Chapter 106—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;
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