He Meets Us There

Hubert Van Zeller has said, “There is nothing that you are up against that God has not given you the grace to surmount.”

It is easy to read these words on a screen, especially when the sunshine of blessings surrounds us. But it is difficult to cling to such a truth when we are struggling. And yet, it is even more vital to remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness in the hard moments. As we do, we see more and more of His grace and presence in those very moments.

What good is there in hard moments? If nothing else, God grants us new mercies each morning:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23).

He does not give us a stipend of mercy that we must stretch out over a year. Instead he gives it each day. And He is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4). The Lord who knows all things also knows exactly the trials we will face each day and lovingly grants what we need, even if it may not always be what we want.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus ~ Philippians 4:19

And here in the midst of trials, we learn the difficult lesson that our own resources are meager and lacking. We cannot be sustained by our own strength alone. And yet, if our hands and hearts are open, we find instead the providence of His grace:

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).

Isaiah says it eloquently:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you. ~ Isaiah 43:2

We are not promised rose gardens on this earth. Nor are we given assurances of ease or reprieve from hardship. In fact, we know we must expect it from that little word, “when.” When we go through flooding waters, when our life seems to be burning, when our heart is breaking, the Lord reassures us He is there, too. It is in the midst of these hardships that He meets us. In the midst of chaos, tears, and heartache, He gives us the gift of Himself.

He meets us there, each step, never leaving, all the way home.

And he is enough.

Photo by Angus Gray on Unsplash