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(Charles Naylor, "When Adversity Comes" 1944)
" Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou
knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter." John 13:7
A few years ago a young preacher came to me and told me his
troubles. He was passing through a time of darkness that he could not
understand. Several months ago he called upon me again, and in the course of
our conversation he referred to the time of trouble through which he had
passed. He said, "Those things that I could not understand at that time,
have taught me lessons which have prepared me to help many souls as I never
could have, had I not had those severe trials."
Yes, things look different now. He can now see God's hand in
it. He can see that those difficult things were a blessing to his own soul and
to the souls of others. He can see that he had been in God's school of
adversity and knew it not. He thought these things were destructive to him, but
when he looked back upon them with clear vision and a knowledge of God's
purpose--he saw real blessing in them. He saw them as manifestations of the
wisdom and kindness of God, and he thanked God for those things which had been
bitter and hard to bear.
Are you passing through difficult things which you cannot
now understand?
Does it look as if these things are ruining you?
Just trust God and be patient. Out of your night of
bitterness, out of your darkness and woe--will come strength of character, a blessed
realization of God's faithfulness, and a knowledge of Him and yourself which
can come to you in no other way. You will look back in time to come, and thank
God for His wise care and tender love for you which brought you to these
things, and realize that it was His hand leading you to better and richer
things beyond.
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