IT’S MORE THAN I CAN BEAR!
Broken back, broken neck, migraines, major surgery, father died, spouse filed for divorce, loss of income, office closed, bankruptcy, and laid up in bed for days at a time for such was the physical pain. Should I go on? There is much more. Friends walked off. Judged unfairly. Gossiped about. Had no bright future or hope there ever would be one again. Depression set in. Great longing to escape the pain of this world, begging God for death to come. Wow!, you say! Did all this happen to one person? Yes, in one single time period. Even though there’s much more to the story, I’ll stop there. I believe you get the picture. Do you relate? Would you like to know who that person was that suffered all those things in just one season of their life? It was me. And that was not even the half of it.
Let me ask you a few questions. Think about them before you answer. Is the way hard for you? Do you cry and travail, asking God for peace? Does every day seem like a war? Are you met with constant resistance? Do you wonder why that you have to go through the same battle day after day, and the end of it seems as though it will never come? What I offer you now is truth and hope. There is an ending to your story. The way it ends is up to you. Will it be victory, or will it be tragedy? You may be asking, how, how, how can I turn my story into a good ending? Scripture holds the answer.
Habbukuk said to WAIT for the end, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at THE END it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry” (Hab. 2:3).
Joshua said to CONFESS GOD’S PROMISES, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Jos. 1:8).
James, referring to Job, said to ENDURE, “Behold, we count them happy (blessed) which endure. You have heard of the patience of Job and have seen THE END OF THE LORD; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” (Jam. 5:11).
Let’s take a minute and meditate on Job, whose trial seemed to go on and on. Children died. His fortune was lost. Wife turned on him. Sickness accompanied by agonizing pain. Nightmare and terrors. Judged by his friends. Cried to God to let him die. Longing for death that never came. Job tried to write the end of his story, which ended in death, but God in His great mercy overwrote him. Know this, when God writes the ending of a story, it is always good! The Book of James reminded the saints who were suffering to remember Job and the example he set for all of us to follow when times get hard. What did Job do? He ENDURED. The word “endure” means “to continue, persist, persevere” and “prevail”; it also means “to suffer something painful or difficult patiently”. Job suffered like no other man we read about in the Bible, except the Lord Jesus. Yet, he would not let go of God regardless of his great agony and his not understanding why he suffered. He made a great confession, saying, “Though He slay me, yet will I serve Him” (Job 13:15). Job came out of his trials victoriously, and so will you because you have a God Who is full of pity, compassion, tenderness and mercy. The Lord restored everything to Job, even twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10). This was the end of the story that God wrote for Job. God is writing your end of the story now! You’re coming out. “Hope thou in God!” (Psa. 42:5).
In summary, Joshua listed the following path to victory and success:
1. Keep the Word in your mouth. Whenever things become overwhelming, speak the promises of God!
2. Meditate on His promises, day and night. Strengthen yourself in this battle by meditating on His promises that He has made to you.
3. Observe the Word of God. Walk before Him, doing His will.