Hard Will Be Hard Until Heaven

There’s a lie that tempts almost everyone the thought that “life will get easier if I can just get past this current challenge.” We tell ourselves this at every stage: after graduation, after marriage, after the toddler years, after the career climb, after retirement. We think the next season will be calmer, simpler, and free from the battles we’re facing now.

But Scripture and life experience tell a different story. Trouble changes shape, but it doesn’t disappear. The story of Nehemiah is a clear-eyed reminder that God’s people face lifelong hardships and temptations, and yet can endure them with hope.

Hardship That Doesn’t Quit

When Nehemiah led the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall, enemies rose up to stop him at every turn. They mocked him (Nehemiah 2:19; 4:1–3), tried to lure him into traps (6:1–4), spread false rumors (6:5–7), and attempted to ruin his reputation (6:10–13).

Even when the wall was finished, Nehemiah’s work wasn’t over. The city needed homes rebuilt, people resettled (7:4), and ongoing spiritual reform (Nehemiah 13). Hard didn’t end it just shifted.

John Newton understood this when he wrote in Amazing Grace that God would be our “shield and portion as long as life endures.” A shield is only necessary if arrows keep flying. The baseline expectation for the Christian life is that challenges will persist until we’re with Christ in glory.

Hope in the Midst of Hard

Recognizing that life will not get easier isn’t meant to lead to pessimism or resignation. Nehemiah shows us that we can face difficulty with active, expectant hope. His example offers two keys:

1. Looking Up – In the middle of opposition, Nehemiah prays, “But now, O God, strengthen my hands” (6:9). Whether standing before a powerful king (2:4) or enduring insults (4:4), he instinctively looks to God for help.

We have even greater access than Nehemiah did the indwelling Holy Spirit, the knowledge of Christ’s finished work, and constant access to the Father (Hebrews 4:16). Our hope isn’t that trials will stop, but that God is with us in every one of them.

2. Looking Back – Nehemiah also recalls God’s past faithfulness. The genealogy in chapter 7 and the Feast of Booths in chapter 8 are more than historical notes they’re reminders of God’s provision.

Psalm 143:5 says, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done.” Looking back fuels our faith for what’s ahead. And we have the added testimony of the cross and resurrection to assure us of God’s unfailing love.

The Real Hope

No matter what stage of life we’re in, new trials will come sometimes in a phone call, an email, or a conversation we never saw coming. But we aren’t called to cling to the false hope of a trouble-free life. We’re called to look up to the God who sustains us and look back at His proven track record of grace.

Hard will be hard until heaven. But we can face it with glad hope, knowing that God’s love will outlast every fear, setback, and temptation we encounter.

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