Dear Friends,
It is true that problems are never as bad as they might seem, for often
they can become opportunities in disguise. When we persevere through a problem,
it makes us stronger, wiser, and better able to deal with future problems.
When a problem brings us to our knees, it forces us to look up,
where we then can discover the power of God to help us face and persevere
through the problem. That's the value of a problem; It has the ability to move
us forward in our faith. Problems then become “opportunities for God to
demonstrate his faithfulness and power to act on our behalf” (Dr. Robert
Jeffress, 2016 taken from the Internet).
The late Dr. Norman Vincent Peale puts problems in perspective
when he reminds us that even when facing overwhelming problems, we still have
much for which to be thankful. He tells the story of a young man who came to
him and told him of his many problems. “You have to help me,” he said, “for I
can’t handle all my problems. They're just too much for me.”
Dr. Peale said, “If you'll let go of my lapel, I will show you a
place where there are people with no problems. The man said, “If you could do
that, I would give anything to go there.” Dr. Peale said, “You may not want to
go there once you have seen the place, and it's only a couple of blocks away.
They then walked up to the Forest Lawn Cemetery, and Dr. Peale said, “Look,
there are 150,000 people in there. I happen to know that none of them has a
problem.”
I love what one old saint said, “Christians are like teabags. They
are not much good until they've been in the hot water.” I will never forget
that statement for how true it is.
It is often the times of adversity that reveal our true
nature.
Whether adversity becomes a steppingstone, or a stumbling block is
up to each of us to determine.
May God richly bless you this day and remember what our brother
James has encouraged us to do when we face our problems. He says we are to
“count it all JOY when you face difficult situations.
Let me share the complete Living Bible Translation from our
brother James. “Dear brothers, is your life full of difficulties and
temptations? Then be happy; For when the way is rough, your patience has a
chance to grow. So let it grow, and don't try to squirm out of your problems.
For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for
anything, strong in character, full and complete. James 1: 2-4
May the Lord help each of us to live the truth of this verse.
Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom
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