How to Survive the Summer Heat
With summer ramping up, we all know what comes with it: heat.
Some of us are ready for it and welcome the heat with open arms. Others, like me, can’t wait for the cool of winter so we can wear hoodies all day, cuddle up by the fire, and watch movies.
No matter who we are, when the heat turns up, all of our daily activities tend to shift as we find ways to cool ourselves down. Whether it’s our beloved air conditioning, a cold drink, or a dip in some body of water, we all have solutions for the heat. Personally, my family loves to hit the lake with our wakeboarding boat, where cooling yourself down is just a hop, skip, and a jump away.
But when it comes to our spirit, what happens when we start “feeling the heat” in our walk with the Lord? What should we do? Do we have a biblical strategy in place for when things get hard? What practices do we put in place when we’re facing either an attack from the enemy or a test from God?
Well, look no further — this devotional will fix all your problems!
I’m completely joking.
But here are some good Scriptures and strategies to hold on to when things get hard.
Some of us are ready for it and welcome the heat with open arms. Others, like me, can’t wait for the cool of winter so we can wear hoodies all day, cuddle up by the fire, and watch movies.
No matter who we are, when the heat turns up, all of our daily activities tend to shift as we find ways to cool ourselves down. Whether it’s our beloved air conditioning, a cold drink, or a dip in some body of water, we all have solutions for the heat. Personally, my family loves to hit the lake with our wakeboarding boat, where cooling yourself down is just a hop, skip, and a jump away.
But when it comes to our spirit, what happens when we start “feeling the heat” in our walk with the Lord? What should we do? Do we have a biblical strategy in place for when things get hard? What practices do we put in place when we’re facing either an attack from the enemy or a test from God?
Well, look no further — this devotional will fix all your problems!
I’m completely joking.
But here are some good Scriptures and strategies to hold on to when things get hard.
First: Embrace it
If we are going to walk through challenging seasons and still be a good reflection of Christ, we could probably benefit from first understanding this truth: we are not in control.
Just like we cannot control the weather, it’s actually eye-opening to realize how little control we have over our lives. Sure, we have control over ourselves, and even that’s a stretch sometimes, but if we think we’re going to be able to control the people or situations around us, we’re going to end up bitter when things don’t go the way we wanted.
Here are three verses that remind us God is in control and we are not:
Proverbs 19:21
“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”
Psalm 22:28
“For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.”
Colossians 1:17
“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
The God of the universe doesn’t need our help running the universe He created. God does not want us wrapped up in anger over the things we cannot control. In fact, He tells us it’s a waste of time.
James 1:19–20 says, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
If anger does not produce the righteousness of God, then should we really be using up our time being angry?
Probably not.
But the biggest reason we shouldn’t get mad about tough seasons is because God can use those seasons to shape us into who we’re meant to be.
In Matthew 3:12, God uses the imagery of burning chaff. In order to get the good stuff (the part that is useful and valuable) from a grain harvest, the weak and useless parts have to be burned away. What remains is the strong, valuable material.
God wants us to be forged into strong men and women of God so He can use us. He wants to burn away the things in us that are not useful. And sometimes, the only way to do that is to go through the fire — to walk through the challenges life throws at us.
So maybe, if we understand that truth, we can lean into challenging seasons, knowing we are going to be better on the other side.
Just like we cannot control the weather, it’s actually eye-opening to realize how little control we have over our lives. Sure, we have control over ourselves, and even that’s a stretch sometimes, but if we think we’re going to be able to control the people or situations around us, we’re going to end up bitter when things don’t go the way we wanted.
Here are three verses that remind us God is in control and we are not:
Proverbs 19:21
“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”
Psalm 22:28
“For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.”
Colossians 1:17
“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
The God of the universe doesn’t need our help running the universe He created. God does not want us wrapped up in anger over the things we cannot control. In fact, He tells us it’s a waste of time.
James 1:19–20 says, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
If anger does not produce the righteousness of God, then should we really be using up our time being angry?
Probably not.
But the biggest reason we shouldn’t get mad about tough seasons is because God can use those seasons to shape us into who we’re meant to be.
In Matthew 3:12, God uses the imagery of burning chaff. In order to get the good stuff (the part that is useful and valuable) from a grain harvest, the weak and useless parts have to be burned away. What remains is the strong, valuable material.
God wants us to be forged into strong men and women of God so He can use us. He wants to burn away the things in us that are not useful. And sometimes, the only way to do that is to go through the fire — to walk through the challenges life throws at us.
So maybe, if we understand that truth, we can lean into challenging seasons, knowing we are going to be better on the other side.
