Marcus Hurst's Blog

I sense God asking me to describe the “refreshers” I have in His presence each day, which I could define as a blend of basking in God’s presence, with a sense of unspeakable peace and being right where He wants me to be, and having conversations with Him.

What is a refresher?

Finding words to describe these experiences will be challenging, but I’ll do my best—in my back-country, down-to-earth way. I do not have this all figured out, but I’ll explain it the way I understand it.

I find my refreshers to be a lot like recharging my spiritual battery. During these experiences, I sense spiritual, mental, and physical “energy” soaking into me from all over. It is as though I am submerged in a pool of spiritual energy, which in turn affects me mentally and physically. (I’ll admit that I don’t like how that “pool of spiritual energies” sounds, but I can’t be too picky, or I will never get done…)

This “soaking in spiritual energy” also dissolves the junk, including every version of having a load on my mind. It equips me, in all areas, for my next step of life. Only God knows what I need for that next session of life, and He gives me exactly what it will take.

These refreshers are quite comparable to a preschooler cuddling up and relaxing in his loving father’s arms.

I decided that, on average, I have 3 to 6 of these refresher sessions each day.

Now, let us tackle how and when to have these enlightening and motivating refreshers.

I don’t know if I can adequately describe the how-to part, though I’ll try my best. And neither have I yet come across anyone else who has similar experiences. But the Lord reassures me that this “divine service” is available for everybody, not just Marcus Hurst.

First, just as with any miracle, one must have faith. If you believe you will never experience something like this, you never will.

You may wonder, how do you make yourself believe?

I suggest sincerely praying, something to the extent of, “Father, I want to believe. Give me the faith I need to surrender my life to You, and do whatever You want me to do, regardless of how scary Your will appears, and how much I’m mocked and persecuted for pursuing it…”

And hopefully, that prayer continues, in all sincerity, something like this: “Father, I’m doing it. Here’s the steering wheel of my life. You take control, and I’ll try my best not to argue with Your all-wise plan. I am committed to doing whatever You want me to do, and going wherever You want me to go. Period…”

Frequently, it is after reading a meditative thought, or when I have a specific problem on my mind, that I feel compelled to have a refresher. But sometimes the felt need to have a refresher is seemingly random. If I sense that a quick and light session will suffice, I will proceed where I am. But for a more intimate refresher, I go to bed, where I can totally relax my body and concentrate on my time with God. (I find it easier to give God complete control when I am completely relaxed.)

I then make sure I have handed all control over to my Lord, and I verify I am willing to do whatever He asks of me, while trusting He knows what’s best. (Anymore, I generally do not need to bother with this because it’s already taken care of.)

Thinking about it, I guess I’ll say: The next step is to “open the doors” and let the flow of “spiritual energies” begin.

I think it compares a little to oxygen, in that it is constantly pressing around us. We need only to believe enough to open up and receive it.

As far as I can tell, the problem generally lies in believing, and surrendering ourselves to God’s will. In eating at “God’s table”, we need to eat what He sets before us. If we have any amount of selfishness hiding in our secret places, we will want to eat what we want, and thus cannot receive the Father’s all-perfect ration.

When I have a specific problem in mind that needs a solution, I will lay that aside briefly until I get settled in, so to speak, and the spiritual energy “starts flowing.” Then, I bring the problem before the Lord, and, in a very real sense, we discuss it—just like a counselor analyzes an issue with a client.

I do not physically hear God’s voice in these discussions. I think and sometimes speak my side of the discussion, and His responses soak into me—like sunshine on a clear day.

Miscellaneous details

(Now, for a bunny trail: My uncle Wilmer Hurst is the key person giving me spiritual insight and counseling. Thus, in my refreshers, I thought of it different times that these responses from God come to me just the way Wilmer would say it.

The way I interpret that is: These thoughts from God do not come in words, so my mind subconsciously translates them to words. [That’s another subject, but I’ll leave the rest of that second bunny trail alone for now.] Because Wilmer is the person I know who gives me similar advice, my mind subconsciously translates these thoughts to the way Wilmer would say it.)

I’ve already had refreshers while driving and working, though those experiences are often less profound. These freshers, and the accompanying “word from the Lord” also happen while singing, reading, or listening to a message. When it comes down to it, they can happen anytime my mind is quiet and relaxed.

