If the difficult actions are not practiced and failed and improved, one does not become a master of those actions for when it is ultimately important and critical.
"And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God."
A great analogy I remember from a sermon is when you examine the growth rings from the cross-section of a tree, there are dense rings followed by wider ones. The larger rings are periods of growth after the thinner rings when the tree has weathered the storms.
I really needed this - Thanks so much for posting this.
Some of my other favorites along these lines:
““Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew 6:25-34 NIV
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future."
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.[b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord,
“and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
Jeremiah 29:11
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, a whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.
10But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.
11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
There is also a stoic interpretation. All the trials and burdens impose suffering---but if you suffer and survive, you realize that mere suffering will not kill you, and you are no longer afraid to persevere. (Because, truly, this may be a struggle for all our life.)
Every situation is a test… or perhaps better put, an opportunity to level up and get breakthrough or upgrade in the areas we’ve been wanting it for our lives
Romans 5 teaches, it's by our tribulations, and experience of them being endured that we even have hope. Amen.
Romans 5:3–5 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Learned this the hard way with a long battle with cancer and scumbag doctors working for the devil. Not my preference of design as a participant, glory to Him though for the treasures therein beyond my ignorant limited perception of this process.
Amen. This post mirrors my own recent experiences so well, I could have written it.
Apparently, from the comments, I am not alone. May God continue to strengthen us all.
I don't believe in god or gods, but I have noticed that the universe has a highly unlikely (but repeatedly observed) probability that the hardships you're enduring now turn into strengths later.
Maybe that's a testament to human spirit, adaptability and resilience, I dunno.
But whether the universe, human spirit, or god, it's an incredibly amazing truth. Have an upvote.
David had to kill lions and bears in order to become the slayer of the slayer of men
If the difficult actions are not practiced and failed and improved, one does not become a master of those actions for when it is ultimately important and critical.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (esv)
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
With love and as always - God† bless y'all and those that you hold dear.
Amen!
Zechariah 13:9
"And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God."
Full chaper:
https://biblehub.com/kjv/zechariah/13.htm
🙏🏻
Wow. Things happening in my life that this addresses head on. Not necessarily evil but definitely difficult.
Thank you.
👌🙏🏻
In summary, "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger "
Yeah...if you want to simplify it...sure...whatev...lol
😉👍
Not true, a lot of the time it knocks you back so hard it will take years to recover.
It is true. Being knocked anywhere but dead, validates the quote.
Its a slogan, not any sort of truth. But feel free to think it is truth and pray it hold true.
It is truth and you can deny it all you want, you're still wrong.
Also, it isn't a slogan...it's a quote from the 1800's German philosopher, Frederick Nietzsche
A great analogy I remember from a sermon is when you examine the growth rings from the cross-section of a tree, there are dense rings followed by wider ones. The larger rings are periods of growth after the thinner rings when the tree has weathered the storms.
👌👍
I really needed this - Thanks so much for posting this.
Some of my other favorites along these lines:
““Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew 6:25-34 NIV
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.[b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, a whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.
10But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.
11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
James 1:2
Thank you for this. It was good to read all of those, one after the other.
You are welcome & God Bless you, Fren!
Amen!
King David's Psalm 91:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the [a]fowler And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and [b]buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall [c]bear you up, Lest you [d]dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will [e]set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With [f]long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”
A Song: https://youtu.be/67wC6-kWWSo
Have a blessed day.
Oh, and Amen to OP!
u/#feelsgood
Amen, the Lord provides, the Lord can be trusted
Amen.
There is also a stoic interpretation. All the trials and burdens impose suffering---but if you suffer and survive, you realize that mere suffering will not kill you, and you are no longer afraid to persevere. (Because, truly, this may be a struggle for all our life.)
Every situation is a test… or perhaps better put, an opportunity to level up and get breakthrough or upgrade in the areas we’ve been wanting it for our lives
Romans 5 teaches, it's by our tribulations, and experience of them being endured that we even have hope. Amen.
Romans 5:3–5 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Learned this the hard way with a long battle with cancer and scumbag doctors working for the devil. Not my preference of design as a participant, glory to Him though for the treasures therein beyond my ignorant limited perception of this process.
Training for Kings and Priests.
Amen!! :D
Amen to this! WWG1WGA and God bless you all.
Instead of worry…..WONDER!
Instead of being frustrated, be FASCINATED!
This attitude allows God to work His will. Carry on.
Amen
"All the people said...."
Amen. This post mirrors my own recent experiences so well, I could have written it. Apparently, from the comments, I am not alone. May God continue to strengthen us all.
Well said, PLM.
I don't believe in god or gods, but I have noticed that the universe has a highly unlikely (but repeatedly observed) probability that the hardships you're enduring now turn into strengths later.
Maybe that's a testament to human spirit, adaptability and resilience, I dunno.
But whether the universe, human spirit, or god, it's an incredibly amazing truth. Have an upvote.
Pepe, I have included you in my daily prayers for some time now. I think it may have been MJ on telegram that mentioned it months ago.