The Struggle Feels Real: But Worth It

Often I see “problems” in life as something to fix. 

Or sometimes, even punishment for doing something “wrong.” (Remember I can be a bit of a perfectionist)

If business feels hard, it’s easy for me to assume I’m doing something wrong.
If momentum slows or doors don’t open, it’s easy for me to second-guess if I am heading in the right direction.

But what if difficulty doesn’t mean “something's wrong?”

What if the presence of pain and suffering doesn’t necessarily equal a problem for you to fix—but instead, reveals a deeper truth:

You’re becoming something.
And God is in it with you.

The ancient Hebrew people—God’s covenant people—understood this in a way we’ve mostly forgotten. And if we’re going to lead well as kingdom-minded entrepreneurs, I believe we need to recover that perspective.

They Didn’t See Pain as Punishment—They Saw It as Process of Refinement

In our culture, pain is seen as a problem to solve. Or sometimes as a punishment to accept. But in the Hebrew mindset, pain was often a process to submit to—especially if you were in covenant with God.

When hardship came, they didn’t jump to:

“I did something wrong”

They believed:

“God must be forming something in me.”

That’s what David expresses over and over in the Psalms. Not just cries for deliverance, but declarations of trust in the process:

We see this in Psalm 5:3 (verse 4 in the CJB)

“Adonai, in the morning You will hear my voice... I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly.” (CJB)

That word “expectantly” in Hebrew is about watching the horizon. It’s not passive. It’s focused. It’s the heart of someone who believes God isn’t just aware of their pain—but doing something through it.

Covenant Meant God Was With You in It

In the Hebrew world, covenant wasn’t a religious buzzword. It was the backbone of identity.

Covenant said:

• “I will never leave you nor forsake you”

• “I am your protection and your provision always.”
  
  

So when they faced suffering, they didn’t assume God had left them. They leaned on the promises of His presence, His protection, His provision.

“In all their distress, He too was distressed.”
— Isaiah 63:9

God didn’t just see their suffering.
He entered into it with them.

This is wildly different from how many of us see struggle and pain today. 

We think delay means denial. 

We think waiting means we’re forgotten. 

But in the Hebrew mindset, waiting was often the very place God was working most deeply. The question is do we trust that He is working for us even when it feels like everything is working against us.

They Reminded Each Other Of This…

The stories ancient Israel told their children weren’t about comfort, they were stories of pain and suffering but more importantly about God’s faithfulness in the painful seasons.

They were stories like:

• Abraham, waiting decades for a son.

• Joseph, betrayed and imprisoned before rising to power.

• Moses, shaped in the wilderness before leading a nation.

• David, anointed as king—then hunted like a criminal.
  

They reminded each other that none of those delays canceled the promise.
They simply shaped them to carry out their callings.

They reminded them to trust the process over the pain.

Today, It’s Easy To Forget…

We’ve been discipled by a world that values:

• Comfort

• Convenience

• Control

• Quick results
  

When business is slow, we panic and think something is “wrong.”

When clarity fades, we think we were mistaken about the direction.

But what if God is purposefully shaping us in those exact moments that we are so desperately trying to fix and get out of?

What if:

• The strategy stall is making space for deeper surrender

• The financial pressure is forging trust

• The silence is strengthening your spirit to hear Him more clearly

What if it’s all there to help us become the person he needs us to be as we step into the next season that we want to happen before we are ready.

God Doesn’t Just See—He’s Shaping

One of the most beautiful names of God is El Roi — “The God who sees me” (Genesis 16:13). Spoken not by a patriarch or prophet—but by a rejected, mistreated woman named Hagar in the wilderness.

In arguably the worst pain of her life, God saw her.

That same God sees you now:

• When you’re unsure if you’ll make payroll

• When the next deal feels impossible

• When the vision He gave you seems to stall
  

He sees.
He cares.
And He is purposely doing something in you in that moment.

What the Ancient World Knew… and We Must Recover

In Psalm 5, David pours out the ache of leadership and pressure—but he doesn’t stop there.

He leans into the truth that anchored his entire life:

“Adonai, You bless the righteous;
You surround them with favor like a shield.” Psalm 5:12 (verse 13 in the CJB)

The word ‘shield’ here is Katsinah (כַּצִּנָּה)

It refers to a full-body shield used in battle. Not a small round shield (like a magen)—but a covering shield, often carried in front of a warrior to absorb blows completely.

The image:

God’s favor doesn’t just “smile” on you —
It defends you, covers you, and goes before you like a shield that takes the impact before it ever touches you.

David is reminding people that… 

Even in the process, God’s favor covers his people.
Even in the delay, God promises protection.

We forget this in our hustle-driven world:

The trust that pain has purpose.
The peace that process can be holy.
The belief that struggle isn’t punishment—it’s preparation.

You’re Not Failing—You’re Becoming

If you’re in a season where things feel hard…
Where the business isn’t booming…
Where the strategy’s not clicking…

Or you just feel like you are waiting for something but not sure what…

Let me remind you:

You’re not off course.
You’re not forgotten.
You’re not being punished.

You’re becoming.

And God is still El Roi—the One who sees, the One who shapes, and the One who never breaks covenant with those He calls.

Let that truth reshape how you lead today.
Not from striving.
But from trust.

From under His full-body shield of favor.
In the middle of the refining.
With your eyes on the One who sees.

Find joy in this season knowing He’s got you.

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