I try to be very careful with the “insight from the Lord” that I receive in these refreshers, and I am quick to ask Him, “Are you sure…?” if it sounds questionable. I also try to be more specific than to causally refer to it as God talking to me.

The post Having Refreshers Before the Lord appeared first on Marcus.

Multitudes seek and indulge in wealth, fame, thrill, and immorality, taking minimal consideration for the people around them as they pursue what they imagine will make them happy. This restless sensation of self-love has been moving through humanity for thousands of years. Indeed, have we not all struggled with its infection?

Over the centuries, billions have suffered severe emotional and physical injury as self-centered people brush past them in their rampant pursuit of personal desires.

Let me share a story that an Amish friend told me, which illustrates the grandeur of a community that lives for the well-being of others.

My friend told me his father’s food processing facility burned down, and with the help of 90 people, who donated time and materials to help clean up and rebuild, the structure was rebuilt in 3 days.

Also, in 3 days his father had the funds from the insurance company, which covered half the rebuilding expenses, even when various improvements were added from what had been there.

He also shared that the starting of the fire was freak, and there is no guarantee it wasn’t arson. But the community trusted that he didn’t burn his own building down to collect insurance and get a good deal on a fresh facility.

He said that experience really opened his eyes to the power and blessing of an honest reputation and a loving and trusting community.

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If you take control of your life,

 

and live by what you decide will bring you the most pleasure,

 

it will go far worse than you ever expected.

 

 But if you let God have control over your life,

 

and surrender to and act according to His will,

 

it will go far better than you ever expected.

 

 Guaranteed.

 

 My personal experiences testify to this.And there are countless stories that highlight the truth of these statements.Read more at Living a Satisfied Life – Marcus (marcushurstauthor.com)

 

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“Without truth, there is no genuine freedom and fulfillment.”  – Os Guinness

Harold likes to drive his car, but the route he needs to take goes through a congested urban area with many traffic lights, and he cannot drive near as fast as he would like.
However, that won’t be a problem on his way home tonight because Harold just thought of a solution. He decided to set the cruise control at 55 miles per hour, and if a vehicle is in front of him, he’ll just believe it is not there. And if he comes to a red light, he’ll just believe it is green, so he should arrive home in record time…
Yes, we agree it would be foolish to set the cruise control at 55 mph through a congested area and just assume it will work out. Yet that is just what many people are doing in life. Are many folks not quick to fabricate and support any lie they imagine will make them feel better?
We will not escape the truth as we drive down the road, and neither will we, in the end, successfully evade any other truths in life.
Has avoiding the truth not always been a cruel and disappointing road to travel?
I think we can agree that it is essential to maintain an open mind to the truth and bravely pursue it. Is anything as secure as confidently standing on the solid ground of certainty? And is anything as repulsive as struggling through the swamp of falsehoods and error?
If we hold conflicting ideas, we both cannot be correct, even if we convince ourselves we are right. Considering the countless contradicting opinions that abound, we can note that many people who are sure they are right are quite mistaken. In reality, it could be us who is wrong.
One might wonder, “If it is possible to know the truth about life, why are there so many contradicting opinions?”
Are diverse views not often the result of people, especially those who are highly influential, refusing to accept ideas that contradict what they want to think? These folks are not afraid to assert their opinion as fact, regardless of reality. This bias leaves them, and those they influence, with a dreadfully distorted perspective. Will we find the truth if our preferences are more important to us than factual evidence?
I also fight this tendency. I must repeatedly remind myself that accepting reality will be far more rewarding than believing only what I want to think.
How about you? Are you willing to discredit desired opinions for the sake of truth?
Barry Leventhal pointed out, “There are none who are as deaf as those who do not want to hear.”  Blaise Pascal also noted, “Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that unless we love the truth, we cannot know it.”  
What we want to believe can easily influence our reasoning; thus, if we are unwilling to accept the truth at all costs, we likely do not possess it.
Taking a thorough and honest look at a view that does not interest us is certainly challenging. Jonathan Swift wrote, “Reasoning itself is true and just, but the reasoning of every man is weak and wavering, perpetually swayed and turned by his interest, his passions, and his vices.”  No wonder folks are confused about reality when it is so common to allow our preferences to distort our view of the truth.
In his book, Time for Truth, Os Guinness wrote, “Truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity—it is simply true and that is the end of it. … In this modern age, more and more people are all surface, skills, and résumé—and no character. … By the end of the 20th century, it was widely accepted that old notions such as ‘true self’ had gone the way of common-sense reality.”
In his blog, Steve Simms shared, “The exaltation of desire is leading our culture to sacrifice truth, reason, and conscience. It takes courage to be awakened enough to search for truth when the truth doesn’t contain what we desire.”

