I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.] John 16:33
While chatting with a friend the other day, and interesting train of thought came up. It was the question: why does God sustain you and strengthen you, giving you the grace to face difficult situations rather than just removing the difficult situation entirely? I know that there is nothing impossible with God, so why not take away this trying situation and this painful season so I do not have to go through it. Why doesn’t God simply remove it from my life entirely because He can and is able to do so? Why instead does God strengthen me and you through it? If it was up to me, I would remove that situation entirely so that I do not have to deal with the pain and stress of it all.
The one quick and short answer to all these questions is because God is God and His ways are far above our own.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
God’s wisdom and plans transcend human understanding. We could not understand Him even if we tried. What we are called to do as children of God is to trust Him because of His infinite and divine wisdom. Not only are we assured of God’s incomparable wisdom, but we are also assured of His unending and unsearchable love for us. That is why we trust Him fully, because He can never and has never had an ill wish towards us. Instead, He died for us, to save us (John 3:16) and plans for us to have a future that is desirable (Jeremiah 29:11).
I am not praying that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. John 17:5
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
Another interesting revelation is from Psalm 23. Verse 4 that says even in the valley of the shadow of death You are with me. Now in order for there to be a shadow there has to be light. You will never see a shadow without light because an object blocking light is what produces a shadow. This means that even in the valley of the shadow of death God’s light is there Illuminating our way. What an assurance. Understanding this truth builds our faith and confidence that the Almighty God is with us, true to His Word, He will never leave us or forsake us. Even in the valley He is with you.
You may ask how and say you do not see the light I speak of. You may not have had a vision or a dream of God and His light illuminating the way. To that my response is that as long as you own a Bible you have the light of God.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105
Psalm 119:105 says Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path so when you are in that dark valley of temptation, trial or sorrow, open up your Bible and allow God to enlighten your path and let His Word be the lamp unto your feet guiding you out of the valley and into His deliverance and His everlasting arms of love.
And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, Who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you. 1 Peter 5:10
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