“If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small….”
“Adversity” is often the result of suffering, or a disastrous experience. We all meet it at some time or other. The question is how we meet adversity when it comes. Our attitude is important during these times.There are some things that can happen when we meet adversity. Following are three of them. First, we can quit. It has been said that “A winner never quits and a quitter never wins.” What if Peter had quit after his denial of Jesus? There would not have been a “Pentecostal Sermon” or first, second and third Peter in the New Testament. What if Paul had quit after the extreme persecution that he faced in his first missionary journey? A lot of our New Testament would be missing if Paul had quit. What does a quitter look like? Judas is an extreme example. He just ended it all after his betrayal of Jesus. Have you ever thought of the fact that he could have been forgiven? If Paul could be forgiven and used after his extreme persecution of Christians, Judas could have been forgiven but he chose to quit. Don’t let adversity cause you to quit. Second, we can feel sorry for ourselves. For example, some people have a “gigantic pity party” when adversity strikes. They think, “Why Me? Why do these things happen to me?” Haven’t you felt this at some time in your life? And I think that you will agree that this was not your finest moment. I think of the adversity that Moses faced when he led the Jews in the desert. He had moments when he didn’t act wisely, as when he struck the rock instead of speaking to it to get water, but he did not give in to even that, and kept doing all that God called him to do. I think of the adversity that Daniel faced when he was thrown in the den of lions for merely praying. He did not fuss and say, “You can’t throw me to the lions.” In fact, he went into to den of lions and came out victoriously. Third, on the positive side, we can seek the Lord when we face adversity. God is our only real source of strength in overcoming adversity – at least this has been true in my life. Only God can give us the strength and understanding not to quit, or to feel sorry for ourselves or become bitter. The Lord gives us the courage and faith to accept our lot in life. He can give us the knowledge, courage and faith to realize that He is in control and that He will see us through whatever adversity we may face in life. He can use our hardships to build our character. It is in the school of testing and trial that we learn to use our faith in God. Remember the text: “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small” because you did not depend on the Lord. Bro.Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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September 2021
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