A Tough But True Lesson
Your life was designed to be difficult and unplanned.
No one in the Bible started out to be wanting to be where God placed them.
Some might argue that Adam and Eve had it best. And that’s certainly true at first, but they too ended up living difficult unplanned (to themselves) lives.
Since then it has been as they were told it would be.
And yet . . . here’s the silver lining.
No matter how disoriented we feel in life, we are still meant to be exactly where we are.
This means your problems are opportunities to see the power of God at work.
Without problems no one seeks him.
They are settled in their ways.
Growth, strength, and stamina come through the confounding, frustrating difficulties that seem to box us in.
This means we are blessed to have frustrating people in our lives, not to plague us, but who will usually inadvertently show us how God can move the most difficult relationship mountains.
And don’t expect it necessarily means anyone else will be changed.
And what more shall I say?
For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
Women received back their dead by resurrection.
Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.
Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword.
They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 11:32 - 12:2 (ESV)
