Hard Times
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation
(Psalm 13:1, 5, English Standard Version).
In 1855 Stephen Foster published his song “Hard Times Come Again No More,” a tragic lament of the human condition that contrasted with his earlier, more lively—and decidedly racist— tunes like “Oh! Susanna” and “Camptown Races.” Only 28 at the time, Foster already felt the longing for peace that every human knows, especially in the challenging seasons of life. Foster never found that peace. Alcoholism rendered him penniless, drove his wife and daughter away, and was likely responsible for the fall that led to his death at age 37. In his pocket was 38 cents and a note reading, “Dear friends and gentle hearts.”
Peace is often elusive for all of us, especially when life is hard and God seems distant. Foster’s repeated lyrics reflect utter hopelessness:
‘Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave,
‘ Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore,
‘ Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave,
Oh! Hard Times, come again no more.
‘Tis the song, the sigh of the weary;
Hard Times, Hard Times, come again no more:
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door;
Oh! Hard Times, come again no more.
How lost is the person who does not know the promise of God’s mercy and love? We who seek the Father have comfort, even in hard times, that He loves us, is with us, and will deliver us.
Psalm 13 opens with a similar cry as Foster’s song:
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? (Psalm 13:1-2).
King David, however, knew something that Foster did not: The love of God is faithful and He does not abandon His followers. David ended this Psalm with hope, even though the hard times he endured were not over:
But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me (Psalm 13:5-6).
Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians acknowledged that hard times are the common experience of humanity, but that the power of God uses challenges to prepare us for glory beyond comprehension:
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed… So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:7-8, 16-18).
When times are hard—and if they aren’t now, they will be—the Lord keeps us in His love and grace, refining us to be more like Jesus. Unlike Stephen Foster, we have hope, even when the outcome remains unseen. Like David, we trust in His faithful love, trust the coming deliverance, and sing with joy.
Reflect:
How have you experienced joy—even during hard times?
How will you remember to look to Jesus when you feel overwhelmed by circumstances?
Dig a little deeper:
Watch: This video includes photos with Foster’s song, “Hard Times Come Again No More.” It is a sober reminder that this life is hard, especially without the hope we have in Jesus. Hard Times Come Again No More - Song of America
Read: Psalm 22 and trace the path from despair to hope
Read: 2 Corinthians 4 and journal the encouragement of Paul to the church. How does that also encourage you to persevere?
Pray: “Lord, even though times are hard, I trust your unfailing love. Help me to trust you more in spite of the circumstances around me. Let me be a beacon of hope to others, pointing them to Jesus as the source of life.”
REFERENCES
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Crossway, 2016.
Bible Hub. “How Long, O LORD?” Bible Hub, BibleHub.com, https://biblehub.com/topical/h/how_long%2C_o_lord.htm. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Foster, Stephen Collins. Hard Times Come Again No More. New York: Firth, Pond and Co, 1854. Notated Music. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2023809288/>.
“Hard Times Come Again No More.” Song of America, songofamerica.net/song/hard-times-come-again-no-more/. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Lynch, Christopher. The Life and Music of Stephen Collins Foster. University of Pittsburgh Library System, https://library.pitt.edu/foster-biography. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
“Stephen Foster.” Songwriters Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, https://www.songhall.org/profiles/stephen-foster. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
