No one enjoys going through difficulties…tough times…trials.  They so often include pain and suffering…even grief.  But, we, who know Jesus, can have a different perspective on enduring trials because we know that God is in the midst.  God is there, orchestrating and using those difficult circumstances to produce, in us, the strength to live the life that He has called us to.  We may not enjoy it, but, if we willingly consent to His work, we can have joy in it, knowing that He is there, producing something of great eternal value.

James 1:2-4, 12

2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing…12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NLT)

17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

“Pain and trials are almost constant companions, but never enemies. They drive me into [God’s] sovereign arms. There He takes my disappointments and works everything together for good.” ~ Kay Arthur

The Lord bless you and keep you…

Pastor Dave