For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. — Philippians 2:27
I’ll never forget a few years ago, I went through a pretty challenging period in life. It seemed that each week, something new took place that made my life more challenging. We had recently adopted our son, and he was going through multiple surgeries. We were trying to balance things to get him the care he needed.
On top of that, there were several difficulties with my job. I struggled to get feedback on how things were going, and it seemed every day that leaders were frustrated with me. I was giving all that I could, but it seemed like that wasn’t enough. Then, I was in a pretty significant car accident.
These were just a few of the things that were happening, and I was struggling to make sense of it all. I felt that every time I got something figured out, another wave of heartache, challenge, or disappointment hit. It was as though I could not get out of this challenging period.
I was reminded of the words of Paul here, where he writes, “sorrow upon sorrow.” Have you ever been there? Maybe you are there now, where it seems that wave after wave of circumstances and situations are hitting you. It’s as though you get your head above the water, and something else pushes you down.
I’m glad that’s not the end of the story. Before Paul ever mentioned the sorrow, he recognized God’s mercy. Long before I found myself in those situations, God had a plan, and He provided mercy for me to face that period of my life. Never once has God been caught off guard and without enough mercy to handle the things of life!
You may feel you cannot get above the troubles. It may seem as though there is sorrow on sorrow. But long before the trouble ever arrived in your life, God sent mercy! No matter what you are facing, God has provided mercy to make it through.
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