When you face the perils of weariness, carelessness, and confusion, don't pray for an easier life. Pray instead to be a stronger man or woman of God.
Luis Palua
Ministry Site
In trouble we are prone to forget all that we have heard and read that makes for our comfort. Now what is the reason that a man comes to think of that which otherwise he should never have called to mind? The Holy Spirit brings it to his remembrance; He is a Comforter, bringing to mind useful things at such times when we have most need of them.
Richard Sibbes
Brief Biography and Article A Short Biography
The valley of the shadow of death holds no darkness for the child of God. There must be light, else there could be no shadow. Jesus is the light. He has overcome death.
Dwight L Moody
Brief Biography
I called to mind something I read recently in a book likening the art of pottery to God (the Potter) and us (the clay). It said when the Potter puts the vessels in the furnace for firing, he frequently puts a vessel that has already been fired between the source of heat and the vessel so that the vessel is not hurt by the intensity of the heat. Being in the furnace right now, myself, I have seen that God has placed several dear friends by my side who have already been "fired" and who are deflecting the intensity of the situation – the dearest of those friends, of course, being Jesus!
Maureen Durner
God has brought us into this time; He, and not ourselves or some dark demon. If we are not fit to cope with that which He has prepared for us, we would have been utterly unfit for any condition that we imagine for ourselves. We are to live and wrestle in this time, and in no other. Let us humbly, tremblingly, manfully look at it, and we shall not wish that the sun could go back its ten degrees, or that we could go back with it. If easy times are departed, it is that the difficult times may make us more in earnest; that they may teach us not to depend on ourselves. If easy belief is impossible, it is that we may learn what belief is, and in whom it is to be placed.
Frederick Denison Maurice
Biography
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One Thing: How to Keep Your Faith in a World of Chaos |
Where do you run for help? When you are in trouble, what is your first instinct? Do you run to others or to God? Is it usually the counsel of another rather than the counsel found in waiting upon God in prayer? Why is this the way it is? Why do we run to man before we run to God?
Kay Arthur
Precept Ministries International
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Thinking Right When Things Go Wrong: Biblical Wisdom for Surviving Tough Times By John C. Hutchison Somewhere ahead, just around the corner - or perhaps staring you in the eye - life will present you with a trial or suffering that will threaten to derail your reliance on God and upset your mental equilibrium. Whether you are in the midst of a trial that threatens to overwhelm you, or your just want to be prepared for what might be, here is the encouragement you need to keep your mind focused and your heart centered. With the heart of a pastor and the mind of a Bible teacher, John Hutchinson provides a guide that helps Christians understand biblical passages about trials and suffering. Explaining how these truths relate to our own lives, Hutchinson also gives us the means to develop a thinking process that can prepare us for difficult times and minimize the shock and paralysis of soul-crushing events.
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God is doing a greater work in us, and that can only come as we learn to trust him no matter how dark the days and sleepless the nights. And it is only as we have been through the darkness with him that what we know with our heads slides down into our hearts, and our hearts no longer demand answers. The Why? becomes unimportant when we believe that God can and will redeem the pain for our good and his glory.... When I put the sovereignty of God beside his unfailing love, my heart can rest.
Verdell Davis
Brief Biography
Christians are like the several flowers in a garden that have each of them the dew of heaven, which, being shaken with the wind, they let fall at each other's roots, whereby they are jointly nourished, and become nourishers of each other.
John Bunyan
Online Library
I believe that God both wills and is able to bring good out of everything, even the worst. For this He needs people who are prepared to allow everything to be served for the best. I believe that in every crisis God wants to provide us with as much power of resistance as we need. But God never gives it in advance so that we will entrust ourselves. I believe that even our mistakes and wrongdoing are not fruitless and that it is no more difficult for God to cope with them than with our presumed good deeds. I believe that God is no "timeless fate" but, rather, that he waits upon and responds to our sincere prayer and responsible deeds.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Bonhoeffer Home Page
More Dietrich Bonhoeffer Materials
He said not, "Thou shalt not be troubled, thou shalt not be travailed, thou shalt not be diseased;" but He said, "Thou shalt not be overcome."
Juliana of Norwich
Biography
Too many Christians become bitter and angry in the conflict. If we descend into hatefulness, we have already lost the battle ... We must cooperate with God in turning what was meant for evil into a greater good within us. This is why we bless those who would curse us: It is not only for their sakes but to preserve our own soul from its natural response toward hatred.
