“It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn your statutes.” Psalm 119:71

We may have everything naturally that the carnal heart desires, and only be hardened thereby into worldliness and ungodliness. But to be brought down in body and soul, to be weaned and separated from an ungodly world by affliction sanctified and made spiritually profitable–to be brought to feel our need of Christ, and that without a saving interest in his precious blood our soul must be forever lost–how much better it is really and truly, to be laid on a bed of affliction, with a hope in God’s mercy, than to be left to our own carnality and thoughtlessness.

Affliction of any kind is very hard to bear, and especially so when we begin to murmur and fret under the weight of the cross; but when the Lord afflicts it is in good earnest; he means to make us feel. Strong measures are required to bring us down; and affliction would not be affliction, unless it were full of grief and sorrow. But when affliction makes us seek the Lord with a deep feeling in the soul that none but himself can save or bless, and we are enabled to look up unto him, with sincerity and earnestness, that he would manifest his love and mercy to our heart, he will appear sooner or later.

The Lord, who searches the heart, knows all the real desire of the soul, and can and does listen to a sigh, a desire, a breath of supplication within. He knows our state, both of body and soul, and is not a hard taskmaster to require what we cannot give, or lay upon us more than we can bear. But very often he delays to appear, that he may teach us thereby we have no claim upon him, and that anything granted is of his pure compassion and grace.   (from Daily Portions)

And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings.
Daniel 2:21a

When the terrible acts of September 11, 2001 occurred, the world’s reactions could be summarized under one heading: surprise–or, more accurately, shock. When events happen suddenly we are shocked and surprised. And our reaction illustrates what sets us apart from God: He knows the future and we don’t.

Time is everything to us. We keep small devices attached to our wrists to tell us of every passing minute, and calendars record the passing of weeks, months, and years. But all of our time-keeping and calendar-watching cannot tell us what we would really like to know: the future. No one on earth (besides the perpetrators themselves) saw 9-11 coming, but Someone in heaven did. God even saw it coming before it was planned, because time means nothing to our eternal, all-knowing God. A day to Him is like a thousand years (2 Peter 3:8); He sees everything happening at once.

You may be surprised–even shocked–by something unexpected that happens today. But remember: God saw it coming and sees how it fits in the big picture of your life. You may not have seen it coming, but God did.(From Turning Point)

Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for the future that only he can see.(By Corrie ten Boom)

It is impossible to live a lifetime all at once, or even in a year, but it is delightfully easy to live it a day at a time. Day by day the manna fell; so day by day we may live upon the heavenly bread and live out our lives for God. Let us, breath by breath, moment by moment, step by step, abide in Him. As we take care of the days, He will take care of the years. God has given us two precious promises for the days. As thy days, so shall thy strength be (Deuteronomy 33:25) is His ancient covenant, and the literal translation of our Master’s parting words to His disciples is Lo, I am with you all the days, even unto the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Observe the little water spider. Enclosed in a bubble of air it goes down beneath the surface of the pool and there builds its nest, rears its young and lives its little life in that bright sphere beneath the slimy pool. So let us in this dark world shut ourselves in with Christ in the small circle of each returning day and abide in Him, breathing the air of heaven and living in His love. (By A.B. Simpson)

“–we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope.”—Romans 5:3-4

A man named Parnell Bailey toured an orange grove once where an irrigation pump had broken. The season was dry and some of the trees were dying because they lacked water. The man giving the tour then took Bailey to his own orchard where irrigation was used sparingly.

He said, “These trees could go without rain for another two weeks. When they were young, I frequently kept water from them. This hardship caused them to send their roots deeper into the soil in search of moisture. Now, my trees have the deepest roots in the area. While others are being scorched by the sun, these are finding moisture at greater depths.”

The story above is a good picture of how suffering can produce the “roots” we as believers need to survive and thrive in any season of life.

But to grow these roots, you and I must plant ourselves in God’s Word to find comfort and strength when battling difficulties in life.

Being thrown into the “furnace of affliction” is a test of faith, as it forces us to rely solely on the Lord. Isaiah 48:10 says, “Behold I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.”

Whatever trial you may be facing today-be it illness, loneliness, financial difficulty, or family struggles-remember to stay rooted in the Lord. Then you can say as the psalmist did: “This is my comfort in my affliction; for thy word hath quickened me” (Psalm 119:50).

Ask God to strengthen your faith when you are faced with affliction. Pray that He would comfort you with His Word in times of suffering. (from Senior Living—changed to KJV)

“–whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”–Romans 14:23

Life is not always as cut and dried as we would like it to be. Often times there are gray areas that leave us confused as to what we should do. So, how do we decide? Here is a mother that had it figured out:

A boy was dressing to go out for the evening. He called to his mother who was in the adjoining room. “Mom, is this shirt dirty?” Without so much as looking she replied, “Yes, it’s dirty. Get a clean one.”

When he had dressed he entered his mother’s room and inquired how she knew the shirt was dirty when she had not even looked at it. “If it had been clean,” she replied, “you would have known it and would not have asked me. Remember son, if it’s doubtful, it’s dirty.”

In this little incident there is a sermon. It applies to all of us who flirt with temptation and seek approval of others for the things we desire to do. In many cases in our Christian living, if it looks doubtful, you better leave it alone.