Held in the Middle of It

I used to quietly believe that if I were doing life "right" with God, things would ease up a bit.

But that's not what scripture says.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous.

That word "many" is very correct. Because it means following God doesn't cancel out hard seasons. It doesn't exempt you from pain or confusion.

And sometimes that can make you wonder... If God loves me, why does this still hurt like this?

But the verse doesn't stop there.

The Lord delivers him out of them all. Not some. Not a few but all.

So affliction isn't proof that God has stepped back.

If anything, it's often the place where you start to see just how much He's been holding you.

And then this truth settles in quietly:

Through the Lord's mercies, we are not consumed.

Because if we're being honest, there are things that should have broken you.

Seasons that felt too heavy. Moments you didn't think you'd come through.

But somehow... You did because His mercy didn't let you fall apart completely.

God's love doesn't always take the affliction away immediately however it sustains.

It keeps you from being consumed by what you're carrying. It makes you seem like you went through the fire but you came out not smelling like smoke.