For Times of Trial

[Daily Devotional]

For Times of Trial 

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall
receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love
him. James 1: 12. 

The powers of darkness gather about the soul and shut Jesus from our sight,
and at times we can only wait in sorrow and amazement until the cloud passes
over. These seasons are sometimes terrible. Hope seems to fail, and despair
seizes upon us. In these dreadful hours we must learn to trust, to depend
solely upon the merits of the atonement, and in all our helpless
unworthiness cast ourselves upon the merits of the crucified and risen
Saviour. We shall never perish while we do this-- never! When light shines
on our pathway, it is no great thing to be strong in the strength of grace.
But to wait patiently in hope when clouds envelop us and all is dark,
requires faith and submission which causes our will to be swallowed up in
the will of God. We are too quickly discouraged, and earnestly cry for the
trial to be removed from us, when we should plead for patience to endure and
grace to overcome. 

Those who turn to God with heart and soul and mind will find in Him peaceful
security. . . . He knows just what we need, just what we can bear, and He
will give us grace to endure every trial and test that He brings upon us. My
constant prayer is for greater nearness to God. 

God in His great love is seeking to develop in us the precious graces of His
Spirit. He permits us to encounter obstacles, persecution, and hardships,
not as a curse, but as the greatest blessing of our lives. Every temptation
resisted, every trial bravely borne, gives us a new experience and advances
us in the work of character building. The soul that through divine power
resists temptation reveals to the world and to the heavenly universe the
efficiency of the grace of Christ. 

Those who surrender their lives to His guidance and to His service will
never be placed in a position for which He has not made provision. Whatever
our situation, if we are doers of His word, we have a Guide to direct our
way; whatever our perplexity, we have a sure Counselor; whatever our sorrow,
bereavement, or loneliness, we have a sympathizing Friend. 

>From God's Amazing Grace - Page 113