Tag Archives: trials

“But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.  When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”  (Matthew 7:26-27, NLT)

Most of our personal calamities or failures occur for lack of obedience to Jesus’ teaching.  It is not because the calamity is God’s “payback” for our disobedience; rather, it is because we have ignored God’s blueprint that we discover — frequently in tears — that our own designs are inadequate for the stresses of life.  In this instance, we are responsible for our choices.

It is helpful to note that in Jesus’ parable, both houses are beat upon by the rains, and assaulted by the floods.  However, only the house built on a solid rock is able to withstand the events that test our foundation.

When the next storm of life arrives, will your life’s foundation prove adequate?  Jesus says, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.” (verse 24)  – Luther

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“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.”  (Romans 5:3, NLT)

The only way to become a successful long-distance runner is to put in the miles over a period of time.  Anything less, and the runner fails because he or she lacks endurance.

God is building into us endurance (perseverance) through various problems and trials as a track coach might send his runners over rough, hilly, trails; and through spongy meadows, knowing that in order to overcome, a runner must first endure.

God is fitting each one of us for His purposes.  Trials and problems come into our life only with God’s permission.  He permits them only to the extent that they are necessary to run the course we cannot yet see — or to run beside the individual we have not yet met.

When we recall that it is God’s plan, we can rejoice.  – Luther

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“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.” (Romans 5:3, NLT)

The only way to become a successful long-distance runner is to put in the miles over a period of time. Anything less, and the runner fails because he or she lacks endurance.

God is building into us endurance (perseverance) through various problems and trials as a track coach might send his runners over rough, hilly, trails; and through spongy meadows, knowing that in order to overcome, a runner must first endure.

God is fitting each one of us for His purposes. Trials and problems come into our life only with God’s permission. He permits them only to the extent that they are necessary to run the course we cannot yet see — or to run beside the individual we have not yet met.

When we recall that it is within God’s plan, we can rejoice.   – Luther

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