Trusting God

Charles Spurgeon observed that when a man is down, he has his greatest opportunity to trust God, for a false faith survives only in calm waters, but true faith proves itself in storms. Many claim they cannot believe in a God who permits suffering, yet they raise their children with that same creed shielding them from every hardship and then wonder why those children grow into selfish, destructive adults. God indeed leads His people through the valley of the shadow of death, using affliction as the fire that purifies and prepares them for His service. Troubles are meant to drive us closer to Him, so that with David we may say, “When I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.” Looking back, we often see that without adversity we would never have gained wisdom or growth, for all things work together for good only to those who love God. In a fallen world, troubles are inevitable; the real question is whether they will expose unbelief or deepen our faith in the God who sustains us.