The post The Disaster of Avoiding Reality appeared first on Marcus.

I was looking over my journal of divine acts which I experienced when I came across this entry, which I decided to share:

Friday, February 4, 2022. “Don’t ever doubt or pout when things just don’t work out. Smile, for you’re part of God’s inside clan, and this is part of His divine plan. Doesn’t that thought make you feel grand?”

I wrote this verse after a very trying week of mine. Let me tell you the story:

At the workshop I administrate, we got the job of printing, stuffing, and mailing 2,300 flyers for a local business. We started printing the document as soon as we received it, for I knew the printing would be the slowest part of our system. On Friday, January 29th, we got a start on the project and ran the printer as much as possible. That evening I went back to the workshop to keep running the printer and check the toner levels, and that is when the blue toner got all.

Oh, I never thought of making sure we have plenty of toner. I went home and ordered toners online that night yet.

Now, regarding toner options, there was an aftermarket toner for $150, which has the chance of not working as well. Then there was OEM (name brand) toner for $320, which should work very well. As I looked across the options, I found some aftermarket toner that was 100% guaranteed, and supposedly went through the same vigorous test that the OEM toner went through, for $146.

I took the chance and bought the aftermarket toner with 2-day shipping. It arrived Tuesday morning, and we put the blue toner in the printer and were soon back in business. But, after 60 pages the flyer started looking horrible. I thought maybe some nozzles needed cleaning, and I went through the printer settings to find the cleaning option. All the time, my mind was thinking, “It is probably the cheap toner.”

We had Workshop newsletters to print, so I tried to print those, and they printed quite well. But when we returned to the flyers again, we had the same problem. Now the flyers printed from a different tray, in which letter-size paper came out sideways. I thought maybe if we used the other tray and got the paper coming out the long way like the newsletter did that printed well, we might be okay. But when we tried that, the paper would jam every time. Not being able to come up with a solution by the time the boys went home, I went home as well.

I ordered OEM toner with two-day shipping, and later that evening I went back to the workshop to scratch my head about it some more. I discovered it was jamming every time because I had the paper turned the wrong way in the tray. When I turned it the right way, it printed like all good printers do when things are correct. The print quality was much better as well. Although there were a few spots, we decided it was good enough and got back into printing as much as possible.

On Wednesday, I received a request to do still another printing project. After talking it over with the board, we concluded we did not want to turn down work, so we decided to work Thursdays, which is typically my day off, so we could get a bunch of work knocked out and not have to turn down the third printing job.

So we got together Thursday and got a lot of work done—till we ran out of blue toner around 1:00 in the afternoon.

I could have screamed. I was sure we only got a fraction out of that toner compared to what it was supposed to yield. (I found out later I was figuring incorrectly, and it did yield close to what it was rated for.)

Well, I was glad I had toner ordered that was supposed to be in on Friday. To think I would not have ordered it if we had not run into print quality problems and blamed it on the cheap toner.

Friday morning, when I tried to print the return address on the envelopes, they jammed every time. And this time, I made sure they were not jamming for the reason the flyers had.

So we drove to my place to print envelopes on my personal printer and pick up the toner when it arrived. We had not been there long until UPS dropped off a package. It happened to be very icy that morning, and the delivery driver wondered if he could drop off a package for the farm in the lane so he did not have to drive in there. We said that would be fine, which made his day. So while the printer was printing envelopes, we walked the other package into the farm.

(Notice the timing, how the UPS arrived soon after we did, and we made his day by accepting the parcel that belonged in the lane. And notice that we would not have been there if the envelopes had not been jamming on the workshop’s printer.)

We put the OEM toners in the printer to continue the job, but we soon saw that the quality issue remained. The problem was not the toner, after all. But if I had not gotten the cheap toners the first time, we would not have blamed the quality issues on the toner. Thus, I would not have ordered the second toner until we ran out, which would have delayed the printing further.

“Thank you, Father, for being willing to endure my frustration while you tweaked things to hold out for the best. May I never doubt your all-wise control of events.”

