July 13

Today’s scripture verse, “Let us exalt triumphantly in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that affliction and hardship produce patience and unswerving endurance.” That’s difficult advice to follow. Our most fervent prayers are often those that ask Him to deliver us from affliction!

Perhaps we’re not quite as interested in achieving ‘patience and unswerving endurance’ as the Lord is in seeing us attain them. Why, perhaps, is His perspective in the matter so far removed from ours? What is it that He sees as an advantage to our suffering that we cannot apprehend?

Derek Prince, the old Twentieth Century Pentecostal preacher, a former Oxford Don who, when he found Jesus, turned the full power of his amazing intellect to knowing and serving the purposes of the Kingdom of Christ said something that helps clear the mystery that surrounds the fact that godly people suffer.

It was, “God will never sacrifice one moment of eternity for all of time.” There is nothing in this life of success or well-being of any sort that compare on any level to the blessings Jesus has prepared for those who love Him. Because of that, He will use the circumstances of our lives to turn our eyes more fully to Him.