When You’re Overwhelmed, Stand Strong
By Rick Warren

“Put your trust in the LORD your God, and you will stand your ground. Believe what his prophets tell you, and you will succeed.” 2 Chronicles 20:20 (GNT)

When you focus on your problems instead of trusting God, you’re going to end up exhausted and defeated—because God didn’t design you to fight your battles alone. You don’t have the power you need to face every problem in your own strength. You need God’s power.

You can’t focus on your problems and focus on God at the same time. You’ve got to shift your focus to who God is and what he’s promised to do for you.

Life is full of experiences that test you, drain you, and wipe you out. But it’s often when you are worn out that you are finally ready to say to God, “I’m sorry. I can’t handle this situation, and I’ve tried everything. I need to give it to you because it’s bigger than me.”

When you do that, you’re standing strong—with an attitude of quiet confidence in the character of God. You’re trusting in what he says to you through his Word and the Holy Spirit. 

When life’s burdens are overwhelming, you may be tempted to cave in under the pressure. But God doesn’t want you to back down from difficult situations. He doesn’t want you to sacrifice your integrity. God wants you to trust him through the challenges and learn from them. 

If you run, you’ll miss out on learning from God. And chances are, you’ll need to repeat that lesson. Instead, stand strong as you rely on God.

God is committed to your success. But you need to focus on him and trust him and his Word if you want to stand your ground.

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all” (Proverbs 3:5-7 MSG).

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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

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