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Trusting God in Times of Trouble
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”
2 Corinthians 4:7–10
When he was narrowly defeated in his bid for re-election in 1888 by Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland faced a choice—to retire from public life or to continue to fight for the principles he believed. Cleveland chose to continue his career, and in 1892, he became the only man in American history to serve as president twice in non-consecutive terms. He is listed as both the twenty-second and the twenty-fourth presidents. Early in his second term in office, Cleveland was diagnosed with a tumor which required part of his jaw to be removed. Following his surgery, Cleveland wrote, “I have learned how weak the strongest man is under God's decrees; and I see in a new light the necessity of doing my allotted work in the full apprehension of the coming night.”
The fact that things are hard or that we suffer reversals and defeat does not mean that we are left hopeless. Instead, each hardship should remind us that God's grace is always sufficient, and that He has a plan for the future. One of the lessons of suffering is that God must always be exalted instead of us receiving the glory. And when hard times come, we can take heart knowing that God recognizes us as able to endure them in a manner which will bring praise to Him. “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41).
2 Corinthians 4:7–10
When he was narrowly defeated in his bid for re-election in 1888 by Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland faced a choice—to retire from public life or to continue to fight for the principles he believed. Cleveland chose to continue his career, and in 1892, he became the only man in American history to serve as president twice in non-consecutive terms. He is listed as both the twenty-second and the twenty-fourth presidents. Early in his second term in office, Cleveland was diagnosed with a tumor which required part of his jaw to be removed. Following his surgery, Cleveland wrote, “I have learned how weak the strongest man is under God's decrees; and I see in a new light the necessity of doing my allotted work in the full apprehension of the coming night.”
The fact that things are hard or that we suffer reversals and defeat does not mean that we are left hopeless. Instead, each hardship should remind us that God's grace is always sufficient, and that He has a plan for the future. One of the lessons of suffering is that God must always be exalted instead of us receiving the glory. And when hard times come, we can take heart knowing that God recognizes us as able to endure them in a manner which will bring praise to Him. “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41).
Today’s Growth Principle:
Do not allow difficulty to discourage or defeat you. God is still in control no matter what happens.
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