Click below to read more entries from this journal of divine acts.

The Finger of God!

 

The post Our Problems are Ultimately for Our Good appeared first on Marcus.

I like to drive my car, but the route I need to take goes through a congested urban area and has many traffic lights, and I cannot drive near as fast as I would like.

But that won’t be a problem on my way home tonight, because I just came up with the solution. I’ll set the cruise control at 55 miles per hour, and if a vehicle is in front of me I’ll just believe it is not there. And if I come to a red light I’ll just believe it is green, so I should arrive home in record time…”

Yes, we can agree it would be foolish to set the cruise control at 55 mph through a congested area and just believe it will work out. But, that is just what many people are doing in life. Are many folks not quick to fabricate and support any lie that they imagine will make them feel better?

We will not get away with avoiding the truth as we drive down the road, and neither will we get away with avoiding any other truths in life.

Has avoiding reality not always been a cruel and disappointing road to travel?

The post This May Be the Reason You Are Miserable appeared first on Marcus.

Each lesson learned and each piece of training received can only be accomplished through a process that is most commonly referred to as “problems”. So, is it learning that we don’t like to experience? Maybe we would rather be part of a group of people that don’t need to face this “problem”? That would be those who are severely mentally handicapped.Problems are a privilege. They are intended to be stepping stones to greatness, if we allow them to be.You can’t find one miracle in the Old or New Testament that did not begin with a problem! So, therefore, if you have a problem, the good news tonight is, you are a candidate for a miracle! Now, if you have no problem, too bad. If you have no problem, you get no miracle! –John C. MaxwellGod allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons that we could learn in no other way. –C. S. Lewis 

The sky is dark; the night is cold;
But God hath pledged my hand to hold.
The trial’s great, the valley low;
But God will show the way to go.

He has not planned an easy path,
But He indeed would save from wrath.
He loves me, yes, enough, I know,
That He has planned this way I go.

His best seems hard, but time will prove
T’ward me His everlasting love.
If I look up, He’ll show His face —
Such love can never be replaced!

If through the storm I hold His hand,
Unmoved from Him I’ll safely stand;
Then land my ship on heaven’s shore,
And rest eternally secure!

Here sorrows crush my tender heart,
And here my dreams are pulled apart;
But up in heav’n I’ll know no grief —
There I shall find a great relief!

The path’s still rough, the way still hard,
But by God’s grace my heart I’ll guard;
For God has planned for me the best,
So in His will I now shall rest.
–Susan M. Stalter

God loves us humans, and it greatly pains Him to watch folks go through vast amounts of suffering that traces its origin back to the bad choices they had made for the sake of having their own way. These people are painfully trekking through life without the unlimited benefits God would freely hand out to them if they would only seek His advice. Therefore, after humanity corrupted itself, God introduced natural disasters and diseases as a dramatic way of getting our attention. He uses these for our good to bring us to the end of our rope, so to speak, that we might realize that depending on Him is our only hope. –M. Z. HurstMany of our problems come from wanting our own way and many more come from having it. –M. Z. HurstWhen we complain we are underestimating God and His divine plan for us and are only increasing our problems. –M. Z. HurstColor is the pain of light. –Goethe When light passes through a prism, it’s torn to pieces as colorful shards scatter in every direction. –WurmbrandThe more pain we endure, with a good attitude, the more magnificent our character will become.Suffering inflicted on us by the will of God does not contradict love. It is one of its methods. –Sabina WurmbrandMany men owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties. –SpurgeonWe could never learn to be patient if there were only joys in this world. –Helen Keller (not word for word)If it were not for the darkness we would never see the sunrise. If it were not for the rocks the creek would lose its song.The difficult times are the best teachers.The difference between try and triumph is set extra umph you put into it.Problems, that may only last a moment, can permanently change us for God’s glory.We are like a lump of clay in God’s hands. Many of our problems are those moments when God is picking a stone, or some form of impurity out of his “clay pot”.It’s like the old story of the farmer who smacked his stubborn mule with a 2×4. As the farmer was swinging from his heels, a passerby city-slicker asked, “Why are you beating your own mule?” The farmer replied, “It’s the only way I can get his attention.” And from time to time, God may have to treat you like that farmer treated his mule. During these tough times, it may feel like the Father has given you a whack on the side of the head, when, in reality, your own choices have caused the pain. –Dr. Dennis SwanbergIt is a remarkable thing that some of the most optimistic and enthusiastic people you will meet are those who have been through intense suffering. –Warren WiersbeForces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation. You cannot control what happens to you in life, but you can always control what you will feel and do about what happens to you. –Viktor E. FranklStop tormenting yourself by living the pain over and over. Good people go through terrible things, but wise people know when and how to let it go. –Bryant McgellWithout rain nothing grows, learn to brace the storms of life. 

