My teen daughter Kaiah went out for a leisurely bike ride on Memorial Day. It was a perfect afternoon to enjoy the fresh air and get some outdoor exercise. Her brothers were already out bike-riding, and she figured she would go and catch up with them.

But after getting outside, Kaiah didn’t see them, so she kept pedaling in search of Kedar and Kaleb. Somehow, she took one too many turns and wound up in an unfamiliar part of the suburbs.

“I got lost,” she told us after returning home about an hour later. Kaiah said she felt like she was wandering aimlessly, making turns but no progress.

“I was going around in circles,” she said—something our whole family laughed about together.

Funny thing is, Kaiah was never that far from home, but she just didn’t know the right way to go. She explained how uncomfortable it felt to be directionless and unsure of how to get where she needed to be. Unfortunately, she did not take her cellphone with her and couldn’t call anyone for help.

“I prayed and asked God to lead me home,” Kaiah told us. Thankfully, her prayer was answered, and she now has a chuckle-worthy story to tell.

We all get lost at times, both literally and figuratively, and don’t know which way to go. But God is with us in times like these and knows where we are even when we don’t. God certainly knew where Jacob was in Genesis 28:10-22.

Jacob was in transition, in search of a wife and a new life. At the time, he had received his father Isaac’s blessing and left home traveling alone. During Jacob’s journey, one night, he had to stop to rest because the sun had set. Jacob used a rock for a pillow.

Ouch. That sounds uncomfortable!

Talk about being in a “hard place,” right?

But, while sleeping on that stone, Jacob had a dream in which God spoke to him, promising to give Jacob and his descendants the very land on which he was lying. Though it was an uncertain time in Jacob’s life, God let him know in his sleep that he was being guided by the Lord.

When Jacob woke up, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”

Sometimes, when we are going through transitional phases and rough places, we don’t always see or feel God there, but He is no doubt with us, working in us and for us.

Friend, God is in the hard places. His presence lingers in the wilderness. His anointing is on you in the desert of affliction. His power is working even in worst-case scenarios.

So then, if you find yourself in a hard place, don’t fear. God is in this place.

In our focus Scripture today, after Jacob realized that the presence of God was with him under the night sky while stuck between a rock and a hard place, Jacob poured oil over the rock he had been using for a pillow. He turned his hard place into an altar and named the rock Bethel which in Hebrew means “House of God.”

Your hard place is the House of God. The place where you have cried is the House of God. He dwells in dark places. He lives in low valleys. He resides in the rough, dry, seemingly unproductive areas of your existence.

You may be travailing in pain, oh but you are not traveling alone. You will surely give birth to the promises of God!

Be encouraged. When you are struggling, God is close to you. When you are broken, He is near. When you are in trouble, He is ever-present. Psalm 46:1 KJV, which is what I’m stirring into your cup of inspiration, says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

As you drink down the contents of your cup, thank God for His presence, His favor, and His blessings. Be like Jacob, and turn your hard place into an altar, and worship Jehovah Shammah, the God who is there.

The God who is there in good times. The God who is there in bad times. The God who is there in sorrow. The God who is there in joy. The God who is there in dark places. The God who is there when the sun is shining. The God who is there in seasons of lack. The God who is there to usher in a new season of abundance!

You are never alone. Whatever place you find yourself in, God is there. He’s speaking to you now and reaching out to you in your situation to assure you that He guides you and has good plans for you. Just as the Lord promised to bless Jacob and his seed, He promises to bless you also.

Now, let’s pray.

God, thank You for being there for me in the hard places when I don’t know what to do. I know that You are leading me to a place of breakthrough and blessing. In discouraging times, please remind me of Your word that promises that You are a refuge for me in the time of trouble and a mighty deliverer for those who put their confidence in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.

As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!