God’s Good Work in the Midst of Hardship

Life is full of hard work, and often, it feels like our efforts are met with frustration, confusion, or even failure. We strive, we push, and sometimes, despite our best intentions, things just don’t work out the way we hoped. Yet, in these moments, God invites us to come to Him with our weariness and burdens, promising rest—not by removing the hard things, but by meeting us in them. The reality is, work was always part of God’s design, but after the fall, it became difficult. The world is broken, and so the good work we’re called to do is often met with resistance, both from within and from the world around us.

But God’s best work in our lives rarely comes through ease or convenience. In fact, the places that feel most like setbacks are often the very places where God wants to do His deepest work. When we encounter hard ground—whether in our jobs, relationships, or personal struggles—it’s not a sign that God has abandoned us. Rather, it may be the evidence that He is about to bring forth a new harvest if we’re willing to dig in and stay faithful. The story of Job reminds us that suffering is not always punishment; sometimes, it’s the means by which God purifies and strengthens us. Job’s faith was not rooted in his circumstances, but in the unchanging character of God.

Similarly, David’s journey from shepherd to king was marked by long seasons of hardship and waiting. Yet, it was in those “not yet” seasons that God was shaping his heart, developing character, and preparing him for greater things. The hard work of showing up, crying out, and allowing God to soften our hearts is essential. God’s good work is a partnership—He gives us the invitation, the grace, and the strength, but we must choose to participate, to believe, and to keep showing up even when it’s difficult.

Ultimately, God’s good work in us is not just about what we do, but about who we are becoming. He is more interested in transforming our hearts than simply changing our circumstances. When we choose Him, believe in His goodness, and receive our comfort from Him rather than from lesser things, we become the kind of people through whom His good work can flow into the world.

Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s best work often comes through hardship The most significant growth and transformation in our lives rarely happen in seasons of comfort. God uses the hard, confusing, and painful places to deepen our faith, refine our character, and prepare us for greater fruitfulness. Rather than seeing hardship as a sign of God’s absence, we can trust that He is working beneath the surface, bringing about a harvest we may not yet see. [04:00]
• 2. Our response determines the outcome of our trials While we cannot control our circumstances, we can choose how we respond to them. When we allow God to work in us—rather than simply reacting or withdrawing—we partner with Him in turning what the enemy meant for destruction into something constructive and redemptive. Our willingness to dig in, rather than tap out, is what allows God’s good work to take root. [17:30]
• 3. Hard work softens and shapes our hearts Seasons of difficulty are not just about enduring; they are opportunities for God to tenderize our hearts, making us more receptive to His voice and more useful for His purposes. If we allow our hearts to become hardened by pain, we miss the transformation God wants to bring. But if we let Him break up the hard ground, He can plant something new and beautiful within us. [26:36]
• 4. God’s good work is a partnership, not a solo act God initiates the work in us—He chooses us, calls us, and empowers us—but He also invites us to participate. Our part is to choose Him daily, to believe in His goodness even when life is hard, and to receive our comfort and strength from Him. This partnership is where real progress and transformation happen, as we do the hard work and trust Him for the good work. [28:21]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:22] - Laying Down Our Burdens
• [01:23] - God’s Design for Work
• [01:45] - When Hard Work Feels Pointless
• [03:19] - God’s Good Work Isn’t Always Easy
• [05:20] - Why Is Life So Hard?
• [06:46] - The Fall and Hard Work
• [07:54] - God Grows Good in Hard Ground
• [09:33] - Digging In When Life Gets Tough
• [10:55] - Saying Yes in Difficult Seasons
• [12:34] - Jesus Strengthens Us in Hardship
• [13:15] - Good Work Is What God Does In You
• [14:43] - Job’s Faith in Suffering
• [16:35] - God Uses Hardship for Good
• [19:32] - Reconstruction: When Life Looks Worse
• [21:50] - Hard Work Softens Our Hearts
• [26:36] - Letting God Break Up Hard Ground
• [28:21] - Partnership: God’s Good Work and Our Hard Work
• [31:51] - Choosing Jesus and Believing in Hard Times
• [34:06] - Receiving Comfort from God Alone
• [35:30] - Prayer and Baptism Invitation

Bible Reading

Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV) — > Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

- Job 19:25 (ESV)
> For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.

- Matthew 13:3-9 (ESV)
> And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”

Observation Questions

1. In Matthew 11:28-30, what does Jesus promise to those who are weary and burdened? What does he say about his yoke and burden?
2. According to the sermon, what changed about work after the fall in Genesis 3? ([06:26])
3. In Job’s story, what was his response when everything in his life fell apart? ([14:43])
4. In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-9), what are the different types of soil, and what happens to the seed in each case? How does Jesus use this to talk about our hearts? ([27:29])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus invites people to come to him for rest, but still talks about taking up a yoke? What does this say about the kind of rest he offers? ([00:22])
2. The sermon says that “God’s best work in our life rarely comes through convenience.” Why might God choose to work in us through hard or confusing times instead of just making things easy? ([04:00])
3. Job says, “I know that my Redeemer lives” even when he’s lost everything. What does this reveal about the foundation of his faith? How is this different from having faith only when things are going well? ([14:43])
4. The sermon talks about “hard ground” in our lives. What does it mean to let God “break up the hard ground” in our hearts, and why is this important for growth? ([26:36])

Application Questions

1. When you think about your own life, where do you feel like you’re working hard but not seeing results? How does it change your perspective to consider that God might be doing his best work in those very places? ([04:00])
2. The sermon mentions that we often want to “tap out” or withdraw when things get hard. What is one area where you’ve been tempted to give up or numb out instead of digging in? What would it look like to “keep showing up” in that area this week? ([04:28])
3. Job’s faith was rooted in God’s character, not his circumstances. Is there a situation in your life right now where you need to trust God’s character even though your circumstances are difficult? What would it look like to do that? ([14:43])
4. The story of David shows that “not yet” seasons are often where God shapes our hearts. Can you think of a time when waiting or hardship actually prepared you for something better later on? How did God use that season in your life? ([24:32])
5. The sermon says that God’s good work is a partnership—he invites us to participate, but we have to choose to believe and keep showing up. What is one practical way you can partner with God in your current season, even if it’s hard? ([28:21])
6. When life gets hard, where do you usually go for comfort? Are there “lesser things” you turn to instead of God? What would it look like to receive your comfort and strength from God this week? ([34:06])
7. The sermon talks about letting God soften our hearts instead of letting pain make us hard or bitter. Is there a place in your life where you feel your heart getting hard? What step could you take to invite God to tenderize your heart in that area? ([26:36])