Making it through the tough spots

There are some lies and some truths we believe about God. Often, the truth and lie become so intertwined that it is hard to distinguish between them. Statements such as "the apple of your eye", "God helps those who help themselves" or "He will never give you more than you can handle." Yet when the recently released Hebrews left Egypt enslavement, they quickly learned that God could give them more than they could handle.

Exodus 14 tells of the Hebrews leaving Egypt by crossing the Red Sea with the Lord's servant Moses and following the His presence as a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. They were confident that God would care for them until they found themselves pinned between the sea and the Egyptian army. A spot that they couldn't handle.

All of us have been in spots we cannot handle. Devastating news from a doctor, a rebellious teenager or a marriage far from happily ever after. We all know what it is to be overwhelmed. But, like the Hebrews pinned down, there are two life-changing truths we can take away from being in spots you cannot handle.

First, God's presence is quickly overshadowed by our circumstances. The people were surrounded with no escape. They complained greatly forgetting it was God who led them to that spot. When our lives feel overwhelmed, ignoring God or blaming Him is easy. But the truth is God did not change - The circumstances did. Circumstances change all the time. If we base our faith on how we feel in the moment, then we are not putting our faith in God but trusting in how we feel about the moment.

Second, being in spots you cannot handle has the potential to increase your faith. They could not have imagined what God was going to do that day. What they experienced increased their faith. Even though that increase didn't last.

Being in difficult spots can increase your faith. The results may not turn out the way you want. The results may turn out better than you imagined. But if you avoid the difficult spots, there is never an opportunity for an increase.

Difficulty does not mean God is absent any more than he is testing you. Being in spots you cannot handle is where God does his best work. After all, if you could handle it, you wouldn't need faith.