Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him. (Job 13:15)
If you ever find yourself sad or depressed, open up the bible and read the book of Job. I know of no man or woman in recorded history that ever suffered as much as Job did. He literally lost everything he had (donkeys, sheep, camels, servants, children, house, his own flesh, and on and on). But through each test, Job never wavered in his faith in the Lord. He persisted despite protests from his family and friends; his wife even encouraged him to "Curse God and die!" Job's response to her is something I wish we all had the wisdom to say "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"
We all will face tough times in our lives whether it be financial, physical, mental, or spiritual battles. The key to remember during these times is that we do not fight the battle alone. God is ever present (although we often forget) to answer our prayers. It might take years before we ever see an answer, as was the case in my life, but the Lord works in His own time, and does not work around our schedules!
Most people have heard of Job and all of his misery. But many do not know how the book of Job ends: "After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before...The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters." I'm sure at the height of his struggles, Job never dreamed his life would turn around for the better. But he had the wisdom to know whom to trust and he reaped his reward.