Many times in my life, I have faced difficulties and trials that seem greater than I can bear. However, as a blood‑bought believers, I know that God has promised me, as His child, to never allow more testing or trials than I can bear. His promise, in 1 Corinthians 10:13, based on His own perfect faithfulness, is that if the testing seems greater than I could handle, He will make a way of escape for me—as I handle the trial biblically. In that way, He enables us, by His grace, to bear the trial.
In my own human understanding, I do not comprehend the depth of the riches of God’s heart, mind, will and purpose for our lives. But I DO know that I can trust Him implicitly without question or reservation. It is this kind of childlike faith in my great God that brings to me the personal awareness of His perfect peace even amidst great burdens. When I establish my confidence upon His character and nature, as revealed in His inerrant Word, I know the full measure of His grace and peace in our hour of need. I violate His purpose and plan when i, by the demonstration of my independent self-will and autonomous spirit, chart out a course that is in opposition to the divine design of God.
It is when I am humanly weak, faint and without strength, that God wants to show Himself strong on my behalf. As I demonstrate faith and confidence in Him, His grace is shown to be all sufficient, and His glory is manifested to a lost and dying world. It is for this reason that the apostle Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 12:9-10), gave the following summary of his practical perspective on suffering:
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
Today, I want to live out "the joy of the Lord is my strength." (Nehemiah 8:10)
(C) 1992, 2014 N.A. Collins
Limited Copy Permission to one personal file copy
In my own human understanding, I do not comprehend the depth of the riches of God’s heart, mind, will and purpose for our lives. But I DO know that I can trust Him implicitly without question or reservation. It is this kind of childlike faith in my great God that brings to me the personal awareness of His perfect peace even amidst great burdens. When I establish my confidence upon His character and nature, as revealed in His inerrant Word, I know the full measure of His grace and peace in our hour of need. I violate His purpose and plan when i, by the demonstration of my independent self-will and autonomous spirit, chart out a course that is in opposition to the divine design of God.
It is when I am humanly weak, faint and without strength, that God wants to show Himself strong on my behalf. As I demonstrate faith and confidence in Him, His grace is shown to be all sufficient, and His glory is manifested to a lost and dying world. It is for this reason that the apostle Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 12:9-10), gave the following summary of his practical perspective on suffering:
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
Today, I want to live out "the joy of the Lord is my strength." (Nehemiah 8:10)
(C) 1992, 2014 N.A. Collins
Limited Copy Permission to one personal file copy
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