How many have ever had “one of those days?” You know what I mean. Those are the days when you wish you had stayed in bed, pulled the covers over your head and gone back to sleep. We all have them.

But what about when those days turn into weeks or months or even years. What do we do?

When things are difficult, it is hard sometimes for us to trust God. Proverbs 30:5 says, “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” Have you ever thought of that? When things are tough, have you ever rested and taken refuge in God’s Word?

As Jeremiah wrote the book of Lamentations, he was standing in the midst of a city that was once the joy of the whole earth, full of people, a queen among the provinces. Now Jerusalem was like a slave wearing her chains in shame and disgrace. Yet against that dark background, we find words that have brightened the lives of believers down through the ages. “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

There is a poem based on these verses from Lamentations, written in the early 1920s by a life insurance agent named Thomas Chisholm. He sent the poem to a friend who set it to music. It has become one of the best-loved hymns of the past century–“Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” The hymn writer wrote these words about God: “Morning by morning new mercies I see. Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not, as Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.”

According to Thomas Chisholm, there was no special or dramatic circumstance surrounding the writing of this hymn. He simply penned the lines from his impressions about God’s faithfulness gleaned from reading the Bible.

I know for many of us who have gone through dark and difficult periods in our lives, it is hard to see the “light” at the end of the tunnel. But in Matthew 28:20, Jesus tells His followers this, “I will be with you always…”

There is an important lesson here. You and I can fully experience the faithfulness of God in our ordinary, day-to-day circumstances. And when the dark times come, God is still there.

The prophet Jeremiah was surrounded by tragedy, he was touched and moved by it, but he was not overcome. In the midst of a very dark scene, he saw a brilliant ray of hope based on the mercy, compassion, and faithfulness of God.

In our lives, our circumstances may change, but let us hold firm to the promises of God because He never changes and as the psalmist proclaimed, “His love endures forever!”

Is this easy? No, it isn’t. but in the midst of the uneasiness, we can rest in the assurance that our lives are in His hands and He will work out all thing for our good and His glory. May you experience His love and joy even in the midst of trials. And in that difficulty, may you be an expression of His love and grace to others.