Sarah Walton
Some days I feel as if I’m in the front lines of a
battle where I’m outnumbered 1,000 to one.
I’m fighting for truth, hope, and joy, but the
fiery arrows of affliction continue to fly from every angle. I’m fighting the
temptation to grumble, get angry, and stomp my feet defiantly at the daily pain
and circumstances that seem too much to bear. 
I’m fighting for endurance, but a
spirit of weariness tries to pull me under.
.
I’m fighting the enemy, who wants
to destroy my faith, distort truth, and keep me from 
Even though I’m confident in the truth of God’s
Word and who I am in Christ, the effects of this battle are taking a toll
on my mind, body, and spirit.
Our
Impossible Circumstances
While some days the will to keep fighting this
battle feels impossible, two things keep me in the fight: The first is the
finish line where the glory of Christ awaits us for eternity. Along with that
is the amazing truth that Christ has already won this battle for us! As his
children, we simply need to hold firmly to him.
Yet, even though we are assured of victory in
Christ, how do we persevere day to day when the reality of
our trials makes us
feel far from victorious?
What do we do when our circumstances seem more like a
hindrance to serving the Lord and living our life to the fullest?
Maybe your life has taken a detour, derailing your
plans and leaving you unsure, or even afraid, of what your future may hold.
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Or maybe you were pursuing a goal, dream, or ministry opportunity when a devastating diagnosis or a strained relationship shut the door on where you thought God was leading you.
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Or maybe you were pursuing a goal, dream, or ministry opportunity when a devastating diagnosis or a strained relationship shut the door on where you thought God was leading you.
Perhaps the loss of a loved one has sent you
spiraling into unpredictable waves of grief, leaving you paralyzed and unsure
of how to keep moving.
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There are countless circumstances that can leave us perplexed, afraid of the future, and feeling powerless to improve our situation.
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There are countless circumstances that can leave us perplexed, afraid of the future, and feeling powerless to improve our situation.
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However, despite how helpless we may feel in these
moments, we are never truly helpless, and it’s never a surprise to God.
.
In
fact, it’s in these very moments that we are driven into a deeper trust in
God’s sovereignty, goodness, faithfulness, and power, and have the opportunity
to watch him work in ways that only he can.
Peter’s
Impossible Circumstance
Take, for example, the account of Peter’s
imprisonment in Acts 12:1-17.
Shortly after King Herod killed James, the
brother of John, he sought Peter’s life as well. Peter was arrested and handed
over to four rotations of four guards, to be guarded until after Passover.
As the story continued, I began to see how Peter’s
imprisonment, which seemed to be both a threat to his life and a hindrance to
the advancement of the gospel was, in fact, quite the opposite.
Here are several encouragements we can take from
Peter’s time in prison that can help us when we are tempted to give way to
confusion, fear, anger, or weariness in own seasons of suffering.
1. God sometimes allows
circumstances that make it appear as if evil is winning, but only for a time.
At first
glance, it would seem that Peter’s imprisonment was getting in the way of the
work Christ had given him. However, by the end of the account, we see how God
used the enemy’s destructive attempts for his own purposes, to show the power
of God to both his persecutors and the church.
At times,
circumstances that may seem like a hindrance to the gospel and a threat to our
lives may be the very platform God uses for the gospel to be displayed through
us.
As believers, we can be confident that even circumstances that perplex us
are being sovereignly orchestrated for the purpose of growing us up in Christ
and displaying his glory.
Evil may appear to flourish for a time, but the Lord
has established its boundaries and will ultimately wield it for the advancement
of his purposes.
2. Some will see the power of God
and turn to him in repentance, while others will see the power of God as a
threat to their own power, and turn away.
Now when
Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping
between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were
guarding the prison. (Acts 12:6)
If Herod
felt it was necessary to chain Peter to two guards, with two more protecting
the gate, he must have seen Peter as a powerful threat.
Although the gospel
proclaims peace with God through repentance (not through violence or forced
conversion), Christ made it clear that his message of salvation would not bring
peace but a sword (Matthew 10:34).
While
Peter was not a man of violence, Herod feared the sword of truth that Peter was
proclaiming, so much so, that he took every precaution to prevent his escape
and the powerful influence he was having.
We need
to remember that if our lives are marked by the light of the gospel, we too may
be seen as a threat to others.
However, just as the Lord strengthened and
taught Peter in preparation for this trial, we too are being strengthened and
taught to be prepared to live as sheep among wolves.
