In your strength, I can crush an army; with my God, I can scale any wall. Psalm 18:29 NLT
As Stephen Winter said, “Life is not ‘Hollywood’ perfect.” But doing anything with God is possible.
Nathan found that out, too. For fifteen years, he ambled in the wilderness, putting God on the back burner. His marriage to his high school sweetheart was marred from the beginning when, on their honeymoon night, she said, “I miss my mother.” Six months later, she was leaving him for one of his work cohorts. After a short fling with him, she moved in with another man.
For three years, Nathan left women alone. Then he decided to make a fresh start in a new town, where he met a young lady, fell in love, and married two years later. He finally made his way back to God, but sixteen years later, he watched his wife go through a mid-life crisis and leave him and their two children.
Once again, Nathan wondered how God could have allowed such a thing to happen and how he would ever get through his mess. But he did, and four years later, God sent him a wonderful woman who pulled him out of his depression and repaired his broken life. He discovered doing anything with God is possible.
David the psalmist was a military man and a king, but he had endured his share of hardships on the way to his present position—and still faced them. When the time came for the prophet Samuel to anoint a new king for Israel, David’s father didn’t even invite David to the selection party. Instead, he left him in the field tending sheep.
Later, after becoming king, David saw one of his sons lead a rebellion against him. The son ran him out of town and slept with his father’s concubines in public view. But David made it through his tumultuous episodes because he also discovered doing anything with God is possible.
I’ve discovered what Stephen, Nathan, David, and many others have: life isn’t perfect just because we choose to follow God. And God doesn’t promise it will be. He simply promises that with His strength, we’ll get through. The trial will contain a seed from which we can learn valuable lessons. Additionally, we’ll grow spiritually if we respond with trust instead of bitterness.
With God’s strength, you can face whatever life throws your way. Trust Him when the trials come.
–Photo by Peter Borter on Unsplash
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