Defining difficulties...
Isaiah continues his prophecy concerning Egypt: "The burden against Egypt. Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst." Isaiah 19:1
The beautiful part of devastation is not the devastation itself, but what God can produce through it. After Egypt's judgment, Isaiah writes: "And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them." Isaiah 19:20
Sometimes difficult days are simply difficult days. Other times, the Lord uses those difficulties to expose the idols we cling to and draw our hearts back to Himself. What feels bitter in the moment may become the very means God uses to reveal His mercy.
The sweetness found on the other side of suffering is not the suffering itself, but receiving more of the Lord through it. Knowing Him more deeply is worth more than the comforts we often fight so hard to preserve.
What are you facing today?
Whatever the reason for your difficulty, draw near to the Lord. Don't allow hardship to drive you from Him. Let every circumstance become an invitation to know Jesus more deeply and trust Him more fully.
-To Know Jesus. To Live on Mission.