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Key Bible Verse: God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. (Psalm 46:1) Dig Deeper: James 1:2-4

Nanci and I attended a thirty-year reunion of our church college group. Forty came. Most of those present had lost a parent or two; some had lost spouses, siblings, or children. A few marriages had died; two had suffered mental breakdowns, others financial meltdowns. Some had children on drugs and in jail; several had cancer and other illnesses.

Yet it was a beautiful evening. Person after person kept saying, "God is faithful." We lingered late, tears wondrously mixed with laughter.

We sang our old Scripture songs from the early 1970s. Instead of being disillusioned because [those songs] hadn't panned out, we were encouraged because they'd proven truer than we'd realized back then. We learned—some from great hardship—that God alone can bear the full weight of our trust.

Some old friends couldn't come due to distance, health, or schedule conflicts. But some didn't come because their love for Christ had grown cold. Their day-to-day choices set them up for spiritual distraction and failure.

I pray that you will live the years ahead so that when you receive an invitation for your reunion, you'll want to come and hear—and share—what God has done.

—Randy Alcorn in Stand

My Response: How have I seen God's faithfulness during times of struggle?

Thought to Apply: This is God's universal purpose for all Christian suffering: more contentment in God and less satisfaction in the world.—John Piper (preacher, writer)

Adapted from Stand (Crossway, 2008). All rights reserved by the copyright holder and/or the publisher. May not be reproduced.

Copyright © 2010 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
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Prayer for the Week

Heavenly Father, I will try my best to be grateful for the good times, strive to trust you during the difficult times, and seek your wise and loving guidance at all times.

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