We are all on a journey of growth. Our development 

includes roles, chapters, and experiences.

God always has a next step for 


us to take in order to grow.


Trials and tribulations are inevitable...


they are an unavoidable part of life.



James did not say...


 “If we encounter problems consider it joy,” 


but... 


When we encounter problems 


consider it joy."

 For the most part, adversity gets our attention.


In light of what Christ did for us by providing 


redemption, the difficulties we face in life take


 on new significance. They are a means by 


which God works in our lives to accomplish His


 Will: to shape us so that we reflect the character


 of Christ.



When adversity strikes, we are forced to confront


 issues and pressures that are too large for us to 


handle. God gets our attention in this way.



Indeed, the problems we are experiencing have 


a purpose. We are not traversing the desert or 


wilderness in vain. It is during those experiences


 in the barren desert and wilderness... God is 


doing something in us, with us, and for us.



Trials teach us valuable life lessons.We may 


be unable to control our trials and tribulations,


 but we can learn from them.The Scriptures tell


us to remember that God is sovereign, even 


over our adversities.


 Ecclesiastes 7:14  

Paul admits to having a problem with pride and 


admits that God was justified in dealing with


 him to correct his issues.


Paul's honest guilty plea lightened his suffering,


allowing him to say, "Therefore I am well content


 with weaknesses, insults, sufferings, persecutions,


 and struggles for Christ's sake; for when I am weak,


 then I am strong."


Despite all of life's trials and tribulations... Paul 


accepted that such weakness in his life was 


exactly what was needed. It is what pushes Paul's 


earthly self aside, allowing Christ's strength to 


do what God has called Paul to do.

Believers must have the most faith in God in 


areas of their lives where they are weakest


God's power is never more compelling than when 


human reasoning yields no solution to the problem 


at hand. In the same seemingly counterintuitive


 way, believers who trust God are most powerful 


when they have the least amount of self-reliance. 


God can do far more than we could ever ask 


or imagine. This is what encourages us to go to 


God with great faith, knowing that God can do


 whatever God wishes... He does it... not by 


pushing us around, but by working powerfully 


and gently within us.

May we deal with adversity with Joy.

God's ultimate goal for us... is for us to become


more and more like His Son.


Romans 8:29

Whatever our circumstances are... God can 


make everything work for our good and benefit.


When we can see God's hand at work in our 


trials and tribulations, we can be empowered 


rather than impaled by them. 



We have the ability to become victorious


 rather than victims.We can find peace and joy 


in knowing that... everything works together


 for our good. 


Romans 8:28

Romans 8:28

Even in the midst of it all, God 


has the power to turn our entire 


world around.

God's power and strength are greater than anything we 


might see as an obstacle, barrier, gridlock, impediment, 


interference, or hindrance to the fulfillment of our needs 


or desires! 


We all fail, from time to time, but how do we 


react when difficulty and failure comes?



Do we become discouraged and give up, or do we 


pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and try again?



 Trying is the most important 


feature of growth.



When we fail... all we should take with us is the


experience and knowledge of what happened...


learn from it... and then move on.

God is exceedingly ingenious in how He orchestrates 


things in order for all things to work together for our


spiritual maturity.

Adversity, trials, tribulations, and suffering have 


the power to shape us more than anything else. 


Strength of character is formed through adversity. 


It is like a fertile ground for the mind, body, and 


soul. It has the potential to stimulate tremendous 


growth and bring out the very best in us.

When we face a crisis, trust... there is nothing 


God cannot do. God will certainly help, heal, 


protect, and uphold us, bringing us through 


whatever trial we face.

God permits some things to happen. Every adversity 


in our lives serves a purpose for God. Nothing happens 


in God's universe by chance, accident, or without 


God’s approval or purpose. 

God allows things to happen for a reason. 


God doesn't always prevent tragedy, but His 


grace is always sufficient to see us through it.


 The created will never fully comprehend our 


Creator's wisdom, but we must trust God's 


Will in every way.

