I sat with my journal open, staring at the words I had just written. Discouragement settled over me like an unshakable fog. This trial, one I thought had long passed, had resurfaced, and I found myself questioning everything.
Had I misheard God? Had I not learned the lesson he intended? Why was I here again?
As I wrestled with these thoughts, a memory surfaced. I was standing on the beach in Saint Augustine, Florida, the waves rolling in, their rhythm steady and unchanging. The salty breeze carried a familiar peace, a quiet reminder of something greater than myself. I had been there, staring at the vast ocean, when a Bible verse found in the book of Proverbs settled in my heart:
“The Lord possessed me (wisdom) at the beginning of his way, before his works of old … when he set for the sea its boundary so that the water would not transgress his command.”
As I closed my eyes, remembering that moment years ago at the beach, I made a deliberate choice to remember this tested and proven truth: God sets limits on the trials we endure. Just as he commands the waves where to stop, he places boundaries on our suffering.
That day in Saint Augustine, I had captured the moment in a photograph — my feet on the sand, the first wave touching my toes. I had watched as each new wave obeyed the invisible boundary, unable to go farther than God allowed. The beauty of that reality struck me then — and now, as I sat wrestling with my present hardship, I needed to remember it again.
I have repeatedly proven this truth — through seasons of uncertainty, financial strain and health battles. Every difficulty had its appointed end, held within the hands of a sovereign God. He has always been faithful, always provided, always sustained me.
Recently I sat across from a friend who was walking through an unrelenting storm. The weight she carried was visible, her eyes reflecting the exhaustion of a battle that seemed to have no end. As I listened to her pour out her heart, my own ached in response. I wished I could offer an immediate solution, an easy fix to erase her suffering.
But instead I shared the truth I have learned and the peace I have found through life’s storms.
“I know you feel like this will never end,” I told them. “But God’s hand is on this situation. He has set a boundary even here.”
Tears welled up in their eyes, mirroring my own. The hardship remained, but so did the promise. There is a limit to every storm and a peace that carries us through, even when we can’t see the shoreline yet.
The world often sees this kind of trust as foolishness. How can we believe in peace when circumstances are unchanged? How can we hold onto hope when suffering continues? But faith isn’t about ignoring reality — it’s about seeing beyond it. It’s about remembering the waves, the boundaries, the unseen hand that holds everything together.
Trials will come. Some will last longer than we’d like, stretching our faith to its limits. But even then they are not limitless. There is an appointed time for everything, and no hardship escapes the watchful eyes of our Father. His love sustains us. His promises remain.
No, we don’t give up. When recurring or seemingly unending trials come, we remember the waves and keep believing.
Patricia Holbrook is a columnist, author, podcaster and international speaker. Visit her new website: www.PatriciaHolbrook.com. For speaking engagements and comments, email patricia@PatriciaHolbrook.com.
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