More old stuff to remind me of my insignificance

"Why didn't God help me sooner?" This question I have heard, and asked, many times. But as it is not His will to act on our schedule, I must look again at the value of trials in my life. What changes does He desire in me; what lessons am I to learn through these troubles He has allowed in my life.

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble." (Ps 46:1) He has promised, "I will be with him in trouble, I will be with him and honor him" (Ps 91:15). His guarantee has always been to be with us throughout the struggle. Afterward, He will take us out of it, but not before we have ceased our restless resistance and useless worry; not until we have become calm and quiet. Then he will say, "It is enough."

God uses trouble to teach us precious lessons. Difficulties are intended to educate us, and when their good work is done, a wonderful reward becomes ours through them. There is a sweet joy and real value in difficulties (though it most definitely doesn't appear that way at the time), for He regards them not as troubles but as opportunities.

When God tests us, or allows us to be tested, it is a good time to test Him by putting His promises to the test - claiming from Him exactly what our trials have made necessary. As such, there are two ways to get out of any trial, regardless of its length. One is to simply get rid of the trial, get on with the life I would choose to lead, and then be thankful it is over. The other is to recognize the trial as a challenge from God to claim a larger blessing than we have yet experienced, to accept it as an opportunity to receive a greater measure of His Divine Grace.

In this way, even the Adversary becomes a help to us, and all the things that seem to be against us turn out to assist us along our way (see Rom 8:27-29). When tempted in the desert, Jesus recognized that even the things that were already His (food, the entire earth, the kingdom of heaven), would not serve Him as well as seeing the trials through to the end. Surely this is what is meant by the words "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Rom 8:37)