It's virtually impossible to go through life 


without encountering pain, difficulties, 


inconveniences, rough patches, and hardships.

Trouble exposes our weaknesses 


and flaws and prompts us to rely 


on God.


Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, 


in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses 


for Christ’s sake


for when I am weak, then am I strong.”


II Corinthians 12:7–10

When those grueling, out-of-control challenges


 enter our lives, we may find ourselves perplexed


 and completely unable to comprehend why these


 things are happening. The enemy is bitter, 


angry. jealous, and malicious, and he is well-known


 for using adverse situations and conditions to attack


 and undermine our faith and conviction. He is 


constantly on the lookout for someone to devour.


 He wishes to make the believer's life miserable. He


 wants to rob us of our faith, joy, productivity, and 


peace of mind.



Satan, in actuality, does not want to see any of us 


walking in our callings, seeking, praising, or 


worshiping God. He slithers on the fast track of the


 mind, casting doubts and questions about God's 


grace and our faith.



He will even try to persuade the Believer that they


are not a true believer. The devil is a liar! His 


intention is to end our lives. 



He wants to divert our attention, hurt us, make us 


doubtful, weak, deceive us, devastate us, discourage


 us, and cause us to become anxious and angry. He


 wants Believers to miss out on everything God 


has in store for us... He is an evil monster!

The Scriptures warns us to stay alert,


awake and watchful.

God is perfectly able to carry out anything whatsoever to a 


bountiful culmination without the possibility of 


imperfection or failure. All of creation is under God's 


control, and anything under God's control... is ever out


 of reach or control.


Adversity is a call to re-evaluate our priorities, 


motivate us to have a closer walk with God, help


 us to grow to be more like Jesus, and less like 


our carnal-selves, in our daily lives.

We all carry around emotional baggage of some kind; 


baggage that can bring with it uneasiness, nervousness, 


fear, discomfort, hurt, guilt, regret, remorse, shame, 


disgust, self-doubt, anxiety, unpredictability, fragility, 


instability, insecurity, and the dreadful butterflies in 


the stomach. 

People can grow after a crisis. Many have proven 


themselves to be more powerful than the opposing 


forces. They managed to get to the other side of 


adversity. More likely than not, they discovered 


part of themselves, as well as new paths and 


purposes in life they did not know existed.


Highly challenging life crises can help us grow, 


develop wisdom, find resilience, inner strength, 


transform us in profoundly, fundamentally 


positive ways, and help us lead deeper and more 


meaningful lives.



In the face of hardship, some people may be 

vulnerable; yet mentally, physically, and 

spiritually stronger. Rather than bury themselves 

in guilt and fear they manage to grow through 

their suffering and find deeper and more 

meaningful lives. 

Adversity is the catalyst for self-discovery and new 


growth. People who have proven themselves to be


more powerful than the opposing forces and have 


managed to get to the other side of adversity, more


 likely than not, discovered a part of themselves 


they did not know existed.

God's ultimate purpose for us is to grow more

 and more into the image of His Son.

Romans 8:29

Adversity is designed to strengthen our faith. Every 


step in life prepares us for the next one. We may not 


realize it, but where we are now... is providing us 


with vital life lessons for our next adventure.

We may not be where we want to be in life, just yet. 


So, instead of becoming a slave to discomfort or


bitterness... let us try blooming where we have 


been planted.



















 How we weather the storms of life shows what 

we have built our lives on.


Matthew 18:16

The rains, the winds, and the floods will come…


and there is no social scale of more godly


 and less godly. In other words... no one escapes


 the storms in life.



Through life's storms we can learn that…in our 


own strength, we lack sufficient resources and 


abilities to meet these challenges, but with God...


no matter what our trial or test may be... no 


matter how severe or destructive the storm…


there is nothing big enough to prevent God 


from accomplishing His will.


One of the most valuable results of adversity


 is that through it we receive God’s comfort, 


which we are then able to share with others 


who face similar troubles.

God tests us to bring out the best in us.

May we seek to understand


 the lessons God wants us to learn.

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