All of us, at one time or another, have difficult circumstances that seem insurmountable. The quality of our character is revealed in such a situation. The heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11 dealt with such life-altering problems and many became martyrs for Christ as a result of severe persecution. Perhaps our problems today are not that severe but to us, they may seem unbearable. What do we do? To whom shall we go for help?
The Apostle Paul knew something about dealing with such problems that pressured him constantly. Notice what he says in 2 Corinthians 1:8 “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia; that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.” While very few of us may have problems to the degree that he did, but to us they may seem very similar. Notice, that he says he was burdened ‘beyond measure, above strength,’ and that he ‘despaired of life.’ He wanted to give up, quit, or even die.
Perhaps some of us are facing financial problems, family problems, the loss of a friend, or church problems, or are greatly disturbed by situations in our country. In these types of situations, we often question ourselves ‘What did I do to cause this?’ Sometimes the answer is nothing because we live in a fallen world, that to a large degree, is hurling through time to meet a holy God!
When we do question ourselves, perhaps asking the following questions may help us see if we have an open door somewhere that the enemy is using to harass us. 1) Have we taken our eyes off Jesus? (Matthew 14:27-32) 2) Do we think we can handle this situation by ourselves? (Jeremiah 17:5, Proverbs 28:26, Proverbs 16:25). 3) Do we trust people more than the Lord or His Word? (Luke 18:14). 4) Are we willing to seek the Lord with our whole being and obey His Word regardless of what the circumstances may say? If so, we will soon recognize His presence with us because He has not forsaken us nor will He ever do so!
Again, the Apostle Paul tells of a time when the ‘messenger of satan’ was harassing him and he prayed three times for the Lord to fix it, but He did not do it. He said to Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness…” While reading this some things come to mind. First, God’s grace is always working with and for us. Second, He has already given His grace to us to handle whatever life may throw at us. Third, His strength is apparent at our lowest moments. As a result, He gets the glory for what He does in bringing us through or out of the situation!
What can we do and/or to whom can we go for help on the physical level? First, search for Scripture passages that promise God’s help for you. Second, read and personalize passages that tell you who and what you are IN Christ. Third, talk with your pastor or Godly Word-oriented friends who can speak the truths of the Word to you. Fourth, never give up! Life is seldom as bad as it seems in its darkest hour. A breakthrough from God is on its way now, don’t quit on the brink of a miracle!