Strength in Weakness

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

— 2 Corinthians 12:9–10

Why does God allow hardship? Why does God allow illness? Why does God allow tragedy? We can go on and on asking why, but we can't always answer these questions. Yet listen to what the apostle Paul said as he explains why it was allowed in his life in particular:

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. (2 Corinthians 12:7–8)

We don't know what Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was. Most commentators believe it was some kind of physical disability that he probably acquired after one of his multiple beatings or stonings. Whatever it was, the devil wanted to use it to get Paul down. And it worked. Paul got down on his knees and called on God. The devil wanted to drive Paul away from God, but instead the apostle clung to Him that much tighter.

When we go through suffering and hardship, it can be so difficult at times. I have never had a more difficult time in my life than the past 19 months. Yet the fellowship I have had with God has never been sweeter. I have never been more dependent on Him. There are times I don't think I can handle it, and then God gives me the strength that I need. And I have learned things that I would not have learned anywhere else. I don't know the "why" of it all, but I trust God, cling to God, and rely on God.

Are you facing hardship and suffering today? Pour out your heart to God. He is trustworthy.

Why?

When tragedy hits us, we often ask the question, "Why?" The book of Job is filled with moments when Job asks the question "Why?"

Now, there isn't anything necessarily wrong with asking God, "Why?" It's OK to ask, as long as we don't get the idea that God somehow owes us an answer. Frankly, God does not owe you or me an explanation.

Yet we may still wonder, "Why?"

Let me ask you this: if the Lord did tell you why things happen the way they do, would that ease your pain or heal your broken heart? I don't think so. In fact, it would raise even more questions.

God says, "My ways are above your ways, and my thoughts above yours." We live on promises, not explanations, so we shouldn't spend too much time asking God why.

I too have asked, "Why?" When my oldest son was suddenly called home to heaven, I asked, why did God take my son, and not me?

He was only 33 years old, with so much promise. He was a loving husband and father. He was a much-loved son and brother and friend to many. He was walking with God and serving Him.

Why? I don't know. That is my answer.

A friend of mine told me recently that we should never trade what you don't know for what you do know.

So what do I know?

• I know God loves me.
• I know God loves my son, my wife, my daughter-in-law, my granddaughters, and my other son.
• I know God can make good things come out of bad.

So I will stand on what I know, instead of what I don't know.

In his commentary on the book of Job, Chuck Swindoll wrote:

God never promised He would inform us all about His plan ahead of time; He's just promised He has one. Ultimately, it's for our good and His glory. He knows–we don't. That's why we shrug and admit, 'I don't know.'

But I do know this: The death of His Son was not in vain; Christ died for you; and if you believe in Him, He will forgive your sins, and you will go to live with Him forever. You'll have heaven and all the blessings of it, I do know that.

It's a tough journey, getting there. Full of confusion, struggle, and shrugs, followed by a lot of "I don't knows." But when the heavens open and we're there, hey, there will be no more shrugs, and you'll be able to say, "Now I know!"

Secret things

We could ask the question, "Why?" about many people in the Bible. Why take Stephen at such a young age as a martyr? Later, we read of James being beheaded while Peter is spared.

Why? I don't know. It was God's plan. His mysterious, at times frustrating, unknowable plan.

The Bible says, "The secret things belong to the Lord" (Deuteronomy 29:29 NKJV).

Poor old Job did not know how his life would turn out. All he knew was that one day things were delightful and the next day they were dreadful.

He lost his home, his health, and, worst of all, his children. He had not read the last chapter of his book, so he did not know God would bless him later.

Oh sure, his health would return, his possessions would multiply, but the children he lost were not replaced, so there was still great pain.

Sometimes, when a child has died, people will ask if you have any other children and say, "Well, at least you still have your other kids." But every child is precious and irreplaceable and dear, whether you have two children or 20.

