I CAN’T COPE ANY LONGER!
I remember one time when our children were little, and I had so many other things pressing upon me. I felt I could not cope any longer. Have you ever felt like that? I woke in the morning to read my Bible and pray, which is the habit of my life, and poured out my inadequacies to the Lord. As I read, I was amazed! the words were exactly how I felt.
My reading was in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and I could not believe it when I got to verse eight: “For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life.” That was me! I was pressed out of measure. It was more than my strength could take, although I hadn’t got to despairing of life! May be you have felt like this sometimes too.
What did Paul do when he was in this situation? I kept reading: “But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead. Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us.”
At that moment, God gave me a revelation. I saw the light. I realized that I was trusting in myself and my own resources! Of course, my resources were not enough to carry me through. When I trust in myself there is nothing to learn on. I repented: “I am sorry, Lord,” I cried, “I repent of trusting in my own strength. I forgot that You are my Deliverer. I confess out loud that You are my Refuge. You are my Rock on which I can lean. You are my Strength. You are my Song. You are my Hope! I hand everything over to you. It is yours. I trust you, dear Father.”
As I did this, great peace swept over my soul. Although this was years ago, I can still remember, later in the day, trying to think of all the problems that were weighing me down. Can you believe it? I could not even think of one of them! It was all in my mind!
It’s amazing the difference that comes to us when we put our trust in the Lord instead of ourselves. So many of our worries, depressions, fears, and frustrations are simply because we try to manage in our own strength and with our own resources. All the while God waits for us to put our trust in Him.
Do not try to carry all the burdens of the day yourself. Roll your burdens upon the Lord. He has promised to sustain you and His promises never fail.
Be lifted up today,
Nancy Campbell
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