What do you do when yet another crushing trial comes along from out of nowhere? Maybe a devastating worldwide pandemic that impacts every man, woman, and child? Maybe the threat of losing your job or not knowing how you are going to pay your bills? Has there been news of a serious health problem? Is caregiving for your elderly parents becoming too difficult? Are you struggling with a wayward child? Is your marriage in jeopardy? 

It’s enough to make you want to lay down and give up. But you know you cannot do that. You have to find a way to stand through it. 

They say, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Well, this is a time when strength is definitely being tested for all of us. The virus adds a whole new layer of difficulty.

When I was a young girl, I thought I could stand through any problem, any burden.  I could just cry it away into my pillow, work a little harder, drop the friend who was causing me grief, avoid confronting my problem altogether, or get Mom to bail me out.  As I grew older, I found out that it wasn’t that simple.  My tears, hard work or even my Mom couldn’t fix everything, and refusing to confront my problems didn’t make them go away, they just got worse.

I learned the hard way that I needed help to stand.  Life is too hard to handle on my own.  I need a strength and a refuge that could only be found in Jesus. Through the years, through the trials (divorce, cancer, death of my parents, financial uncertainty, living with chronic pain, and many others), I have learned to stand, but only with God’s help. 

Can you imagine how the Children of Israel must have felt as they fled from Pharaoh’s Army only to be cornered, standing room only, by the edge of the Red Sea?  They panicked, yet all they could do was stand. What a lesson they learned that day! 

In Exodus 14:13, Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.  The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”  Verse 21 says, “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.” 

Not only did God hold back the sea but He did it ‘all that night.’  Whatever you need, He’s there for you as much and as long as you need Him. “All that night,” I love that!

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 

In the time of my greatest weakness in my life is where I experienced God’s most powerful strength. It’s always been just what I needed and when I needed it. My faith has become stronger, not because I am a stronger person, no, just the opposite.  I have become weaker.  I’ve learned that I am no match for the storms of this life, or for Satan for that matter, but through my trials, I’ve learned God is.  Through my weakness, I’ve learned to stand on His strength, His Word, and His abundant provisions.  I have learned that out of His great love for me, He has been working a plan in my life since before I was born.

I hope you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, and you can say the same—that He has carried you through your trials and that you have learned you can stand with His help.  If not, there is no better time than right now. He is waiting with outstretched arms to welcome you into his protective embrace, and to help you through whatever you face. 

When the trial comes, when we get that phone call in the night that no one wants to get, when the virus scare threatens to overtake us… With the Lord, we can be ready to experience that power that parted the Red Sea and made a way for the Children of Israel to save them from  certain death.

This time… May our knees hit the floor quicker because we know where our help comes from (Psalm 121:1).  This time… may we immediately ask our friends and family to pray for us because we know it makes all the difference (James 5:16). 

This time… May we grab our Bible, going straight to the promises in His Word because we’ve learned He’s always faithful, and we can gain strength to stand from His promises (Hebrews 10:23).  Promises like…He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:4).  Promises like…He’s working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).  Promises like…He who started a great work in us will complete it (Philippians 1:6). Promises like…He has plans to prosper us and give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).

This time… let’s keep on our armor of God because we’ve learned what it means to be in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6).  Ephesians 6:13 says, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

This time… let’s not even try to take on a trial that is too heavy for us.  God is the only One strong enough to hold back the Red Sea all that night.

This time… Stand there and watch Him part it for you.

Dear Lord: Thank You for taking care of us through this time of uncertainty, and through all the trials in our lives. You are forever faithful. Thank You that we can stand on Your strength, Your Word, and Your abundant provisions. You fight for us. We need only to be still. For those impacted by COVID-19, please bring them healing, comfort for the loss of loved ones, and financial blessings to get through this time. Use Your children to be Your hands and feet. We pray that true revival would begin in us and spread throughout our world.  Thank You in advance for all You are going to do. Amen

Have things become too hard for you? Isn’t time to let go, and let God? Do you have a story about how God is providing for you and getting you through difficult circumstances? I would love to hear from you. I welcome your comments, experiences, and thoughts.

If you would like to find out more about how to receive Christ as your personal Savior or if I can pray for you, please reach out to me through private message or at sharon@wildernessgrace.org. 

Thank you for reading and sharing my blogpost today. Please subscribe to my blogpost and encourage your friends to subscribe by visiting www.sharonhawkins.net.

May God bless you and your family always. Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.