Next: Endure It
How do we endure tough seasons in life? When we’re in the middle of it and it seems like nothing is changing or getting better, what do we do?
The answer is simple, but the execution might be a little hard for some of us.
I know that sometimes when I go through spiritual warfare, my flesh tells me to run away, to get as far away from God as possible so the target on my back will hopefully shrink.
While the logic of being “less spiritual” in order to be spared from spiritual warfare might sound appealing, it is never the answer.
The enemy wants to destroy you. And the easiest way to do that is to separate you and get you as far away from God as possible. In other words, the enemy wants you in the deepest, darkest corner so the light cannot find you.
But it is our job to recognize the attack and then lean into the light, and lean into God even more.
God wants you to break out the suntan lotion, because it’s going to get real sunny out there!
But only you can choose to lean in.
And what does that choice look like?
Prayer.
Philippians 4:6–7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Prayer brings peace.
Prayer brings you back to Him — back to His throne, where He wants to hear from you because He cares about you.
The God of the universe wants to hear from you. And not only that, but He says that if we come to Him and ask Him for wisdom, He will give it freely!
What an awesome God we serve.
Not only has He created the universe, but He actually wants a personal relationship with all of His creation — especially us.
The answer is simple, but the execution might be a little hard for some of us.
I know that sometimes when I go through spiritual warfare, my flesh tells me to run away, to get as far away from God as possible so the target on my back will hopefully shrink.
While the logic of being “less spiritual” in order to be spared from spiritual warfare might sound appealing, it is never the answer.
The enemy wants to destroy you. And the easiest way to do that is to separate you and get you as far away from God as possible. In other words, the enemy wants you in the deepest, darkest corner so the light cannot find you.
But it is our job to recognize the attack and then lean into the light, and lean into God even more.
God wants you to break out the suntan lotion, because it’s going to get real sunny out there!
But only you can choose to lean in.
And what does that choice look like?
Prayer.
Philippians 4:6–7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Prayer brings peace.
Prayer brings you back to Him — back to His throne, where He wants to hear from you because He cares about you.
The God of the universe wants to hear from you. And not only that, but He says that if we come to Him and ask Him for wisdom, He will give it freely!
What an awesome God we serve.
Not only has He created the universe, but He actually wants a personal relationship with all of His creation — especially us.
Lastly: Enjoy It
Okay, this one is the hardest for me. You’re telling me I’m supposed to be happy when I’m going through difficult times?
The Lord says, “YES.”
The ability to take a breath and separate ourselves from our trials is something I have not quite mastered yet. I’m often so wrapped up in my emotions that it’s hard to take a step back and see the bigger picture.
And honestly, that’s what this entire devotional is about: trying to find what God wants to teach us, and when we can’t find it, having the faith to trust Him anyway.
The Lord tells us to go headfirst into adversity and count it all joy.
James 1:2–4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
We don’t count it joy because of what’s happening now. We count it joy because of who we’ll become at the end of the season.
Strength is needed in order to take up our crosses every day. And God knows exactly how, and how much, to challenge us so that we can be forged into strong tools that are ready for Him to use.
You know how I know God loves us?
Because our suffering can be finite.
One day, if you’ve accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, we will be in a place where suffering, pain, and sadness no longer exist. But even though that’s true, God is still going to walk through our suffering on earth with us.
Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame.
So when the heat turns up, don’t run from it. Embrace it, endure it, and even learn to enjoy it, knowing God is with you in the fire and using every season to draw you closer to Him. And if you need a little motivational music to help you through, here's a Spotify summer playlist I put together.
The Lord says, “YES.”
The ability to take a breath and separate ourselves from our trials is something I have not quite mastered yet. I’m often so wrapped up in my emotions that it’s hard to take a step back and see the bigger picture.
And honestly, that’s what this entire devotional is about: trying to find what God wants to teach us, and when we can’t find it, having the faith to trust Him anyway.
The Lord tells us to go headfirst into adversity and count it all joy.
James 1:2–4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
We don’t count it joy because of what’s happening now. We count it joy because of who we’ll become at the end of the season.
Strength is needed in order to take up our crosses every day. And God knows exactly how, and how much, to challenge us so that we can be forged into strong tools that are ready for Him to use.
You know how I know God loves us?
Because our suffering can be finite.
One day, if you’ve accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, we will be in a place where suffering, pain, and sadness no longer exist. But even though that’s true, God is still going to walk through our suffering on earth with us.
Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame.
So when the heat turns up, don’t run from it. Embrace it, endure it, and even learn to enjoy it, knowing God is with you in the fire and using every season to draw you closer to Him. And if you need a little motivational music to help you through, here's a Spotify summer playlist I put together.
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