Strength and Support

In this week's Come, Follow Me lesson, we read about the people of King Limhi and the people of Alma, who, being oppressed by the Lamanites, asked God to deliver them. God didn't deliver them right away, but He did ease their burdens and strengthen their backs, so that, even though they were still in bondage, they could endure their trials reasonably well.

Elder John A. McCune of the 70 spoke on a similar topic in his April 2020 General Conference talk, Come Unto Christ - Living as Latter-Day Saints:

As followers of Christ, we are not spared challenges and trials in our lives. We are often required to do difficult things that, if attempted alone, would be overwhelming and maybe impossible. As we accept the Savior’s invitation to “come unto me,” He will provide the support, comfort, and peace that are necessary, just as He did for Nephi and Joseph [and others]. Even in our deepest trials, we can feel the warm embrace of His love as we trust Him and accept His will.

God will not always deliver us from our afflictions, at least not right away. Often, He asks us to endure for a while first. Now, how long "a while" is can vary widely, from days to decades. Yet, even while we suffer under our afflictions, God often offers us some strength and support. It may not be enough to help us overcome our afflictions, but it should be enough to help us endure them.

God doesn't always offer us immediate deliverance. Sometimes, there are circumstances that need to be lined up and/or lessons that need to be learned first. Whatever His reasons, He doesn't always give us the deliverance we ask for, but in those times, we can take some comfort in the fact that, while we wait and work for deliverance, God usually offers us some strength and support in the meantime.