“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
When we are in a deep struggle, things can come at us “fast and furious” and at such times we may think, “Lord, I don’t know if I can handle this. I don’t see how I can ever make it through.” At such times the enemy takes advantage, moving in with principalities and powers to try to rob, steal and shipwreck our faith.
Dear believer, this happens to every true servant of God. Peter lovingly warns us that it would happen, saying, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:12-13).
No matter how long you serve the Lord, you can always be trained in this area of following his clear direction, especially in the hard places. We should never say, “That’s it, Lord, I’ve had enough.” Instead, we should say, “Lord, I don’t see the way ahead and I don’t know where I’ll find the grace to get through this, but you promised to provide it and I know you will be my strength.”
This place of true faith is the place where you find your rest — by fully trusting in the Lord’s love. God is going to bring you through and take you to a place of incredible blessing. You may have to be willing to do insignificant things and you may face tests and trials that will be hard, yet the training ground God has set apart for multitudes of his most beloved ones is where we learn his nature, his character, his blessing, and his goodness.
We are cherished by a holy God and he has a holy purpose for us, just as he did for his own Son. Therefore, we have a peace that passes all understanding, and we rest knowing his blessing lies ahead for us. Thank you, Lord!