Do you ever feel this way? And then immediately following is the reminder that the Lord never asks more of us than we can bear. My reply is… you’ve got more confidence in me than I do then. (I hope it’s a small chuckle I hear…) But you know what I mean, whatever is happening or whatever you believe is being asked of you – it’s too much!
Fortunately for me, the next thought is the verse in 1 Peter 5:6-7
“ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].”
Humble, like patience, is not my strong suit. Stress can sweep us into being alone in (fill in the blank) and the point is we are never alone because we have God’s Word that He will never leave us. Soooo what’s the problem? Go back to the first 9 words in 1 Peter. Is our pride getting in the way? Maybe it isn’t pride, maybe we’ve fallen for a lie of the devil that tells us we have to do it all by ourselves.
And then comes Philippians 4:6-7 into my thinking and I see that I’m really NOT alone.
“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” [MSG]
Isn’t being with us what the Holy Spirit does? Of course. He’s our Strengthener, Standby, Helper – among other roles. He’s available to help us accomplish the goal, project before us. WE CAN DO IT! Our problem basically always seems to go to – where are our eyes? What is it we are seeing?
“Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, ‘Go jump in the lake’—no shuffling or hemming and hawing—and it’s as good as done. That’s why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you’ll get God’s everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it’s not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive—only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins.” [Mark 11:22-25 MSG]
There’s a great deal Mark says in these 3 verses. It gives direction, telling us what we can do and who we are. Now all we have to do is: humble ourselves, cast the cares, take the help, advice the Holy Spirit provides and stand confidently … knowing that the Lord realllllly never asks us to do something we can’t.