If you pray when you’re in trouble
And you pray when you’re in pain’
You will rise above the rubble
And destroy worry’s chain.
Your serenity will double
And new courage you will gain.
–M. Z. Hurst

Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less calendars, wish for more wisdom. –UnknownThe gem cannot be polished without friction, nor the man perfected without trials.We can stand affliction better than we can prosperity, for in prosperity we forget God. –Dwight L. MoodyFailure is the Condiment that gives success its flavor. –Truman CapoteHe who has a why to live can bear almost any how. –Friedrich NietzscheWhen I’m complaining, worried, and upset I fail to see that I’m not maintaining my attention on Jesus. –Steve Simms 

Camping at a closed door can cause you to miss out on many open doors.
A closed door often means keep going, but in a different direction.
Don’t let a closed door distract you from the rest of reality and the opportunities around you.
When life gives you a closed door, there are often a lot of lemons behind it.
When a door closes, you don’t know what was behind it that you’ve been kept safe from.
When a door is closed for good, just maybe, it’s for your good.
Closed doors make us humble and eventually patient, and cause us to look to God.
Closed doors can keep us out of the abyss of feeling amiss where we don’t belong.
Closed doors often open the way for you to stay in God’s will.
Closed doors are frequently God’s protection and direction.
Pride gets mad at closed doors humility embraces Christ’s invitation to inner peace.
–Steve Simms

 

Learn to receive wisdom from your wounds
And you’ll soon begin to sing happy tunes.
–Steve Simms

I am not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship. –Louisa May AlcottView the problem as an opportunity to grow. –J. Willard Marriott

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The only escape from the mass confusion and turmoil that saturates this world is to lay down our self-will and personal ideas in complete humility and resign to the One who created us. When we unconditionally surrender ourselves and commit the rest of our life to God’s will, the benefits we reap shall exceed our greatest hopes.

One can compare life to a vast maze. There are scores of appealing passages and much controversy over which way is best. Our view is dangerously limited, and of ourselves, we will lose the way. Only God can see the big picture and knows where each passage leads. Only with His help will we reach the desired location.

Despite this remedy, folks are still dissatisfied, for unconditional surrender is indeed a frightening thought. I also want to clarify that total submission will not immediately solve all our problems. This will likely be a long process that may take years to complete. But are humility and surrender to God’s will not the keys to starting that process?

One day when U-Haul’s area field manager came into the bike shop and U-Haul dealership where I worked, he said, “Hello Marcus, I have something for your next book.”

As I pulled out my notebook, he continued, “Your most gratifying rewards are hiding behind your maximum fears.”

He said, “A friend of mine, who is a motivational speaker, told me that one. He liked to illustrate how first-time skydivers often fight a lot of fear before their first jump. But afterward, the experience is so gratifying they wonder why they ever feared it.”

You know, friend, that describes the experience of committing your life to God’s will. Dr. Dennis Swanberg wrote, “Everybody resists God at one time or another, and so will you. But as you mature, you should realize that when it comes to God’s instructions, it’s better to be teachable than headstrong.”

Have you surrendered every part of your life to God’s will? If not, what do you hope to gain by not surrendering?

Satan will do everything he can to keep us from surrendering. One of his methods is to convince folks that God does not care about them. The Bible plainly states that God loves us, so if we believe God does not love us, we do not believe God and the Bible. One will not submit to a God they do not trust. Fear keeps us from trusting and surrendering, but “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). The more we understand God’s love for us, the easier it will be to yield to Him.

Surrendering to God is not something to test a little to see if it works—it is a life commitment. If we attempt to get in God’s will only temporarily to see if we like it, our commitment is not unconditional; thus, it will not yield the desired results.

