Hardships and life are two things that we don’t love to see paired together but ultimately are destined to happen. We can hope for a smooth road of life but then our hearts are devastated when brokenness comes in. Growing up what I viewed as a happy childhood was actually a childhood full of family brokenness, searching for hope and love. My mom came from an emotionally abusive home, beginning her journey with drugs and alcohol at a young age. Suffering from addiction and mental health issues, her hardship rolled over into my life as well. Our “happy” home life looked a lot like being the only child surrounded by adults under the influence of drugs and alcohol, it looked like late nights caring for my mom instead of the other way around, it looked like abandonment and a little girl’s heart crying out for love.

At the age of 8 my Aunt and Uncle rescued me from the brokenness I was living in. Nurturing a heart like mine and working to put broken pieces back together, out of protection they placed me in a children’s home at the age of 10. Life’s hardship didn’t stop there but soon would come the transition from one family to another, learning to see God’s faithfulness on days it would be so easy to miss it. At 16 I lost my mom to the battle of addiction, learning to trust God’s purpose in pain. Little did I know I was right around the corner from 2 more family moves but through those God would restore the definition of love in my heart. From there I moved in with who I now call l my “forever family” and have never looked back.

If life’s hardship has taught me anything it’s that there is always a way to harvest something good in them. God promises that he will take what the enemy meant for evil and turn it for good. Sometimes we see that fulfilled on this side of heaven and other times we are called to live a life trusting in God’s sovereignty. If you are in the middle of a hard day, this is for you. If you just came out of a hardship, this is for you. If you are about to enter into a hardship, this post is also for you.

Today we are talking all about how to harvest during hardship. When hard days come, although we are physically and emotionally worn out, the first place we get to turn is God’s word. Today we are gathering biblical encouragement on hardship from Jeremiah 29:10-14. Within this passage is one of the most famous verses Jeremiah 29:11. Many times we see this verse on a bumper sticker but we don’t realize the context of the hardship Israel was experiencing when God spoke this promise to them.

This passage was spoken to the people of Israel during a season of exile. The people of Israel have been exiled from their homeland, even with some people still there. Those of them still there were defiant to how the Lord was calling them to live. Not only was this time tough but God told them this would be their new reality for 70 years before they would get to experience his promise. They were removed from their comfort, from their homes, some from their families and removed from their normal. Oh how hardships will make you feel stripped from everything good. This passage in Jeremiah gives us 5 steps to focus on during a difficult season, how kind of the Lord to equip us with words that build our strength on the hard days.

The first step to harvesting in hardship is to begin with faith. Verse 10 shares, “When seventy years are completed for Babylon I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.” My encouragement to your heart today is that God has a promise on the other side or your hardship. Let this promise fuel the faith in your heart to believe that your bad days won’t last forever. When my mom passed away my sophomore year of high school, as we sat in her hospital room preparing for a reality without her, my grandmother said “I know God would not bring us through this without something good on the other side.” For days, weeks, and months to follow I held on to those words. After hoping that would be true I can tell you today it was true. The “good,” that “promise” comes out everyday as I get to share God’s faithfulness with friends like you. God’s promise will prevail despite the present circumstances you see, but the only way to get to the promise is by living from faith.

The second step is to remember God’s commitment. God reminds the Israelites of who he is and his heart for them. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.” God reminded them that he held the plan. Even when the “plan” got tough, it was never meant to hurt you but it leads to hope. There is no better place for a plan to be than in your Fathers hands. He had a plan for them and that plan would not fail. He has a plan for you and that plan will not fail. When you are in a waiting season, a hard season, remember God’s commitment to bringing you a good thing. We know he never withholds a good thing so why would he break that promise to you? When we remember God’s commitment, his plan, we can reap a harvest of his benefits in the process.

The third step is to pray. A simple but mighty step. Verse 12 says, “then you will call on me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you.” God hears the cry of the broken hearted, not only does he hear you crying out to him but he chooses to listen to every word you have to say. What a friend we have in Jesus that he promises when we draw near to him that he will draw near to us. In the most intense time, this generation of Israelites is called to draw near in prayer. When we come to God with honest hearts, he listens because you are his most prized possession and he longs to see you have a prosperous life. Your prayer is the phone call God delights in answering so don’t be afraid to reach out. When you don’t have words to say, tell him that. When your heart is full of anger and frustration, please let him know. God isn’t afraid of your brokenness but he’s been waiting for you to reach out for healing.

Step 4 in harvesting during hardship is to seek God with all your heart. Verse 13 says “you will seek me and you will find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Not only does God love to talk to you but he longs to be with you. In your hardship He is near. God wants us to seek him with all that we are. The best part of this promise is that we will find him. God isn’t hidden because he doesn’t want to be found, but he is hidden in a way that when we do find him we realize he was never far away. God loves to be sought after by you and but most importantly he finds joy in revealing who he is.

As God reveals himself to you he then does what he does best, restore. The last step in harvesting during hardship is to receive restoration. Verse 14 shares, “ I will be found by you and I will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you, declares the Lord and I will bring you back from the place from which I carried you into exile.” Through all of the hardships God’s plan was always to restore. Your brokenness is not beyond restoration, in fact that is what God was planning for all along. Receive the healing that comes your way, receive the guidance that is offered, receive the promise God has had waiting on you. I think restoration is God’s favorite way to begin a story. Restoration isn’t the end but it is the beginning of walking in the purpose he has for you. It is something he has always been good at. Restoring people, restoring places, restoring stories. Bringing beauty from ashes, giving joy in hard circumstances, and reaping a harvest in hardship. Next time you enter into a difficult season, a waiting season, an unexpected season, remember God’s promise to you as you harvest during hardship.

XO Scarlet

Scarlet Stearns is a speaker, writer, and podcaster from Birmingham, Alabama. Growing up in a local children’s home and defying the odds, she is passionate about sharing her story and telling of God’s faithfulness. Scarlet has a girls ministry called Feel The Smile that gives biblical encouragement for practical struggles. Scarlet seeks to share the true heart of Jesus with people everywhere through her blog, podcast, and social media platforms. In her free time you can find her spending time with family, friends, speaking, and writing for the LO Sister app!