THE BOUNDARY OF OUR BEWILDERMENT

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

This is a tremendous promise to every believer! It is easy to read, easy to memorize, and easy to encourage others with this blessed truth. But let me ask you, "Do you sincerely believe it?" Trials, adversities, and difficulties are common to us all. The Christian takes on a different perspective than the unbeliever. The believer has the assurance that God's hand is upon him, that "all things work together for good ...to them who are the called according to his purpose." When adverse times come, do we find our refuge in Him? Do we appropriate what He has purchased and provided for us?

God knows the "boundary of our bewilderment," the length to which our faith can be stretched, the depth to which we may plunge, and the testing to which our trial may take us. But through it all, He has promised, "He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear." Either God will give us the grace, strength, and sufficiency to go through the trial with Him, or He will deliver us from the trial by His mighty power. "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us" (Romans 8:37).

Some years ago, my wife and I had a situation in which we were tried to the limit. The more we prayed, the worse the situation became. We cried out in prayer, "Lord we can't take any more. We are broken, exhausted, and have no more strength to face this situation any longer. We commit it fully to you." Ah, it was THEN God began a work of His grace and in His faithfulness, the burden was lifted and God took over. He provided a way out. God never comes too late, nor does He come with too little. It is "IN" the trial, "IN" the depths, "IN" the adversities, "IN" the dark encounters of our life that the "light arises" and we find HIM in the midst of it all. In God's way...in God's time...in God's Faithfulness...GOD MEETS US AT THE POINT OF OUR NEED! We are consoled by His presence, comforted by His compassion, blessed by His interceding, and strengthened by His mighty power.

You might ask, "Why does the Lord, in His providence, allow us to go through these heart-wrenching experiences?" I think He sees in the depths of our being those areas that need to be tested. It's like the piano tuner that bangs away time after time, trying to bring each note into the right pitch by tightening the wires, so that the sounds may blend together harmoniously and resound with beautiful music. Our faith needs to be stretched, our character must be refined, our trust needs to be focused, and our endurance needs to be strengthened. It is only through the "trying of our faith" that our character is developed and made strong that we develop unwavering faith in Almighty God, and God gives to us the ability to persevere with purpose. God knows the boundaries of our bewilderment.



From: Literature International Ministry - Ed Powell