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- Apr 25, 2006
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What can you learn from this crisis?
'DO NOT THINK IT STRANGE CONCERNING THE FIERY TRIAL WHICH IS TO TRY YOU.' 1 PETER 4:12
Trouble never surprises God! Everyone He uses will tell you life is pretty much one challenge after another. Listen to how Paul describes the Christian life: 'In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights and gone without food.
We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God's power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defence. We serve God whether people honour us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are ignored, even though we are well known.
We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything' (2 Corinthians 6:4-10 NLT).
God never promised you that life would be a rose garden but did promise never to leave you, to take you through your storm and use all things for good in the end. When your faith is being tested it actually attracts God's power and brings His grace to your situation! Even Jesus learned through the things He suffered (Hebrews 5:8). So cheer up, you're not losing; you're learning!
written by Bob Gass
'DO NOT THINK IT STRANGE CONCERNING THE FIERY TRIAL WHICH IS TO TRY YOU.' 1 PETER 4:12
Trouble never surprises God! Everyone He uses will tell you life is pretty much one challenge after another. Listen to how Paul describes the Christian life: 'In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights and gone without food.
We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God's power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defence. We serve God whether people honour us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are ignored, even though we are well known.
We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything' (2 Corinthians 6:4-10 NLT).
God never promised you that life would be a rose garden but did promise never to leave you, to take you through your storm and use all things for good in the end. When your faith is being tested it actually attracts God's power and brings His grace to your situation! Even Jesus learned through the things He suffered (Hebrews 5:8). So cheer up, you're not losing; you're learning!
written by Bob Gass