Francis Frangipane
Ministries of Francis Frangipane
We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking only to learn that it is God shaking them.
Charles West
If you want a wonderful experience, take your New Testament and use a concordance to look up the two little words, but God. See how many times human resources have been brought to an utter end; despair has gripped the heart and pessimism and gloom has settled upon a people; and there is nothing that can be done. Then see how the Spirit of God writes in luminous letters, but God, and the whole situation changes into victory.
Ray C. Stedman
Homepage
Look at the candle. What is it used for? It is not for giving light? If it is to give light, it must burn and make itself less and less. But if the candle were to protest and say, "I will not burn an become less and less; I cannot suffer hurt, neither can my form be changed," then what would be its value? In the same way, those who determine not to put self to death will never see the will of God fulfilled in their lives. Those who ought to become the light of the world must necessarily burn and become less and less. By dening self, we are able to win others.
Sadhu Sundar Singh
A Short Biography
God has given a Christian such power that he can turn afflictions into mercies, can turn darkness into light. If a man had the power that Christ had, when the water pots were filled, he could by a word turn the water into wine. If you who have nothing but water to drink had the power to turn it into wine, then you might be contented; certainly a Christian has received this power from God, to work thus miraculously. It is the nature of grace to turn water into wine, that is, to turn the water of your affliction, into the wine of heavenly consolation.
Jeremiah Burroughs
Online Book
Give me a stout heart to bear my own burdens. Give me a willing heart to bear the burdens of others. Give me a believing heart to cast all burdens upon Thee, O Lord.
John Baillie
Biography
How often we look upon God as our last and feeblest resource! We go to Him because we have nowhere else to go. And then we learn that the storms of life have driven us, not upon the rocks, but into the desired haven.
George Macdonald
The Golden Key Website I believe in getting into hot water; it keeps you clean.
Gilbert Keith G. K. Chesterton
American Chesterton Society
Difficulties and obstacles are God's challenges to faith. When hindrances confront us in the path of duty, we are to recognize them as vessels for faith to fill with the fullness and all-sufficiency of Jesus.
A. B. Simpson
Biography/Bibliography
We want to avoid suffering, death, sin, ashes. But we live in a world crushed and broken and torn, a world God Himself visited to redeem. We receive his poured-out life, and being allowed the high privilege of suffering with Him, may then pour ourselves out for others.
Elisabeth Elliot
Gateway to Joy
September 9, 2007
The conflict will always beyond your strength. The enemy always pushes us beyond our personal, inbred, preset limits concerning how far we will go for God: "Here's how far I'm going to love; this is how many times I'll turn the other cheek." The test kills the limits of our humanity, until we are like Christ in everything. We are left with a choice: Become Christlike or gradually shrivel into superficial hypocrites: angry people who have stopped walking with God, who blame others for our bitterness.
Francis Frangipane
Ministries of Francis Frangipane
In the greatest difficulties, in the heaviest trials, in the deepest poverty and necessities, He has never failed me; but because I was enabled by His grace to trust Him He has always appeared for my help. I delight in speaking well of His name.
George Muller
George Muller Foundation
When life knocks you to your knees, and it will, why, get up! If it knocks you to your knees again, as it will, well, isn't that the best position from which to pray?
Anonymous
I remember once hearing Whipple, of Minnesota, so well known as "The Apostle of the Indians," utter these beautiful words: "For thirty years I have tried to see the face of Christ in those with whom I differed." When this spirit actuates us we shall be preserved at once from a narrow bigotry and an easy-going tolerance, from passionate vindictiveness and everything that would mar or injure our testimony for Him who came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them.
William Henry Griffith Thomas
Brief Biography
Do not desire crosses, unless you have borne well those laid on you; it is an abuse to long after martyrdom while unable to bear an insult patiently.
Francis de Sales
Biography And Works
It is a fact of Christian experience that life is a series of troughs and peaks. In his efforts to get permanent possession of a soul, God relies on the troughs more than the peaks. And some of his special favourites have gone through longer and deeper troughs than anyone else.
Peter Marshall
Spiritual Portrait
God trains His soldiers, not in tents of ease and luxury, but by turning them out and using them to forced marches and hard service. He makes them ford through streams, and swim through rivers and climb mountains, and walk many a weary mile with heavy knapsacks on their backs. Well, Christian, may not this account for the troubles through which you are passing? Is not this the reason why He is contending with you?
