Daily Thought for Tuesday, May 17th

May 17, 2011

Disasters, Calamities and Hardships – They’ve Only Just Begun

“Prosperity doth best discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue.”

-  Francis Bacon

Today’s Thought:

“Bad is called good when worse happens.” – Norwegian Proverb

Today’s Question

You have probably heard it said, but do you believe;  “That which does not kill us makes us stronger?” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Today’s Spiritual Thought:

“If I had a formula for bypassing trouble,

I wouldn’t pass it around.

Wouldn’t be doing anybody a favour.

Trouble creates a capacity to handle it.

I don’t say embrace trouble.

That’s as bad as treating it as an enemy.

But I do say, meet it as a friend,

for you’ll see a lot of it

and had better be on speaking terms with it.”

- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

- The Bible (John 16:33)

“Problems are only opportunities in work clothes.”

– Henry J. Kaiser

If you have lived long enough to learn to crawl, then there is sure to be or to already have been some form of calamity, disaster or trouble in your life.

Trouble is like breathing it will happen unless you are dead.

“Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground; Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.” – The Bible (Job 5:6-7)

Some disasters are beyond our control; many problems come our way without invitation or provocation, such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes earthquakes and the like.  Yet, our own devices, choices and foolish decisions bring some of the calamities that we face on. 

“People could survive their natural trouble all right if it weren’t for the trouble they make for themselves.” – Ogden Nash

And as Christians sometimes our turmoil comes about due to disobedience to our Heavenly Father, which necessitates His application of His board of education to our seat of higher learning, so to speak.

But regardless of the nature, cause or reason for the trials, disasters problems or calamities we may face, we need to remember God is always there with us, and He will never leave us or forsake us.  He will see us through.  And generally speaking, if we will open our hearts to Him during the process of going through these things He will teach us things, equip us and make us stronger for whatever other disasters, calamities and hardships that might lie ahead.

As we draw closer to His return and the end of time as we know it, we are promised that the world will become more troubled, there will be greater disasters and things will get worse but remember this: “And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.  But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” – The Bible (Mark 13:7-13)

“Noble souls, through dust and heat,

Rise from disaster and defeat

The stronger.”

– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Today’s Verses:

If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

Proverbs 24:10

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.           

Hebrews 12:5-11

Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

                        John 16:20

Today’s Prayer:

Father, of this I can be sure, troubles will come, disasters will happen, I will endure calamities and hardships, but through it all may I always trust and obey, and may I allow these  things to strengthen me so that I will be better equipped to serve you.