I Won't Let You Break

PLEASE NOTE:  My email has been down (on and off) for a couple weeks now, and I have not been receiving emails.  I know of at least 2 of my regular readers who have said they sent me emails; however, they never made their way through cyberspace to me.  Since this is currently my only way to get a message out to the World Wide Web, I just wanted you to know that if you've sent me an email in the last 2 weeks and I have not replied then I just flat out never got it.  I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.  It has been seriously inconvenient for me!

And now back to our regularly scheduled program...

Last week was a particularly difficult week for me.  Stress had piled up to an unmanageable level.  No matter what I did, I couldn't shake the gray cloud over my head.

For years, God has spoken to me through songs.  I would be in my car listening to the Christian music station, and I could feel God pressing me and letting me know that the song playing was straight from him to me.

In fact, I could tell you a specific song through which God has spoken to me during every difficult time I've gone through in the last several years.  He has also used songs to speak to me during pivotal (but not necessarily difficult) times and even during daily life.

For the last couple weeks, there's one song that keeps following me everywhere I go.  I knew right from the start that God was using this song to speak to me.  And then he just kept playing it over and over for me.

The chorus says:

I won't give you more, more then you can take
and I might let you bend, but I won't let you break
and no, I'll never ever let you go
Don't you forget what He said

You can listen to the whole song here:

The obvious message is that God won't give me more than I can handle.  Sometimes I don't even want to bend, but I trust that God will use every trial for good because that's one thing that "He said."

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  (Romans 8:28)

The message of "Don't forget what he said" is right in line with what God has already been saying to me:  in the midst of my chaotic life, I'm supposed to cling to the truths and promises in his word.

I have a magnet on the side of my fridge that's been there for a couple of years.  I rarely even notice it.  But I noticed it last week.  Wanna know what it says?

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; 
perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned; 
struck down, but not destroyed. 
(2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

Same message.  God often has to tell me the same thing multiple times in multiple ways before I start to hear him!

This week has been much better for me, despite some new challenges.  I have no idea how next week will go, or even tomorrow for that matter.  Today God reminded me of this verse:  "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34)  Oh, I have such a hard time obeying this verse!

I mostly wanted to share this song, along with a few Bible verses, in case any of you need some encouragement.  God promises not to give you more than you can take.  He sees you bending.  He knows.  And he knows your limits better than you do.  God is for you.  Keep trusting that he has a greater plan than the struggles of today.

And just in case you need it, here's one more song I find encouraging.  My favorite line is, "Before a heartache can ever touch my life, it has to go through your hands."

Jessica