Judges 3:12
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord.
I won't hold you long, but can we talk about Judges 3 briefly? We know God is able to strengthen us. King David verified in Psalms 23:5, that God can prepare a table in the presence of our enemies. But did it occur to you that God can also strengthened your enemies? Umm, of course He can... I just never thought of it until I came across this verse.
So, why did God strengthened King Eglon, the enemy of the children of Israel? He strengthened their enemy because the children of Israel turned their backs on God and worshipped Baalim. Thus, God caused the children of Israel to live under the thumb of King Eglon for 8 years. While in their 8 years of warranted suffering, they called and prayed to God for deliverance.
Sarcastic Side Note: Why didn't they just pray to Baalim? I mean, surely he could help, right?
Anyway, let's forge on. So, the Lord, who is full of mercy, forgave the children of Israel for worshipping Baalim instead of Him. Thus, He delivered them out of the hands of King Eglon. Once they regained their liberty, the children of Israel received rest for 80 years.
Now, if my math is correct, 8x10=80. So, although the children of Israel had to endure 8 years of distress, God exchanged their distress for rest and multiplied their rest 10 times over. Did they deserve 10 times the favor? Absolutely not. But because they acknowledged God and called unto Him, He blessed them 10-fold. The children of Israel had 8 years down, but 80 years up. Yet, it should be noted that they wouldn't have had to endure 8 years down if they hadn't turned from God in the first place.
I said I wasn't going to hold you long, and I aim to be a woman of my word. So, I will leave you with this. If you have turned your back on God, there's still time to turn back around. Go to God with a repenting heart. Pray to Him, and He will hear you. He loves you enough to forgive you of your sins and restore you 10 times over. God is a master mathematician, and can turn 8 to 80 in no time. Remember, 8 years down, but 80 years up.