The Blessing of Trouble by Donna Howard

SCRIPTURE
II Corinthians 4:17 NLT
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

OBSERVATION
This scripture says our present troubles are small but my mind wants to cry out to God “Have you seen what I’m facing”? It seems anything but small. It seems all encompassing and consuming. But God, in His abundant grace that’s poured out on us daily, gives us a new and different perspective – This small trouble is to shape us into a vessel that contains more of Him to give to a lost and dying world. He reminds us that we must have an eternal perspective. He didn’t call us to live lives of ease but to live lives of purpose and destiny.


APPLICATION
Pain and trouble are a part of growth, and let’s face it, a part of everyone’s life. My job or goal is to keep things in perspective…. It’s not about me, it’s about the Kingdom of God being revealed in my life.

I’ve had seasons of pain and struggle in my life that seemed as if it would crush me. However, it made me cry out to and cling to Jesus as my lifeline. That pain and pressure created in me a new sensitivity to the Holy Spirit … it plowed up the places in my heart that had become very hard. Then an amazing thing happened! This pain, this struggle, actually turned into a blessing that created new life and passion for Jesus in my life. This turn-around can happen anytime and anyplace if we will surrender ourselves to the living God to mold, shape and indwell us.


PRAYER
Lord, I do want to reflect Your Glory so people will be drawn into your Kingdom. But in order to do that, I must submit and allow you to work in all areas of my life. Give me the ability to rejoice in hard times realizing it is creating in me a “an eternal weight of glory”.