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Blog-Archive

WITHSTANDING ADVERSITY

December 10, 2024

This past year has afforded me the opportunity to experience ministry beyond what I could ever imagine or anticipate. The joys of seeing the saints overcome tremendous adversity and conversely, seeing others, succumb to the pressure of life; and those that give in to the necessity of suffering for Christ sake.

These experiences have taught me that time and chance happen to us all; but how to persevere in the face of adversity is something that we all need to be knowledgeable of. How do I wait on the Lord and be of good cheer when I am depressed and desperate? Well, I am glad you asked.

We must believe that He rewards them that wait on him. More importantly, you must know who you are in Yahweh. Sometimes we have to wait. Isaiah 40:31 tells us that they that wait on the Lord will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings as eagles; they will run, and not be weary, and they will walk and not faint.” This verse has gotten me through many difficult times when I was weary and could hardly put one foot in front of the other.

We live in a world of instant gratification. But if you look at nature, nature doesn’t rush things. Babies have their time of gestation and understand the process of time and maturation.

However, when facing adversity, we must understand, as outlined in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 that we have something special on the inside of us; treasure that is invaluable. So, although we are crushed on every side, perplexed, persecuted, struck down, we will never be abandoned or destroyed. This provides us with the ability to wait and in the process, be of good cheer. The pressure is not there to break us, but to produce something special.

There is a story I once heard... that may help bring the point home. A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes the mother turned off the burners and fished out the carrots and put them in a bowl. Then she pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl as well. She then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a pot. Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see.”

The daughter replied “carrots, eggs, and coffee.”

Her mother brought her close and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter than asked “what does this mean.”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. It’s thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique however. After they were in the boiling water, they changed the water. The coffee actually changed the hot water, the very circumstances that were intended to bring pain.

In conclusion: Please know that you have the power to change your environment and make it enjoyable for all. You don’t have to be weak or hardened by life, but live a life for all to enjoy and be energized by.

May the peace of God rest, rule, and abide with you forever.