Our pain is never without
a purpose, but we must keep our eyes on Christ and the security we have in him
alone.
3. No human means are powerful
enough to silence the message of the gospel and restrain the power of God.
"And behold, an angel of the Lord
stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side
and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And
the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” (vv.
7-8a)
I love this picture. Shackled, naked, and facing
imminent death; this is the true state of each one of us apart from the saving
power of Christ. Just like Peter, we are powerless to save ourselves.
By God’s
grace, He came to us while we were helpless in the prison cell of sin. He
shined his light into our darkness, broke our chains, clothed us in
righteousness, saving us from God’s wrath and the imminent death that awaited
us. What a Savior we have!
You and I need to remember this when we find
ourselves in the throes of affliction, feeling helpless and afraid of what
might lie ahead. No pain, suffering, evil, or persecution is outside of God’s
control and power to save.
He is never overwhelmed or surprised by what
happens in our lives, and he will be faithful to work in it and through it for
his eternal and loving purposes.
No human means to silence our witness for Christ is
strong enough to withhold the purposes and power of God. We can rest in his
faithful hands.
4. The Lord does what we cannot
do, but we must be willing to dress ourselves for action and follow him in
obedience.
And the angel said, “Dress
yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap
your cloak around you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him. He did
not know what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a
vision. When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron
gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went
out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. When Peter
came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and
rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were
expecting.” (vv. 8-11)
The angel removed the chains from Peter’s hands and
feet, leading the way to freedom. However, he required Peter’s faith and
cooperation to get dressed and follow him in obedience.
This is true for every believer. We have been freed
from the power of sin and given the Holy Spirit, but we must take action in
walking in the freedom we’ve been given. How foolish it would have been if
Peter had responded to the angel’s commands with, “No, thank you for removing
my chains, but I think I will stay and rest here a little while longer.”
But
don’t we sometimes respond that way in the choices we make? After we have been
freed from the power of sin, do we sometimes resist the calling and
responsibility that we have been given out of the fear of what might lie ahead
or the comforts we may lose?
We must take action! We need to dress ourselves, to
be daily clothed in the Word of God and prayer. We need to put on our sandals,
to discipline and train ourselves for the hard road of following Christ by
laying aside the false comforts that hinder us and embrace a biblical, eternal
perspective of the circumstances we experience. God gives us power to do what
we cannot do ourselves, but we need to follow in obedience.
God could have allowed this to be the end of
Peter’s life, but he still had a purpose for him that had yet to be
accomplished. No man could lay a finger on Peter until the Lord allowed it, yet
Peter didn’t know what the outcome of this story would be. He had to trust the
Lord in death, but also in life.
In this moment, he didn’t even understand if
what was happening to him was real, yet, he obediently followed. It wasn’t
until after he was outside of the prison gates and the angel had left him, that
he finally understood clearly what the Lord had done.
I find this to be so applicable to our lives, don’t
you? Often, when I am in the throes of affliction and facing a threat to my
life, I feel disoriented and unsure of where God is leading me.
Yet, as I
obediently follow, trusting him when nothing makes sense at the time, I am
almost always able to look back and see his faithfulness to save me from that
which threatened to destroy me. Sometimes God delivers me from my
circumstances, but when he doesn’t, He always equips and carries me
through.
Either way, it causes me to look back with an awe, trust, and deeper
love for my Savior.
5. The Lord’s powerful work in our
lives is also meant for the strengthening and growth of the church.
So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for
him was made to God by the church. (v. 5)
When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary
the mother of John…where many were gathered
together and were praying. (v. 12)
When Peter knocked, a servant girl recognized his
voice and, in her joy, she didn’t even open the door but ran to tell the others
that Peter was free!
What an amazing opportunity this body of believers was
given to be part of God’s redemptive plan. These men and women who’d been
praying for Peter’s release must have grown immensely in their faith as they
saw the mighty hand of God act on behalf of their prayers.
Of course, God
didn’t need their prayers to save Peter, but he allowed them to be intimately
part of his purposes.
God’s powerful act to save Peter was not only used
for Peter’s growth, but for the growth of those praying for him, and for the
revelation of God’s power to Herod and many others. No prison cell could
prevent the advancement of the gospel through Peter’s life.
Let’s remember that the body of Christ is a gift.
