christ’s behavior, and God is pleased.

I struggle with pride, Lord. Humility doesn’t come easily for me, but I want to be like You. Teach me to lay aside my self-centeredness and put others’ needs before my own.

Shield and Reward

After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

Genesis 15:1 niv

Abram and Lot lived on their selected land. After some time, a war broke out, and Lot and his people were taken captive. When Abram heard about it, he gathered some of his own men and rescued Lot and his family. Later the king of Sodom (one of the evil kings who’d captured Lot) tried to make a deal with Abram, but Abram was too wise. He told the man he wouldn’t take anything from him but the food he and his men had already eaten. Saying no to such a powerful man must have been frightening. But God told him, “Don’t be afraid. I’m your shield and your very great reward.” The God of the universe was so pleased with Abram that He personally promised to protect and bless him. Soon after, God promised that Abram’s descendants would be more numerous than the stars.

Sometimes being a Christian means standing up against evil or misguided people to do what’s right. Other times it means refusing to become one of them, no matter how tempting it may be. That can be scary. But God promises us the same thing He promised Abram: “Don’t be afraid. Do what’s right. I will be your shield and your reward.”

Father, give me the wisdom and strength to do what’s right even when it’s difficult or scary. I know You’ll take care of me.

Trust and Wait

So she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said.

Genesis 16:2 niv

God promised Abram that his descendants would outnumber the stars. But there were a few problems with that promise—at least from a human standpoint. Abram and Sarai were in their eighties at that point—far beyond their childbearing years. When their initial attempts didn’t work, Sarai grew impatient. Instead of taking God at His Word, she tried to ﬁx things herself. She actually told her husband to sleep with her maid. And Abram agreed!

We do the same thing. We think we understand God’s plan, so we try to manipulate things to make it happen. That’s a whole lot easier than waiting, which is what God wants us to do. Whenever we step in front of God and try to do His job for Him, the result is disaster.

If you know in your spirit that God has promised you something, hold on to that promise. Wait for God to act. Believe in Him, knowing that He always keeps His Word. He is the miracle worker, and He can accomplish things more smoothly and more beautifully than you could ever imagine. Trust Him. Wait for Him. You won’t be sorry.

Forgive me for trying to work things out on my own instead of waiting on You, Father. I trust You, and I know You’ll keep Your promises without my help.

Faithful and Blameless

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.”

Genesis 17:1 niv

Thirteen years had passed since Abram had last heard directly from God. In that time, Sarai’s servant had given birth to Ishmael, and Abram was just about convinced that God’s promise would be fulﬁlled through that child. Then God stepped in and reminded Abram that He was El Shaddai—God Almighty. He could do anything.

Instead of making more promises to Abram, God laid out some expectations: “walk before me faithfully and be blameless.” This doesn’t mean that God expected Abram to be perfect. He just wanted Abram to live in such a way that no one could accuse him of doing wrong. God wanted Abram to center his life on God.

God has the same expectations of us. He knows we’re not perfect. We’ll make mistakes—where we genuinely think we’re doing right, but we realize later we made the wrong choice. But God wants us to avoid serious, in-your-face rebellion against His ways. When we center our lives on God and try to please Him in all we do, we live up to the expectations that He has for every believer.

I want to walk before You faithfully and be blameless, Father. I can’t do that on my own. I need You to walk with me and guide me every day.

Nothing Too Hard

“Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

Genesis 18:14 niv

Just before this verse, Sarah had laughed when God said she’d have a son within a year. She was ninety—there was no way she could have a child! But God called her out. He said, “Why did you laugh?” Then He reminded her that nothing is too hard for the Lord.

The problem wasn’t Sarah’s faith. She knew God could give Abraham children. Her problem was that her thoughts were too small. She didn’t take God’s power and majesty and sovereignty into account. She expected God to work within her understanding. She wasn’t aware that God operates on an entirely di erent plane.

Are you thinking too small for God? Whatever you face, whatever you’re going through, you may believe there’s no good solution. You may feel there’s no way out. That may be true on your plane. But nothing is too hard for the Lord. Talk to Him. Tell Him your needs, your fears, your hopes and dreams. Then trust Him and wait. Don’t try to ﬁgure out how He’ll work—He is under no obligation to let you in on His plans until He is ready. But make no mistake—God is working on your behalf. And when the time is right, you’ll be amazed at the outcome.

I know nothing is too hard for You, Lord. I trust You completely.

He Is Always Good

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

Genesis 22:2 niv

This is such a hard story. Why would God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son? The truth is, God didn’t ask anything of Abraham that He wasn’t willing to do Himself. God did sacrifice His Son—and it broke His heart to do so. We can’t know why God asked Abraham to do such a thing, just as we don’t know why we must endure some of the things we face. We do know that God is pleased by our faith. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God. The reason Abraham was able to be obedient in this circumstance was because he had so much faith. God had promised that through Isaac, Abraham would have descendants as numerous as the stars. He knew God would either provide another sacrifice or bring Isaac back from the dead. And his faith proved true. If you’re familiar with the story, you know God stopped Abraham from killing Isaac and provided a ram instead.

God has never asked anyone else for such a di cult task. But He does require hard things sometimes. Perhaps the hardest thing for us is to trust God when so much is at stake. But we can. He loves us. He is good. And He will provide everything we need.

What I’m facing doesn’t make sense, Lord. But I will trust You.

