The boundary of the ocean drew closer and closer, but baby seagull instinctively knows it: It can only go so far.

There is hardly a place on Earth where I feel God’s presence more than at the beach. It may be because I grew up at a beach town in southern Brazil, where surfing, building sandcastles, and walking along the shoreline were part of my weekly, sometimes daily routine. Or maybe it is because the beach is one of the very few places where I can truly unwind. Regardless, the moment I see the ocean and smell its unique scent, my muscles start relaxing, and all noises die down. There, where the line on the horizon marks the limit between heaven and earth, I feel the presence of God like nowhere else.

My husband and I were strolling down the beach during our family vacation earlier this week, enjoying a long conversation during our morning walk. We talked about plans for our future and marveled together as we recalled God’s faithfulness to us in the 20 years we’ve been married. We talked about the many trials we’ve faced and how hard it can be to see God’s hand amid life’s storms.

“He gave the sea its boundaries so the waters would not overstep his command (…)”

As we watched the waves crashing by our feet, Solomon’s words in the eighth chapter of the book of Proverbs came to mind. In this beautiful text of Scriptures, the wise king is inspired by God to bring wisdom to life. In beautiful, poetic verses, the chapter gives us a glimpse of the depth of God’s knowledge and wisdom when making the heavens and the earth … and while directing our lives.

I’ve heard it said that “God will not give you more than you can handle.” This sentence is repeated by well-meaning people, in an attempt to ease the distress felt by those going through life’s trials. As much as I appreciate the sentiment, I could not disagree more with the principle. This “motto” is actually a distorted interpretation of the apostle Paul’s words in his first letter to the Corinthian church:

“No temptation has overtaken you, except what is common to mankind. 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 endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

The word temptation in the context refers not only to tempting thoughts or actions but also to tests and trials we face. Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthian believers was not to let them know that God would stop pain before their breaking point, but rather, that He is faithful to give us the strength and grace to face the hard trials in life, if only we lean on Him instead of our own strength and understanding.

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, Paul was not telling believers that God would stop pain before their breaking point, but rather, that He is faithful to give us the strength and grace to face the hard trials in life.
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Indeed, this principle has been tested and proven in my life, as many trials I’ve faced had the potential to drive me to a breaking point; since no resources, wisdom, nor help could be found in the circumstances.

There was that time when, with a 3-month-old baby, my husband lost his job, and we depleted our savings account to be able to keep our household functioning. We were driven to the point of utter dependence on God for provision, as doors kept closing for many months. It was during those stressful, however priceless months, that we saw God’s hand of provision in ways that can only be explained as supernatural.

Or like the time when health issues piled up, weakening my flesh and spirit, tempting me to give up on the ministry God has called me to do. And yet, His love, mercy and grace gave me the strength to take one more step forward.

Indeed, as real as the fact that hard circumstances often drive us to the end of ourselves, is the truth that God meets us there to teach, mold, and strengthen us. There’s a purpose for each trial.

As real as the fact that hard circumstances often drive us to the end of ourselves, is the truth that God meets us there to teach, mold, and strengthen us. There's a purpose for each trial.
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May we never forget that the mighty waves of troubling circumstances that sometimes break over our lives are controlled by the same One who put a boundary on the ocean. They will only go as far as His purpose for our lives will allow. Not one inch farther. Nor one minute longer.

This article was originally published in Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday, September 28, 2019.

My Redeemer lives with Nicole C. Mullen:

The post God Sets the Boundaries for Each Trial {The Atlanta Journal Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

The boundaries of the ocean.

I closed my eyes, saying a prayer of thanksgiving, as I remembered a verse in the book of Proverbs that talks about the relation between God’s handiwork and wisdom: “The Lord possessed me (wisdom) at the beginning of his way, before his works of old … when he set for the sea its boundary so that the water would not transgress his command.”

I meditated on that truth for a while, as I thought about a trial that my family is currently facing. I was reminded of the countless times that those words of old proved to be true in my life, while experiencing God’s protection over and over again. Over my health. Over my finances. And my family.

When I went to church this past Sunday, my mind once again went back to the waves on the Saint Augustine beach touching my feet. I stood in the central rotunda with a good friend who is also a cancer survivor. She reached out and touched my hand while asking about my next scan. She knows that I have been in a time of waiting for answers for the past five months, and has been faithfully praying for me during this time.

As she started to share her update, my heart sank to find out that her scans revealed new growth in her body. As my eyes filled with water, her hand squeezed mine a bit tighter, and a broad smile filled her face as she said: “I am at peace. And I know you know that peace.”

The peace that surpasses all understanding. Yep. I know it. The peace that no money and no good health report can provide. It’s the peace attained when one sees God’s hand at work in the direst circumstances, and feels his presence in the fiercest battles.

It’s not anything a person can understand, unless they have experienced it. It is the product of a life that has experienced time and again that God sets boundaries for every trial, and that his sovereign love sustains us through it all.

“Against facts there are no arguments,” the old maxim says. I believe that is why so many people are undeniably passionate about their faith. To some of us, God has been so intrinsically involved in our daily lives, so real, his word so true and without contradiction in its core principles, that we can simply stand on what it says and believe it for the next trial. And the next. And yet, once more.

How can we face trials such as cancer, unemployment and the death of a loved one, and still have unshakable peace within our hearts? It’s crazy, I know. That’s why many people believe we are out of touch with reality.

But that is simply not true.

It’s not that we don’t know the severity of our problems; neither do we choose to hide our heads in the sand at the sight of trouble. It’s just that, when we choose to walk closely with God, we soon realize that we have enough factual proof in our past to trust him for our future. And against those facts, there are no arguments.

We simply … believe.

Patricia Holbrook is a Christian author, blogger and national speaker. Her Book Twelve Inches is on sale at Barnes & Nobles, Amazon and retailers worldwide. Visit her website www.soaringwithHim.com. Email pholbrook@soaringwithHim.com

The post God’s Boundaries for Our Trials {Atlanta Journal Constitution Column} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.