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
The Spurgeon Archive
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The God I Love: A Lifetime of Walking with Jesus, Hardcover By Joni Eareckson Tada Since her paralyzing accident more than 30 years ago, Joni has spoken around the world about her walk of faith. Her long-awaited memoir paints a picture of an "ordinary girl blessed by an extraordinary God." She shares about becoming an artist; depending on others for everyday tasks; and trusting a Savior who has answered her prayers in full measure. 320 pages, hardcover from Zondervan. More Joni Eareckson Tada Books |
Whatever troubles are weighing you down are not chains. They are featherweight when compared to the glory yet to come. With a sweep of a prayer and the praise of a child's heart, God can strip away any cobweb.
Joni Eareckson Tada
Joni and Friends
Pain is a kindly, hopeful thing, a certain proof of life, a clear assurance that all is not yet over, that there is still a chance. But if your heart has no pain -- well, that may betoken health, as you suppose: but are you certain that it does not mean that your soul is dead?
Arthur John (A. J.) Gossip
On line article.
We must know that as His children, He's going to allow problems even when we are in the centre of His will.
Sandy Edmonson
Were you to simply remain in God's presence, that would be a great help to you, supporting you in your troubles and helping you to bear them patiently. Be sure that God is more ready than ever to welcome you into his arms, and that as your distress increases so does his mercy towards you increase and abound.
John Baptist de La Salle
Biography
There are seasons when to be still demands immeasurably higher strength than to act. Composure is often the highest result of power. To the vilest and most deadly charges Jesus responded with deep, unbroken silence, such as excited the wonder of the judge and the spectators. To the grossest insults, the most violent ill-treatment and mockery that might well bring indignation into the feeblest heart, He responded with voiceless complacent calmness. Those who are unjustly accused, and causelessly ill-treated, know what tremendous strength is necessary to keep silence to God.
Margaret Bottome
Biography
Of course, it all depends upon what we are praying for. If we are whimpering, and sniveling, and begging to be spared the discipline of life that is sent to knock some smatterings of manhood into us, the answer to that prayer may never come at all. Thank God! If you are not bleating to get off, but asking to be given grace and strength to see this through with honour, "The very day" you pray that prayer, the answer always comes.
Arthur John (A. J.) Gossip
He commonly brings His help in our greatest extremity, and that His finger may plainly appear in our deliverance. And this method He chooses that we may not trust upon anything that we see or feel, as we are always apt to do, but only His bare Word, which we may depend upon in every state.
A. H. Von Bogatzky
I have not a shadow of doubt that if all our eyes could be opened today, we should see our homes, and our places of business, and the streets we traverse, filled with the "chariots of God." There is no need for any one of us to walk for lack of chariots. That cross inmate of your household, who has hitherto made life a burden to you, and who has been the Juggernaut car to crush your soul into the dust, may henceforth be a glorious chariot to carry you to the heights of heavenly patience and long-suffering. That misunderstanding, that mortification, that unkindness, that disappointment, that loss, that defeat,--all these are chariots waiting to carry you to the very heights of victory you have so longed to reach. Mount into them, then, with thankful hearts, and lose sight of all second causes in the shining of His love who will carry you in His arms safely and triumphantly over it all.
Hannah Whitall Smith
Online Books
He knows when we go into the storm, He watches over us in the storm, and He can bring us out of the storm when His purposes have been fulfilled.
Warren W. Wiersbe
Biography and Daily Devotional
More Warren Wiersbe Materials
While it may break the heart of a wise parent, they realize that it is not love to shelter a child from every adversity and all hardship. It is through occasional adversity and the winds of life blowing against us that we develop the muscles to stand strong and steady, gaining our moral balance.
Katherine Walden
I Lift My Eyes Web Ministries Let every one consider what his weak point is; in that is his trial. His trial is not in those things which are easy to him, but in that one thing, in those several things, whatever they are, in which to do his duty is against his nature. Never think yourself safe because you do your duty in ninety-nine points; it is the hundredth which is to be the ground of your self-denial. It is with reference to this you must watch and pray; pray continually for God's grace to help you, and watch with fear and trembling lest you fall. Oh that you may (as it were) sweep the house diligently to discover what you lack of the full measure of obedience! for, be quite sure, that this apparently small defect will influence your whole spirit and judgement in all things.
John Henry Newman
Biography
Christian Quotations on Adversity and Hardship Page 1
Christian Quotations on Adversity and Hardship Page 2
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