Facing adversity

I feel to share on ‘FACING ADVERSITY’. Adversity can come in so many forms – drought, floods, bushfires, unexpected death of a loved one, an accident, recovery from a broken relationship or the diagnosis of a life threatening disease. Even as an error of judgment on our behalf which results in tragic consequences for us personally or for other people. NONE of us are immune from having to face adversity of some kind.

Sometimes there is a sense of hopelessness and there appears no apparent ‘quick fix’. But ….we have a CHOICE to either fall in a heap or courageously face the challenge presented and walk it through with a kind of courage which only God can give. This is where the PRACTICAL APPLICATION of God’s word is of incomparable value. If we will only go to ‘the Book’ – God’s handbook for life – His blueprint of solutions for every conceivable adversity known to man, we will find UNPRECEDENTED WISDOM, strength and direction, comfort and inspiration for OUR situation. He WILL show us the way through! Psalm 119 v. 105 states, ‘Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’. His Word illuminates the way for us through circumstances, gives us wisdom and re-assurance along the way as we learn from the stories of the men and women of old who were really just like us! There is NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN – just history repeating itself.

Hebrews 4 v. 12 …. ‘The Word of God is LIVING AND POWERFUL and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit … is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart’. The Word of God can cut through our sometimes faulty thinking and perceptions – it is a ‘plumb line’ freely made available to us to protect us even from ourselves. It can uncover and reveal to us our wrong heart motives, save us from wrong decisions and actions. It keeps our CONSCIENCE soft and true.

Another key to making it through adversities of all kinds is the cultivation of ENDURANCE! Endurance isn’t such a popular word in our current society of ‘instant’ everything – instant porridge, instant gratification and instant mashed potato! It’s none-the-less a POWERFUL KEY. The biblical meaning of the word ‘endure’ has strengthened me many times through the challenges, tragedies and disappointments of life. Imagine if you applied the meaning of this powerful word to your particular situation at the moment. ‘Endure’…. ‘to HOLD ONE’S GROUND IN CONFLICT, to BEAR UP against adversity, HOLD OUT UNDER STRESS, STAND FIRM and PERSEVERE UNDER PRESSURE, TO WAIT CALMLY AND COURAGEOUSLY! It is NOT a passive resignation to fate and mere patience, but the ACTIVE, ENERGETIC RESISTENCE TO DEFEAT that allows CALM AND BRAVE ENDURANCE’

What a POWERFUL ‘point to ponder’! I pray that God will encourage and comfort and inspire each and every one reading this message. May He encourage you to have a deeper curiosity to consider it as relevant and practical today as it was 2000 years ago! If you would like an ‘easy to read’ Bible please email me your request to this website.

Be blessed today!