Sometimes the only way out of trouble is through it

No one likes getting in trouble. At the slightest suspicion, most of us cry out, "God save me. Deliver me now!"

We desperately seek a way out and only a way out.

How many times have you begged God to get you out of a tough spot? How many times have you cried because the pain was too deep and the pressure too strong? How many times have you fallen on your knees in desperation to ask Him to take it all away?

But it doesn't.

You close your eyes and open them to see the same challenge staring at you.

At such times, your emotions can make you doubt the goodness of God. Doubt that He cares as He says He does. (1 Peter 5:7) Your body, mind, and soul may be telling you that the best thing to do is simply quit smoking.

But there is something better than giving up and that is to keep going, because sometimes the only way out of your troubles is through it.

Sometimes the only way out is to pass

Usually, when tribulations, troubles, or trials come in their various horrible forms, our first instinct is to look for a way out. There is nothing pleasant about going through trials and tribulations.

Yet these are the very things that allow our faith to grow and strengthen. It is by going through difficulties that we reach a new level in our lives.

If we allow it, trouble can mold us and transform us into something new and form in us a Christlikeness that no carnal consolation can. But none of this can happen if we are spontaneously off the hook.

There are stories in the Bible that show that the Lord allows people to go through difficulties in order to come out of them and the ways that have transformed them.

Those who crossed to get out

After refusing to bow to a statue of the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not bypass the fiery furnace. (Daniel 3:14-22) They were thrown there. It was only when they were in this grave distress that God brought them out. (Daniel 3:14-22)

The same goes for their friend Daniel. He was thrown into the lion's den for remaining faithful to God and refusing to worship other gods. (Daniel 6:10-17) It wasn't until he was in the lions' den that God saved him by shutting the mouths of the lions. (Daniel 6:18-23)

In both of these stories, these men were faithful to God, prayed to God, and believed in the power of God, but they still had to go through great trials and tribulations. But when they finally came out of that tribulation, they were stronger.

Going through difficulties makes you stronger

Although it is not mentioned in the Bible, it is likely that these trials have strengthened men's faith in God. What they went through allowed them to see the faithfulness and power of God manifested. Not only that, it also taught them obedience and faithfulness to God.

It is easy to claim that God is sovereign and to be faithful to Him when it is safe for your life. But when it means you could die, the idea of ​​giving up on God can be tempting. But these men did not give in to this temptation and their relationship with God was strengthened.

Without what they had been through, these men would not have learned obedience, patience, and perseverance. Their pious character would not have been strengthened.

The same goes for all of us.

The difficulties we go through teach us patience, perseverance, and strengthen our Christlike character. They teach us obedience to God just as Jesus' suffering taught him obedience to God.

And that should be our desire.

Live a life of trouble

Too often, we seek comfort for our flesh. God understands desperation for ease and a life without pain and trouble after all, His original plan was to give us that kind of life.

But the life we ​​have now is one in which trouble is promised. (John 16:33) So instead of trying to run away or always looking for a way out, let's learn to ask God for the strength we need to go through< /em> it.