Every one of us experiences times when life is simply difficult. When all the planets seem to be aligned against us, and no matter what we do everything appears to go wrong. At such times, we feel like curling up into a ball and extracting ourselves from life. However, that is rarely an option, nor is it ultimately the solution to the problems we are experiencing. It seems too easy to say that at such times we should turn to God, and it can be. But we must also acknowledge that when we face such difficulties, God is never far from us, and he desires that despite the difficulties we should learn afresh to put our trust in him. It is at such moments in our lives that our faith can grow and our trust in God can be extended. I’m not suggesting that God is a magic formula to be used in time of difficulties. The reality is that God rarely removes the difficulties, but rather he more often enables us to face up to them and come out the other end. It is by such means that we grow in faith and trust in God.