How to See God’s Hand at Work in Your Most Difficult Moments | T.D. Jakes Sermon
Everyone walks through seasons in life that seem overwhelming, where pain and struggle feel like constant companions. But what if these seasons are not meant to bury us, but rather to plant us—so that new life, new growth, and even new joy can arise? Let’s explore how we can see God’s faithful hand at work even when hardship seems to dominate our story.
When Life Continues Through Your Pain
Life doesn’t pause for heartbreak, disappointment, or sickness. The world keeps spinning, bills don’t stop, obligations continue, and much is demanded from us, even when we feel broken. Many of us have had experiences where, even as we reach new milestones or experience God’s visible blessings, painful losses are unfolding behind the scenes. It’s a strange paradox—success and sorrow, joy and grief, all mixed together.
So what do we do when we feel crushed by life’s hardships? We must remember, as Paul wrote, that we are pressed but not destroyed. Often, what feels like being buried is actually God planting us, preparing us for a greater harvest.
The Hidden Crises Behind the Celebration
Often, people see our highlight reels—the new job, the growing ministry, the happy home. They may not notice the private struggles we face at the same time. In the midst of building dreams, we may also be holding the hands of a loved one fading away, or quietly battling fears and doubts that others may never see.
It’s in these moments that we come face-to-face with the reality of the crushing. Like grapes destined to become fine wine, we are sometimes required to pass through seasons of pain and pressure. God, the master vinedresser, knows where and how to prune; His hand, though sometimes bringing discomfort, is always wise and purposeful.
The True Nature of God’s Pruning
It might seem logical that if we’re producing good fruit, God would simply leave us alone. Yet, Jesus teaches us in John 15 that God “prunes every branch that bears fruit so it can bear even more.” The pain is not punishment. The knife is not rejection. God prunes because there is more within us that He is calling forth.
If you feel like you’re being cut back while bearing fruit—take hope! God isn’t cutting away your value. He’s working for your increase. As a gardener knows which branches to trim for a better harvest, God knows exactly how, when, and where to cut in order to draw out your fullest potential.
You’re Not Buried—You’re Planted
When seeds are planted or a grape is crushed, it feels like the end. But it’s actually the beginning. There is little difference in the way we bury a seed and the way we bury a body, but the intention is radically different. To be planted means to expect new life, new fruit. So if you feel hidden or even forgotten, remember—God is preparing a resurrection. Season after season, your present “burial” is the setup for an amazing comeback.
Enduring the Crushing—Becoming New Wine
If grapes could talk, they would likely complain about the process of being pressed and squeezed. The transformation requires great discomfort, but what emerges on the other side is so much more valuable. In the same way, when we endure life’s crushing seasons, we are invited to trust that God is turning our pain into something beautiful. Our future usefulness and testimony are being developed in the pressing.
We aren’t left to merely endure; we are being stewarded, matured, and refined into something far more significant than we ever imagined. God’s aim is to make our lives a testimony, a blessing not just for ourselves but for many others.
Turning Our Inner Conversations Around
During times of hardship, the voices inside our heads can be our greatest enemies. The memories of setbacks, past failures, and lingering fears can become louder during adversity. Negative self-talk can rob us of joy, causing us to question whether God’s blessings will last or if we are truly worthy.
But Scripture gives us a remedy: let your inner voice echo God’s promises, not your fears. The woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5 spoke hope to herself, believing, “If I just touch the hem of His garment, I will be healed.” She received her miracle because she dared to believe—against all evidence—and spoke life to her soul.
What you consistently say to yourself shapes your future. If you nurture hope with God’s Word, rather than rehearse defeat, you’ll change not only your feelings, but your outcome.
Faith for the Good Times, Too
It may surprise you, but sometimes it takes even more faith to rest in the good seasons than it does to walk through the hard ones. When God brings provision and promotion, our old anxieties may whisper, “Is this too good to be true? Will it last?” We must believe that God’s goodness is not fleeting; His blessings are not conditional. True rest comes when we trust that He means for us to remain in places of blessing and favor, not just visit them.
Redefining Excellence and Moving Forward
Our definitions of “excellence” or “success” often depend on our past and who we surround ourselves with. Excellence, in God’s eyes, is not about perfection but about finishing well, living with no regrets, and fully yielding to what He has planned for our lives.
Don’t let others pull you down to their definition of “enough.” God’s standard for you is higher and always connected to purpose. He wants you to push forward, striving with Him, so that at the end of your journey, you can say, like Paul, “I fought the good fight, I finished the race.”
Building a Life of Remembrance
