We pray for God to make us stronger, to grow our faith, to deepen our walk with Him. As we say our “Amen” and step out into life, more times than not, we are caught off guard by what is almost inevitably coming next -temptation, trials, suffering, hardship, disappointment, grief.
As much as we love “easy”, God in His infinite wisdom, merciful favor, and unfathomable love, knows the only way we will grow in our faith is to come face to face with that which builds our spiritual strength.
Easy doesn’t require faith. Easy doesn’t build spiritual muscles. Easy doesn’t draw us deeper into relationship with God. It is in the hard times that we learn to depend upon our God and discover He is dependable. It is in the hard times that our faith reaches with everything it has deep into the heart of God and there discovers everything it needs.
It is in the hard times, when we have nothing else, that we come to discover God is more than enough. We pray for God to make us stronger, to grow our faith, to deepen our walk with Him.
When God, in His infinite wisdom, merciful favor, and unfathomable love, answers our prayer, may we not murmur, complain, resent or rebel.
May we instead, embrace His gracious gift and discover what is inevitably coming next – spiritual strength, a deeper faith, a closer walk with our God.~
~Stacy L. Sanchez