An eternal perspective

In John 11, after the unexpected death of her brother, Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died!" (John 11:21 NKJV)

Martha was saying to Jesus, "Unfair, foul, not right!" But she still cried out to Jesus.

That is what we must do as well. Go to Jesus with your frustrations, anguish, and questions. Call out to Him. Just make sure you listen to His response!

Jesus did not correct Martha for making this statement. Rather, He sought to get Martha back to an eternal perspective here.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26 NKJV)

Death is not the end. Jesus has overcome it.

Out of His Control

We know that God's children do not make a practice of sinning, for God's Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.

— 1 John 5:18

When Jesus Christ comes into your life, he becomes the sole occupant. Yet some people have suggested that Christians can be demon-possessed. However, Jesus is not in a timeshare program with your heart. The Bible says, "What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God" (2 Corinthians 6:15–16).

Yet the devil would love you to think that you are powerless against his attacks, that you have no recourse, that you are no match. He would love you to believe that you will always be a victim, an addict, a puppet for him to control. And I want to tell you that is 100 percent wrong. Though it is true that a believer can be hassled or tempted or oppressed by the devil and his minions, he cannot control us.

If we yield to his power, he will have his sway in our lives. But if we resist him, we can be free from it. And here is what you need to remember: God is greater than Satan. As the Bible says, "But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world" (1 John 4:4).

You cannot cast out temptation. You cannot cast out things that attack you. Instead, you need to deny and resist them. You need to put your spiritual armor on. The Bible says, "So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). The key is to stay as close to God as you possibly can.

The Way Out

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

— 1 Corinthians 10:13

As believers, we have God's promise that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle. But here is the problem: sometimes we unnecessarily put ourselves in the way of temptation. As one person put it, "Lead me not into temptation. I can find it myself." Instead of hearing what God is saying and taking practical steps to stay away from the things that could drag us down, we unnecessarily put ourselves in the path of temptation.

We live in the real world, and all around us are things that can distract us, things that could ultimately entice us. But it is another thing to put ourselves in places where we know we are weak.

The person who has a problem with drinking shouldn't be spending time in a bar. The single guy who is struggling with sexual temptation shouldn't be spending time alone with his girlfriend late at night, in the dark. That is putting oneself unnecessarily in the way of temptation.

We know that God "will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). And sometimes the way of escape is the door.

Case in point: Joseph. Day in and day out, Potiphar's wife was trying to seduce him. Eventually, she cast all subtlety aside and just pulled him down on the bed. So what did Joseph do? He did what any clear-thinking young man would do under the circumstances: he ran like crazy.

God will never give us more than we can handle. There is always a way out. But sometimes we just need to take practical steps to resist temptation. What steps are you taking today?

A Wall of Protection

And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

— Matthew 6:13

God is omniscient, which means that He is all-knowing. God is omnipotent, which means that He is all-powerful. And God is omnipresent, which means that He is present everywhere.

In sharp and direct contrast to this, the devil does not reflect God's divine attributes. He is not omnipotent. Although he has great power, his power is clearly limited, and he is nowhere near to being God's equal. Nor is the devil omniscient. He knows many things, but he doesn't know all things. And, he is not omnipresent. He can only be in one place at one time.

What the devil doesn't want you to know is that he can do nothing in the life of a Christian without God's permission. The devil complained that God had put a wall of protection around Job (see Job 1:10). So we see from this that even though Satan has a wicked agenda, he has to ask permission to touch the child of God. There is an impenetrable wall that God has placed around you that Satan cannot breach. That doesn't mean you can't be tempted. It doesn't mean you can't be harassed. It doesn't mean you can't be attacked. But God never will give you more than you can handle. So when the devil comes knocking at your door, I would suggest that you say, "Jesus, would You mind getting that?" I am so glad He is there, because I am no match for the devil. And neither are you.

Temptation will come into your life. Jesus even taught us to pray, "And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one" (Matthew 6:13). So the next time you are facing temptation, remember that God never will give you too much. He will provide a way out.