“Now that I speak from [any personal] need, for I have learned to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am no disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my circumstances." Philippians 4:11-13 (Amplified)
In this verse, Paul talks about being content and at peace no matter the circumstances we face. It goes without saying that this is very difficult, especially when life's hardships weigh so heavily on us. I remember a season of need that was overwhelming to the point of sleepless nights and intense anxiety. Our family was financially in need, and I was unsure how God would make it work. I was up at night, crunching numbers, trying to make sense of the lack and how much more we needed, and it caused great turmoil in my heart and our home.
However, a part of me almost appreciated the hardship because it caused me to cling to the Lord so tightly. I was in intimate prayer a lot more than I would have been if our income had been abundant. I was cherishing the times on my knees, with tears streaming down my cheeks. Although it hurt, I have never felt closer to the Lord.
Perhaps you are in a season of need right now. Or a difficult circumstance can drain your energy and keep you from sleeping. Life can be hard, and Jesus promised that “in this world we will have trouble” (John 16:33), so we can rest assured that God is fully aware of all that we are going through but intends to use it for good. He understands the intricacies and nuances of our situation more than we do, so how much more is He going to work behind the scenes to bring redemption and provision? This is what we need to remember when life's hardships get the best of us. God is bigger than our circumstances and can be trusted to work it for HIS glory and our good! Here are some practical ways you can draw closer to God when life is hard.
1. Spend the early morning hours (or anytime you can get alone) in prayer. Talk to God as if He were sitting right there with you in person. Imagine His loving eyes taking in your sweet, vulnerable words, and don’t be afraid to say hard things. God is not afraid of our difficult emotions. He welcomes them.
2. Find Psalms of lament in the Bible that you can pray through as you spend time with Jesus. Psalms of lament urge God to intervene in God's character and history with God's people. Here are a few to get you started: Psalm 13, Psalm 22, and Psalm 42. Read them, pray them, and let your tears flow.
3. Journal your thoughts honestly. Grab a new journal just for this season. Write out your prayers and requests for God and record all the answers that come. That way, when another hardship comes, you can be reminded of God’s faithfulness in your own life. Don’t be afraid to ask yourself hard questions. I find that when I worry, a part of my heart doesn’t trust God. Allow that to sink in and really ask yourself what parts of God’s character you aren't trusting. Ask God to help you with your unbelief.
For me, I feared that because of my past financial mistakes, God would allow everything to be taken from us to teach me a lesson. Now, this may be how God disciplines us, and maybe that would happen, but it wouldn’t be out of anger. If God did allow that to happen, I would need to trust that there was a purpose in it. He wouldn’t just let us go without and forget about us. So I needed to get to a point where I surrendered all my fears of lack and trusted that even if that were to happen, God would still be with us and would work it all for good. That is a hard place to get to, and it doesn’t just happen once. Sometimes we need to surrender over and over.
The verse that I have clung to many times in difficulties is “Be still and know that I am God.” - Psalm 46:10
This is not a passive verse. It doesn’t mean shoving it all under the rug and trying to forget about our struggles. It means actively surrendering all our worries to Him. Pray out loud, allowing your voice to give over the things that hold you down with worry. Expressing to Jesus that you trust Him, you believe that He is bigger, and you look forward to watching Him work your difficulty for good. Instead of racking your brain with how to work things out, sit still in His presence, hands open, giving God your angst. I have experienced in my own life the freedom that comes from releasing it all to God.
Remember that He is bigger. Hold on to that. Remember that and allow God’s peace to overflow in your heart. Recognize the closeness that you gain when you bring God into your challenges. As you journal, write prayers of thanksgiving not just for God working things out, but also for His abundant, extravagant love for you.
Let's pray ...
God,
Thank you for creating us, taking delight in us, and wanting to be close to us. If you use difficulty to bring us closer to you, may we think of it as a love letter from you, asking us to draw near. This is the sweetest place to be no matter what is going on around us. We love you, Lord.
Amen.
What truth from today’s devotional is God using to encourage your heart? Share your reflection and join our conversation in the iBelieve Truth Devotional Forum.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Jeremy Perkins
Heidi Vegh is a writer, speaker, and ministry leader based in Western Washington. A remarried mother of four, she is navigating blended family life after losing her first husband to cancer in 2013. Through her writing and speaking, Heidi encourages those who have experienced loss, offering hope and practical guidance for the journey toward healing and renewed life.
She is the author of The Hard Journey to the Good: A Widow’s Journey from Loss to New Life, a heartfelt account of grief, faith, and rebuilding after devastating loss, available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
You can find Heidi at her website mrsheidivegh.com where she shares devotionals and reflections on grief, healing, motherhood, faith, and the beauty and complexity of blended family life through her monthly newsletter. She holds a degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University and serves as Ministry Director at her local church, where she is passionate about helping women grow in faith and experience the transforming love of Jesus.
You can find her on Instagram @mrsheidivegh and SubStack: https://substack.com/
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If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Friday, 03 July 2026.
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