Between a Rock and a Hard Place

The other day I was watching a program in which the host was interviewing Dr. Tony Evans. Dr. Evans is a speaker, author, and writer. He is also the senior pastor of the 8,000 member Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship located in Dallas, Texas. On this program, Dr. Evans was discussing his most recent book entitled "Between a Rock and a Hard Place." I realized just the title alone described how I have been feeling these days. To have stayed in my former church was the rock but to be without a church fellowship is the hard place. In an article on line  about his new book, Dr. Evans states that he believes God puts trials in our lives in order to reveal where we are along our spiritual journey. He does this for the purpose of "correcting whatever happens to be wrong, revealing whatever needs to be revealed, and strengthening whatever seems to be weak so that we might move on to whatever He (God) parenthesis mine has in store for us." Dr. Evans goes on to describe that being stuck between a rock and a hard place often feels like being trapped, stuck, and tired of where we are.  We either don't know what to do or how to legitimately do what we feel we need to do. I say AMEN to that!  He compares the situation to Israel's dilemma when they faced Pharaoh on one side and the Red Sea on the other and certain death was upon them.  Dr. Evans describes such a dilemma as a lose-lose deal (the proverbial rock and hard place ) italics mine. He says, "If it were a clear win-lose deal, then you would know how to choose and where to turn." He then asks the questions, "But what do you do when there are no clear choices? What option do you choose when both options are bad? Have you ever been in a situation where all of the ways that you turn to are problems, and you are just trying to find the least possible problem to choose as a solution?" That's where I was a few months ago. The choices were to stay in a rather difficult and depressing situation or leave the situation and step into the "great unknown." Dr. Evans admits he has been in this situation many times and he has learned that God has a purpose for these times in our lives. God is not being mean when He decrees that we go through these trials.  In the on line article Dr. Evans concludes, "When God wants to reveal the real condition of your heart to empower you toward His plan for your future, He puts you in one of these kinds of trials." On the T.V. program in which Dr. Evans was being interviewed, he told the host that the great thing about being between a rock and a hard place is that it typically indicates that God is going to do something big that will "blow your mind!" and he cited several Biblical examples throughout Scripture. I agree. Do you think Israel's mind was blown when God parted the Red Sea? How do you think Mary felt when the angel told her she would give birth to the Messiah? How about the rock and the hard place that Joseph found himself in when he discovered that Mary was pregnant and knew what the law said he should do but he couldn't bring himself to do it. No, being stuck between a rock and a hard place is not fun but I am waiting to see how God is going to "blow my mind!" His word to me this day is from 1Thessalonians 5:24 "The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it."
Be Blessed,
Pastor Sheree