When God Does Not Remove Hard Things from Your Life
How do you respond when God does not remove hard things from your life? Finding strength in Jesus even when that hard situation remains.
Have you prayed and prayed (Psalm 5:3) that God would remove this difficult thing and it is still there?
Have you ever prayed desperately, pleading with God to remove something painful, yet it remains?
Maybe it’s a chronic illness, a broken relationship, financial stress, or an ongoing battle with a personal weakness. You’ve cried out to God, believing in His power to change things, but the situation hasn’t shifted.
If this is where you find yourself today, you are not alone. The Apostle Paul experienced this same struggle.
Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh: A Lesson in Sufficient Grace
In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul shares a powerful testimony about something deeply personal—a “thorn in the flesh” that God chose not to remove.
“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
— 2 Corinthians 12:7-9
Paul, a man of faith who had witnessed miracles, did not receive the answer he longed for. Instead, God gave him something greater—the power of Christ resting upon him.
What is Your Thorn?
What is that difficult thing in your life that remains despite your prayers?
- Your health?
- Your marriage?
- Your children?
- Your finances?
- Your work situation?
- A painful past that still lingers?
- A habit you can’t seem to break?
Sometimes our struggles are external, and other times they are internal—like fear, anxiety, or self-doubt.
Whatever your thorn is, I want to encourage you: God’s grace is sufficient for you.
God Often Does Not Remove the Hard, But He Redeems It
We live in a world that tells us success means a life free from hardship. But God’s ways are higher. He often allows trials because He wants us to rely on Him completely.
If God took away every difficulty, we would never experience His strength in our weakness. We would never know what it means to rest in His grace.
God does not waste your pain. He uses it to:
✔ Draw you closer to Him (James 4:8)
✔ Teach you to rely on His strength, not your own (Psalm 46:1)
✔ Shape your character (Romans 5:3-4)
✔ Show His power through your weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)
The hardships in your life may be the very places where Jesus wants to reveal His presence in the deepest way.
How to Respond When the Hard Remains
- Press Into Jesus
Instead of asking “Why, Lord?” shift your focus to “How can I experience You in this?”
God invites you to abide in Him (John 15:4), to find strength in Him (Nehemiah 8:10), and to rest in the knowledge that He is working all things for good (Romans 8:28).
- Lean on His Strength, Not Yours
When we try to fix everything ourselves, we grow weary. But when we admit our weakness, we open the door for God’s strength to sustain us.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear.”
— Psalm 46:1-2
Are you carrying something too heavy? Let God carry you. His strength is perfect when yours is gone.
- Embrace the Power of Christ in Your Life
Paul didn’t just endure his thorn—he rejoiced in it.
“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
— 2 Corinthians 12:10
This isn’t about pretending the struggle doesn’t hurt. It’s about choosing to trust God’s purpose and power in the midst of it.
Your trial may be the very platform for God’s glory.
God Sees You. He is With You.
I know this isn’t always easy. There are days when you might feel like you don’t have the strength to keep going. But friend, God is not distant. He sees your pain. He knows your heart. He is near.
When the hard things in life don’t change, let them change you—by deepening your dependence on Jesus.
You are not alone.
Let’s walk this journey together.
I’d love to hear from you—what has God been showing you in your struggles? How can I pray for you this week?
His grace is enough. Always.
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Honestly, i feel God has forsaken me. I typically never pray for me, always about others, then when finally i see something that could help not just myself but my family too, i pray He would help me succeed. What ended up happening? I didn’t get the position, and im stuck in a horrible place. God is supposed to be so great, and He is, for others, but he’s never been there for me. Whenever i have prayed for help for me (which is rare because i try not to be selfish), He ignores me. So i feel God just puts extra hard things in my path, while pulling out a magnifying glass and aiming it at my back. The only reason I’m alive is that neither God nor the devil want me, and they never will. Why should i believe in a God that only seeks my destruction?
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my post. Even though you are not feeling it right at the moment, you are loved by an almighty personal God. He died on the cross for you because He cares so deeply for you. Dying on the cross is such excruciating pain and it is more than I will ever go through on earth. It says in the Bible that God will never forsake you. He is the never-forsaking God even when life is so hard that we feel that He doesn’t care and isn’t there. You said that God does not want you but He does! The evil one wants you thinking that neither God or the devil want you. That just isn’t true. I promise you. Do you subscribe to my newsletter? Through my newsletter, there are Scripture Memory Cards that I would love for you to have. They would be so helpful for you. You can subscribe on the sidebar or at the bottom of every post. Also the slider at the top links to the page where you can sign up for my newsletter. That is a way that I can encourage you. You can also reply to the email and I will answer you. I hope you find God in a very personal way. He wants to uplift you and hold you tight, if you’ll allow Him.
I try to remind myself: His time, His way! He always has perfect timing and knows what’s best for me. It’s hard sometimes as I cannot see from His perspective… I have to keep reminding myself 🙂 Thank you for this post!
Dawn, thank you so much for such a thoughtful and honest comment. Yes, it is so hard not to see from God’s perspective. In Psalms, David encouraged himself in the Lord and that you remind yourself to trust when you can’t see from God’s point of view made me think of that.
I am so glad that Jesus died on the cross for me It’s letting me know that I can go thru anything that this life may bring even though my flesh may not want to. No one else would have did that for us . Thank you Lordi am ever sooooooo!!!!!!! Grateful.😇
Thank you so much for sharing. It is a hard thing to go through difficult times but such a comfort to know that Jesus is there. Praying for you, Carolyn.