EquipHer Vol. 27: "The Trenches in Life"Sample

Day 2 – Faith Over Excuses

“Faith is the glue that holds your journey together, even when everything feels fragmented.” - Christa Crawford

When the “trench” season becomes long and exhausting, it is easy to build a series of excuses. Excuses are a form of defense—a reaction to pressure, disappointment, and seemingly endless uncertainty. We begin to tell ourselves: “I cannot take the leap right now,” “I do not have enough resources anymore,” “This is not the right time,” “I am not the right person.”

When we are tired, we stop remembering what God has promised and we start focusing on our current circumstances—what is lacking, rather than what God has spoken.

However, if we do not experience hardship and uncertainty, when would we be called to exercise our faith?

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV). Faith does not rely on what you hold in your hand, it is anchored in the One you trust above all else. Faith does not cancel difficulty or deny your exhaustion, but it gives you strength and courage to walk through it. These are exactly the kinds of circumstances God uses to work deeply in us. Hardship does not disqualify you from God’s plan—it equips you to walk in it with maturity and deeper dependence on Him. It strips away the need to control everything and teaches you to lean not on your own strength, but on His.

The widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8–16) is a powerful example of having faith in the trenches. In the midst of a devastating famine, she was living with her only son, and had only a handful of flour and a small amount of oil left—enough for one last meal before they would die (v. 12).

She was living in a “trench” where her circumstances seemed to justify giving up. But God saw her. He heard her heart cry out, and in His perfect timing, sent the prophet Elijah to her home. Upon Elijah’s arrival, he made a request to Zarephath that seemed to make no sense: “Make me a small loaf of bread first” (v. 13). She could have said, “I cannot. I do not have enough,” and no one would have blamed her, but she chose to trust. Instead, she let her faith in God be greater than the reality she was facing.

Her act of faith - done in a season of complete vulnerability - changed everything. God honored her trust: the flour did not run out, and the oil did not dry up until the famine was over. She chose to believe, even when she was tired, empty, and uncertain.

In our difficult seasons, we often cling to what we have—time, energy, resources—especially when we feel it is not enough. We convince ourselves that we cannot afford to take risks.

Faith is what pushes us beyond our own limits. It is the glue that holds us together to the vision God has for our lives.

The widow took action, not because she felt strong, but because she chose not to let scarcity make the decision for her. The same holds true for us: our “logical excuses” cannot stand in front of a God who multiplies what we surrender to Him.

The struggles we face in the trenches are not excuses to slow down—they are the starting point of our next step of faith. We do not need to have it all. We need to believe that, with God, even the little we have can be multiplied when we place it in His hands.

Prayer:
Lord, I do not want to let the difficulties I face in my hardest seasons define my limits. I want my faith in You to lead my steps. Help me trust You more than I trust my own resources. Give me the courage to obey even when I do not see, to act even when I have little, and to believe even when my heart trembles. Amen.