Since my unconditional surrender, I have noted that pride and selfishness, immorality, the craving for money, the desire for that trophy buck, etc. are indeed very foolish. It is through Satan’s blinding that humanity can lower itself to such base pursuits. Scripture acknowledges, “He (Satan) has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them” (John 12:40).

Oh, if people caught up in these sensual activities could only see their sheer foolishness and ignorance.

Ultimately, pursuing the truth will be our most gratifying line of action. Wealth and living for self do not bring people peace. On the contrary, these have been the principal players behind most strife and severed relationships. Only God’s smile on our life can grant us that inner fulfillment we crave. With this, the poorest individual can be content. Without it, even the famed celebrity must be (at least inwardly) restless and apprehensive.

In The Pursuit of God, A. W. Tozer mentions, “The sinner prides himself on his independence, completely overlooking the fact that he is the weak slave of the sins that rule his member. The man who surrenders to Christ exchanges a cruel slave driver for a kind and gentle Master whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light.”

Ravi Zacharias wrote, “Dear friend, may you know today that the freedom to have peace without begins with the freedom from evil within.”

When we surrender to God, acquire His forgiveness, and pursue what He asks of us, we shall feel like we are on a team with Him. The supreme sense of security we shall experience, when we submit ourselves to God’s principles, will surpass all our expectations.

Being a Christian includes building an intimate connection with God and functioning as His personal associate and representative on Earth. What a privilege! How exciting to be communicating with, and working for, the creator of the universe! My heart goes out to those fleeing from the very Source of the inner security and peace of mind they so crave. These people are, so to speak, ramming themselves into cactus after cactus with their self-centered living, all the while wondering why they aren’t happier than they are beings they are freely doing whatever they want.

We do best to accept responsibility for our problems and realize that our pride and self-will are our worst enemies.

When we discover we are going in the wrong direction, turning around is the smartest way to our destination. C. S. Lewis said, “There is nothing progressive about being pig-headed and refusing to admit a mistake. And I think if you look at the present state of the world, it is pretty plain that humanity has been making some big mistakes. We are on the wrong road. And if that is so, we must go back. Going back is the quickest way on.”

I well remember when I initially took this step. My ego dreaded being humiliated, and Satan reminded me that he thought it was a cowardly thing to do. It was not easy to swallow my pride and ignore Satan’s opinion, but the resulting unspeakable joy was definitely worth the effort. “For He (God) satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things” (Psalms 107:9).

Dr. Dennis Swanberg  & Ron Smith, The Man Code (p.16). Worthy Publishers, 2009.

A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God. (p. 78). Grapevine, 2022 (First published in 1948).

Ravi Zacharias, The Logic of God, (p. 280). Zondervan, 2019.

C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, (p. 29). HarperOne, 2009 (First published in 1952).

(This article is an excerpt from Chapter 9 of my book The Contentment Dilemma. Feel free to pick up a copy and read the rest of the book if you have found this excerpt of any interest or personal aid.)

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Bublish Book Bubble – We Do Well to Leave God Have Control

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Yes, tribulations are a privilege. The saying goes, “What doesn’t break you will strengthen you.” In other words, the more a person struggles, the more they will be worth once the struggle is over–if they live through it…

Friend, once you finally pull through the trial you are currently facing, you will be a gem worth more than any who never fought such a tough battle. After all, is it not the rocks that give a creek its song? And is it not the drop that makes a waterfall so spectacular?

Also, God doesn’t give us more than we can bear. He knows we can stand the trials He is putting us through.

We do well to trust that God knows what He is doing and has a worthy purpose for every tribulation He has us go through, and it is all with the goal of turning us into an amazing aide to Him in His work.

It has also been said, (I have paraphrased it a little.) “If all the problems that you and your friends have were thrown on a pile for all to see, you would end up being glad you have the problems you have and do not need to deal with theirs.” This is because God has us tuned to bear the problems He has for us, and we are not tuned to bear the problems other people have, thus our problems are less of a problem for us than they would be for others.

Problems are a privilege. We really should thank God for them, for it is our problems that are our teachers. Without problems, we would learn nothing; and the more problems we have, the more we can learn—if we don’t give up till then…

If nothing else, we can at least trust that God knows what is best for all of us, and He knows it will all be worth it in the end.

In the end, I am convinced we will thank God for every trial He had us go through, so I think we really should start thanking Him awhile. And doing that would also make us feel better about the situation.

 

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