Those are not the kind of words we like to have on our lips—and certainly NOT in our lives!
Such things are inevitable for us because we live in a fallen world with fallen humanity, and with redeemed humanity that doesn’t always act according to who they are in Christ!
When we go through such things, our first thought is usually, How can I get out of this? This thought can dominate our prayers, too. “Dear Lord, please deliver me from this hurtful place I am in.”
Sometimes we experience His incredible provision to deliver us from the trials we face, and we praise God when that happens. However, I have noted that most times He delivers us THROUGH the trial with the incredible provision of His own life. He provides His life, lived through our life, by faith.
AS WE TRUST HIM, WE EXPERIENCE “THE GREAT EXCHANGE” --- HIS STRENGTH FOR OUR WEAKNESS. HIS PEACE FOR OUR ANXIETY. HIS COURAGE FOR OUR FEAR.
This has been the common path for His saints throughout the centuries. My favorite is Habakkuk. He prayed and prayed and prayed for escape from the invading Chaldeans. Yet God, in His infinite plan and purpose, didn’t deliver them from the invaders. He simply told Habakkuk, “The just shall live by faith.”
Put simply, God answered his cry by saying, “Just Trust Me”.
I love Habakkuk because, at that point, he did not wear a Sunday smile or a fake face. Instead, he was honest. He gritted his teeth and trusted God! He wrote that, though the fig tree did not blossom and there would be neither fruit on the vine nor cattle in the stalls – YET HE WOULD REJOICE IN THE LORD (Habakkuk 3:17-18)!
But while this is a glorious testimony of his tenacious faith, it didn’t occur apart from a great amount of honest fear and trepidation. Check out Habakkuk 3:16 and read his account of how he felt when he thought about the coming invasion. “There is trembling on my lips and decay in my bones!” Yes, indeed. It was amid all these emotions that he made his powerful statement of faith.
What an example for us. Habakkuk had an honest faith. It was a faith that did not erase his feelings he was having as he faced adversity and trial.
As I ponder this, I cannot help but think of Azariah, Hananiah, and Mishael in Daniel 3:16-26. By the way, let’s stop calling them by the names the unbelieving world gave to them – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Let’s not let the world define us. Let’s leave that job to God.
Read that passage carefully. Did they pray for deliverance? I am sure they did, but scripture doesn’t record it. God had other plans. As they were led into the fiery furnace, did they, like Habakkuk, hear the voice of their Father saying, “Trust Me! Trust Me! Trust Me!” Again, scripture is silent.
They were thrown into the fire. Certainly, they believed that they’d die. But immediately there weren’t three in the furnace, but four. And the fourth was the Son of God! How utterly amazing.
GOD DIDN'T SAVE THEM FROM THE FIRE, HE SAVED THEM IN IT AND THROUGH IT. AND THEY WALKED OUT UNTOUCHED. THEY DIDN'T EVEN SMELL LIKE SMOKE!
Scripture is silent about the conversation among the four in the furnace. But maybe the Lord said something like this. “I am so proud of you guys. You trusted Me, even though you did not see My deliverance. Listen, guys. For the rest of recorded history, people will talk about the faith and trust you exhibited here today.”
Many of you dear ones are going through trials. If so, keep on trusting Him. You will experience His deliverance! He has promised it will be so. He might deliver you from your trial. More likely, He will deliver you in and through your trial. But … He will deliver you. He promised to be with you always, to walk with you and strengthen you, and to uphold you with His own strong right hand (Isaiah 41:10).
Knowing this promise, let’s trust Him. One day the world will stand amazed at how He delivered you!Those are not the kind of words we like to have on our lips—and certainly NOT in our lives!
Such things are inevitable for us because we live in a fallen world with fallen humanity, and with redeemed humanity that doesn’t always act according to who they are in Christ!
When we go through such things, our first thought is usually, How can I get out of this? This thought can dominate our prayers, too. “Dear Lord, please deliver me from this hurtful place I am in.”
Sometimes we experience His incredible provision to deliver us from the trials we face, and we praise God when that happens. However, I have noted that most times He delivers us THROUGH the trial with the incredible provision of His own life. He provides His life, lived through our life, by faith.
AS WE TRUST HIM, WE EXPERIENCE “THE GREAT EXCHANGE” --- HIS STRENGTH FOR OUR WEAKNESS. HIS PEACE FOR OUR ANXIETY. HIS COURAGE FOR OUR FEAR.
This has been the common path for His saints throughout the centuries. My favorite is Habakkuk. He prayed and prayed and prayed for escape from the invading Chaldeans. Yet God, in His infinite plan and purpose, didn’t deliver them from the invaders. He simply told Habakkuk, “The just shall live by faith.”
Put simply, God answered his cry by saying, “Just Trust Me”.
I love Habakkuk because, at that point, he did not wear a Sunday smile or a fake face. Instead, he was honest. He gritted his teeth and trusted God! He wrote that, though the fig tree did not blossom and there would be neither fruit on the vine nor cattle in the stalls – YET HE WOULD REJOICE IN THE LORD (Habakkuk 3:17-18)!
But while this is a glorious testimony of his tenacious faith, it didn’t occur apart from a great amount of honest fear and trepidation. Check out Habakkuk 3:16 and read his account of how he felt when he thought about the coming invasion. “There is trembling on my lips and decay in my bones!” Yes, indeed. It was amid all these emotions that he made his powerful statement of faith.
What an example for us. Habakkuk had an honest faith. It was a faith that did not erase his feelings he was having as he faced adversity and trial.
As I ponder this, I cannot help but think of Azariah, Hananiah, and Mishael in Daniel 3:16-26. By the way, let’s stop calling them by the names the unbelieving world gave to them – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Let’s not let the world define us. Let’s leave that job to God.
Read that passage carefully. Did they pray for deliverance? I am sure they did, but scripture doesn’t record it. God had other plans. As they were led into the fiery furnace, did they, like Habakkuk, hear the voice of their Father saying, “Trust Me! Trust Me! Trust Me!” Again, scripture is silent.
They were thrown into the fire. Certainly, they believed that they’d die. But immediately there weren’t three in the furnace, but four. And the fourth was the Son of God! How utterly amazing.
GOD DIDN'T SAVE THEM FROM THE FIRE, HE SAVED THEM IN IT AND THROUGH IT. AND THEY WALKED OUT UNTOUCHED. THEY DIDN'T EVEN SMELL LIKE SMOKE!
Scripture is silent about the conversation among the four in the furnace. But maybe the Lord said something like this. “I am so proud of you guys. You trusted Me, even though you did not see My deliverance. Listen, guys. For the rest of recorded history, people will talk about the faith and trust you exhibited here today.”
Many of you dear ones are going through trials. If so, keep on trusting Him. You will experience His deliverance! He has promised it will be so. He might deliver you from your trial. More likely, He will deliver you in and through your trial. But … He will deliver you. He promised to be with you always, to walk with you and strengthen you, and to uphold you with His own strong right hand (Isaiah 41:10).
Knowing this promise, let’s trust Him. One day the world will stand amazed at how He delivered you!
