The Blessings of Adversity, Pt. 2

Adversity can either break you down or, if you lean on Christ through it, can ultimately make you stronger and closer with Him.

The Blessings of Adversity, Pt. 2

"He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint."

(Isaiah 40:29-31)

Some if not most of you reading today's devotion are walking a tough path. You are not on the mountain but in the valley, not soaring but grinding it out day by day. Life is not easy for you; it is hard. You love the Lord and have many questions. How will you proceed? You can become bitter or allow these trying circumstances and events to make you better. Or, to use Dr. Stanley's analogy, you can see it all as a burden or as a bridge to get you to a deeper walk with Christ.
Stanley shared in his message that people are struggling and facing tough times, especially financially. Some are concerned that they may lose their homes. Others are asking how they can afford to send their kids to college. Some have been let go from their job. Adversity comes in all forms; it is universal and makes no difference who you are.

Adversity can do one of two things in our lives. First, it can cause an overwhelming sense of dread, make us weary, tired, restless, and worn out. Or, that same adversity can be a bridge to a deeper relationship with God. The thing that will make all the difference is our attitude. Chuck Swindoll said life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% how we respond. We will respond to trials in one of two ways: get mad, ask why this happened, blame God and others; or we will instead lean into God and remember who the Lord is and that He has a plan. When adversity and hardship strike us (and strike us they will), we can say, "I do not think I can hold on much longer." Or we can instead state in faith, "This adversity is a bridge I will travel on to transport me to a deeper relationship with and understanding of Jesus Christ. At the end of this hard journey, God will use me in powerful ways for His glory and for my good."

In our biblical text for today, perhaps you relate more to the first part where Isaiah writes about weakness, no might, fainting, and being weary. If you are not there currently, one day you will be. No one is exempt from walking hard paths. But look at the promises in the Word of God! When we wait on God, and keep on trusting Him, He changes things dramatically. We go from trotting with buzzards and turkeys to soaring with eagles.

May the Lord bless you today and lift you up. He has got you. Hang in there, and hang on.