“God’s love doesn’t erase the struggle, but it redeems it. It transforms the pain and the hardship into something sacred.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – March 23, 2025
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Life has a way of leading us through valleys—moments where the struggle seems unbearable, where we face obstacles that break us down. But what if these struggles, instead of defeating us, are shaping us? What if our hardships are meant to break down the walls we build around our hearts, making way for a hard-fought hallelujah? In hindsight, I’ve found that I have drawn closer to God during the hardest moments and greatest challenges in my life more than at any other time.
In times of struggle, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. We may question our strength, doubt our purpose, or even feel abandoned by God. But it is precisely in these moments that we are brought face to face with our deepest vulnerabilities. Struggle keeps us honest, revealing parts of ourselves that we may have kept hidden—our fears, our pride, our pain. It forces us to acknowledge that we cannot carry the weight of the world on our own. And in that rawness, we find the opportunity for true connection with God.
The journey to a hallelujah—our heartfelt praise to God—is not always easy or immediate. It’s often hard-fought. It’s earned through the trials, the tears, and the moments where we think we’ve reached our limit. But as we struggle, something powerful happens: the walls we’ve built around our hearts that separate us from God’s grace, begin to crumble. These walls may be made of bitterness, shame, guilt, or fear, but they break down through the refining fire of struggle.
And then, in the midst of the rubble, we find ourselves in a posture of surrender. We lift our hands to God, not because we’ve found all the answers or because the struggle has disappeared, but because we’ve learned that we can’t do it alone. We reach out to the One who has been with us all along. In that surrender, we experience the beautiful truth of God’s forgiveness and love.
God’s love doesn’t erase the struggle, but it redeems it. It transforms the pain and the hardship into something sacred. What was once a burden becomes a path to healing. What once felt like defeat becomes the very thing that brought us closer to God.
This is the essence of a hard-fought hallelujah. It’s the moment when, after all the fighting, doubting, and wrestling, we find ourselves lifting our voices in praise, not because life is perfect, but because we have encountered God’s perfect love. His love makes it all good, and through His grace, our brokenness is made whole.
“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10).
Prayer
Father, only you can turn our challenges into a hallelujah. Only you can take a mess and turn it into a message. You do indeed give us hinds feet and set us on high places as you strengthen us and help us overcome our trials. Thank you for taking our brokenness and turning it into something good for you.
Application
If you’re facing a challenge today, I encourage you to lift your hands up in praise to the Lord. He will take your brokenness and turn it into a hallelujah.
Related Reading
Habakkuk 3:19; Psalm 18:32; Ephesians 3:16
Worship Resource
Brandon Lake feat. Jelly Roll: Hard Fought Hallelujah
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