One Reason God Allows Struggle

We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. (2 Corinthians 2:8-10)

Let’s read a portion of that again.

We were crushed and overwhelmed…BUT AS A RESULT…We stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God.

When life is going awry, there might not necessarily be anything going wrong. God allows us to struggle within the confines of His sovereign hands. The only struggles that make it through His fingers are the ones for our ultimate good — the struggles that return our hearts to Him. If we are trusting in other things besides God, He eventually allows those things not to work for us anymore,

BECAUSE HE LOVES US

When what we have been trusting in doesn’t work for us any longer, we hopefully turn our reliance back to God, the only place where we are safe.

BUT HERE’S THE DEAL

We are most safe when He our entire heart is surrendered, not just a part. When fully surrendered, He can give us fullest blessings, be fully present, and we can live in full power of the Holy Spirit. Getting part of our hearts isn’t enough, so if we are still relying on something else in some area,

HE HAS TO RIP OUT.

What might that be for me? For one, I tend to feel safer when there is more money in the bank and when my kids look like they are doing well according to current societal standards. Now here’s the part I don’t like. If the bank balance is what I rely on for my sense of safety instead of Him, then how else can He train my heart to rely on Him than to keep the finances thin at times? If my kids doing well is what I rely on for my sense of safety instead of Him, then how else can He train my heart to rely on Him than to allow some things to go wrong? (That’s not to say my children, or any human being, is a pawn. Things will go wrong all by themselves as children make their choices. God will allow those choices to be made.)

I LOVE HIM FOR CHASING MY HEART.

Don’t get mad at God when you figure out He is removing things that are replacing Him. He is in an all-out pursuit of your heart, the heart He created, so He owns the rights to it. He is trying to save our lives, not ruin them. We only have power when we are connected to the vine.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  (John 15:5)

Picture Explanation: The fall decorations are up.
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