Beyond Imagination

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:20–21 niv

Have you ever faced a problem, gotten a solution in your mind, and decided nothing else could possibly work? We’ve all done that. Though there’s nothing wrong with being a problem solver, we do face trouble when we think our way is the only way. The truth is, our solutions are clunky and amateurish compared to what God has in store. His ways are so far above ours that we can’t even imagine the amazing way He might work something out.

Keep working. Keep moving forward in faith. But don’t get so focused on your own solutions that you lose sight of something much better. Talk to God and trust Him with the outcome. He loves to surprise and delight His children who lean into Him with total, childlike faith.

I’m going through something, Lord, and it terrifies me. I need it to work itself out, but I don’t see how that can happen.

But I know Your ways are higher than my ways. I know You have solutions I could never dream of. I need Your help, and I trust You with the outcome. You are my only hope.

Dig Another Well

So all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth.

Genesis 26:15 niv

God blessed Isaac, and he became very prosperous. The Philistines in the area were jealous of his success, so they tried to sabotage him. They ﬁlled up his wells with dirt so he couldn’t draw water.

But Isaac didn’t respond the way they expected him to. He didn’t start a war. He didn’t give up. When he found a well ﬁlled with dirt, he grabbed a shovel and dug another well. When it happened again, he dug another one.

Sometimes in life we ﬁnd our wells ﬁlled with dirt. Everything we’ve worked for and invested in suddenly dries up, and we feel panicked, lost, and frustrated. In those times, it’s tempting to get mad at God or to roll over and stop trying. But we’re made of stronger stu than that! We are made in God’s image. We have His strength running through us.

When life tries to shut you down, grab a shovel and dig another well. Go back to school. Apply for another job. Try again, trusting in God’s faithfulness and love. Like Isaac, you will see success again one day.

Father, it feels like all my wells have dried up. Everything I try seems to end in failure. But I trust Your faithfulness. I will not give up. I know You’re using this situation to transform me into Your image. I know You have good things in store for me. While I wait on You, I’ll keep digging.

When We Obey

“What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”

Genesis 28:15 nlt

Jacob’s father, Isaac, told him not to marry a local woman. Those women didn’t worship God. Isaac told Jacob to go back to his mother’s family and ﬁnd a wife from among those women. Jacob left his home to go on a long journey, knowing he may never see his father again. On that journey, God appeared to Jacob in a dream and spoke the words of this verse in Genesis 28.

When we honor and obey God even when it’s hard, He protects us. That doesn’t mean nothing bad will ever happen. But with God on our side, we can know the end of the story will be one of victory and triumph. Many years later, Jacob did return to his homeland. He didn’t return empty-handed either. While he was away, God blessed him with a large family and great wealth. When he returned to his homeland, he was even able to make peace with his estranged brother, Esau.

What hard thing has God asked you to do? Remember the words of His promise: “I am with you. I will protect you. I will not leave you until I’ve given you everything I promised you.”

Father, I want to obey You, but sometimes obedience is hard—even scary. I know You’ll stay with me, protect me, and give me all You’ve promised. I trust You, and I will obey.

The Power of Humility

But Jacob insisted, “No, if I have found favor with you, please accept this gift from me. And what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God! Please take this gift I have brought you, for God has been very gracious to me. I have more than enough.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau finally accepted the gift.

Genesis 33:10–11 nlt

Jacob and Esau—twin brothers—didn’t part on the best of terms. There was much animosity between them when Jacob left. Now, many years later, Jacob had returned home. He had every reason to believe Esau would greet him with hostility. There might even be a war between the two families!

Jacob used wisdom and prepared for this meeting. As he approached his homeland, he sent messengers ahead with gifts for Esau. Then he sent more messengers with more gifts. By the time the two met face-to-face, Esau’s heart had softened some.

“I can’t accept all this from you,” Esau told him.

“No, please. I insist. You’re my brother, and I want you to have these things.”

Instead of holding on to old grudges, Jacob showed humility. He took the initiative to make things right with his brother. Humility goes a long way toward mending fences. It’s hard to lay aside pride. But when we do, we’ll ﬁnd that a weight has lifted, and it opens the door for peace.

Father, I want my relationship with ___________ to be healed. Help me set aside my pride and approach them in humility and love.

Give It Time

He was thirty years old when he began serving in the court of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And when Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence, he inspected the entire land of Egypt.

Genesis 41:46 nlt

Joseph was seventeen years old when his brothers sold him into slavery. In the years that followed, he went through a lot. He was a servant for a wealthy family, was framed for rape and thrown into prison, was given some responsibility and trust while in prison, and then was forgotten about. . . . Now, he was thirty years old. Thirteen years had passed, and he was in a position of power second only to Pharaoh. God allowed all those years to pass—all those di cult circumstances—and used them to mature Joseph, humble him, and prepare him for this place of service, all so he could eventually save the people of Israel from famine and starvation. We’re inﬂuenced and shaped by our fast-track society. We expect things to happen quickly. But God’s plan and purpose for us builds over a lifetime. That’s why He tells us so many times in His Word to wait. When we wait on God, when we serve Him faithfully even when it’s hard, good things eventually come. Blessings eventually arrive. And God’s purpose for each of us will come to pass.

Father, I’m so ready for the hard stuff to be behind me and the blessings to arrive. But I know You’re preparing me for what’s to come so I can live out Your purpose for my life. I trust You.