At times, we will walk in Peter’s shoes (hopefully not in prison) as the one
suffering, while at other times we will be among those who have the privilege
to pray for another.
Either way, as we allow others to enter into our lives and
walk alongside of us, even the messy and painful parts, Christ will use our
lives both as a witness to unbelievers and to strengthen his church.
What a
blessing it is to be used in ways far greater than ourselves.
God’s
Glory in the Impossible
Christian brother or sister, do you feel as though
you are in your own prison cell in one form or another? Do you feel trapped in
a habitual sin? Are you so burdened with grief that you feel helpless to even
get out of bed?
Do you feel paralyzed by suffering or a fear of the future? Do
you feel stuck in a rut of dry devotions and a lack of desire for Christ and
his truth?
Although we may feel like it at times, you and I
are not hopeless!
We serve a powerful God who loved us enough to sacrifice his
own Son for our freedom and salvation. That doesn’t always mean that we’ll be
rescued in the way we initially desire on this earth, just as Christ and his
disciples were not spared from pain, grief, and struggle.
But be encouraged that your suffering is never
random or without a purpose.
We are promised that as we trust his power and
control over our lives, He will equip us for everything He calls us to. It may
be unpleasant or even despairing at the moment, but Christ will ultimately use
every moment of it for our good and for the joy of bringing him glory.
We will find comfort and hope in remembering that
our chains have been broken, Christ’s light has driven out the darkness, and he
will continue to lead us by his strong saving power.
This season of suffering in my life has felt like
one that will never end. But it has given me constant opportunities to let go
of my desire for control, and is teaching me to trust his leading and provision
along the way.
While our flesh never likes to feel powerless, it
is precisely during those times that we can see Christ’s nearness, power, and
provision in the greatest ways. When we feel overcome by the weight of our
circumstances and the battle seems to be more than we can bear, we can wait,
watch, and trust in the saving power of our God.
"In my distress I called upon the
Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry
to him reached his ears. He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of
many waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued
me, because he delighted in me." (Psalm 18:6, 16-19).
To
experience God as a personal, caring, loving Father, you have to receive Jesus
Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. You will become a child of God and
begin the fulfillment of the reason you were created by God.
Say the following prayer:
“Father God, I confess I am a sinner and my sins have separated me from You.
I
am truly sorry. I
now want to turn away from my past sinful life and live a new life pleasing to
You.
Please
forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again.
I
believe that your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the
dead, is alive, and hears my prayer.
I
invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from
this day forward. Thank You that according to Your Word, I am now Your child,
and I am born again.
Please
send Your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of
my life. I promise to study Your Word - the Bible.
Please
use me for Your glory.
In
Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.”
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A Word of Hope for Your Darkest
Days
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Because He Lives
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A Word of Hope for Your Darkest
Days 
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lyrics
Verse 1:
God and God alone created all these things we call our own
From the mighty to the small the Glory in them all is God's and God's alone
Chorus:
God and God alone is fit to take the universe's throne
Let everything that lives reserve its truest praise for God and God alone
Verse 2:
God and God alone reveals the truth of all we call unknown
And the best and worst of man wont change the Master's plan.
God and God alone created all these things we call our own
From the mighty to the small the Glory in them all is God's and God's alone
Chorus:
God and God alone is fit to take the universe's throne
Let everything that lives reserve its truest praise for God and God alone
Verse 2:
God and God alone reveals the truth of all we call unknown
And the best and worst of man wont change the Master's plan.
It's God's and God's alone
Chorus:
God and God alone is fit to take the universe's throne
Let everything that lives reserve its truest praise for God and God alone
Verse 3:
God and God alone will be the joy of our eternal home
He will be our one desire Our hearts will never tire of God and God alone
Chorus:
God and God alone is fit to take the universe's throne
Let everything that lives reserve its truest praise
Let everything that lives reserve its truest praise for God and God alone
Chorus:
God and God alone is fit to take the universe's throne
Let everything that lives reserve its truest praise for God and God alone
Verse 3:
God and God alone will be the joy of our eternal home
He will be our one desire Our hearts will never tire of God and God alone
Chorus:
God and God alone is fit to take the universe's throne
Let everything that lives reserve its truest praise
Let everything that lives reserve its truest praise for God and God alone
Sarah Walton is a stay-at-home mom with
four kids under eight years of age. She writes at Set Apart: Hope on the Road Less
Traveled.
http://unlockingthebible.org/impossible-circumstances-glory/
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