Gospel singer Marvin Sapp has a wonderful song with these lyrics: “Never would’ve made it. Never could have made it, without you. I would have lost it all but now I see how you were there for me. And I can say I’m stronger, I’m wiser, I’m better, much better.” We all face times in life when we wonder if we’ll make it through our trials and circumstances of the day. And then our spirit reminds us to keep the faith and hold on. He will bring us through our circumstances and we will be stronger and wiser.
Nobody is exempt from the trials of life. But even in the worst of times, I believe everyone can find something positive. Depression can weigh you down like a rock in a river and you worry about all the things you seem to have no control over. You don’t think you have a chance of making it another day. You find yourself fighting and praying and hoping you have the strength to swim, but sometimes, you have to let yourself sink.
Elder Orson F. Whitney said, “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. It is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education, that we come here to acquire.”
In the Bible, the apostle Paul expresses a similar idea. “There are time when God seems inaccessible,” Paul said. “When you pray, you feel abandoned in your present circumstances. And not just abandoned, but terrified and even hopeless.” Paul understood the feeling of hopelessness. He’d longed for an opportunity to preach in Rome, and was on his way there when a hurricane destroyed his ship.
Paul not only foresaw the loss of the ship, its crew and cargo, but the lives of all on the ship. He tried to warn the crew of the impending tragedy, but his words were disregarded by those in charge. In short, Paul and 276 others were placed in a life-threatening position, and there was nothing he could do about it. Feeling a sense of despair, he and his companions gathered together and prayed.
When the storm was most fierce, God sent an angel to Paul to let him know that he and his crew members would be saved. When it looked like Paul’s consuming desire to preach in Rome would not happen, God faithfully guided them through the storm to the exact destination planned for them.
Whatever trial you are facing today know this: you can always have faith that God will bring you through and you will be stronger and wiser for having had the experience. So Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
By Chaplain Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net
