In the Old Testament, when God was preparing to lead His children out of Egypt, instead of circumstances getting easier, they became harder. The main reason for this was that God hardened Pharaoh's heart (Exodus 10:1).

When God finally delivered Israel, He performed mighty miracles despite overwhelming odds. He delivered His children from the bondage of Egypt and preserved and protected them through the torturous years they spent in the wilderness:

And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders: And He bath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey. (Deuteronomy 26:8-9)

God could have chosen some other way to get Israel out of Egypt. He could have immediately and instantaneously transported three million people of Israel to the Promised Land, but He chose to deliver them instead in a series of miracles such as have never been duplicated.

It often has been said that “it is darkest just before the dawn.” Often when circumstances seem to be most difficult, the way is being paved for God to do such a great work of deliverance in our lives that we will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that it was His great arm that saved us.

One purpose of circumstances, then, is that God might prove His power and glory to a world that needs to see His majesty. Another is that He might prove Himself to us in such a way that we might learn to trust Him with utter confidence despite the gravity of the circumstances around us.

God will meet the circumstances of today and tomorrow. We know this, because He already has proved Himself in the circumstances of yesterday. As a verse of the well-known hymn Amazing Grace says:

“Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come.

‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far; And grace will lead me home.”

God is sufficient for your circumstances. He wants to use them to demonstrate His power and glory. He wants to prove Himself so you can learn to trust Him with utter confidence.

Today, don't look to your circumstances. Look to the bigness of your God.

I will not look to the bigness of my circumstances. I will look to the bigness of my God.