A bumpy road

To you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake. – Philippians 1:29

When people tell me life is hard, I always reply, "Of course it is." I find that answer more satisfying than anything else I can say. Writer Charles Williams said, "The world is painful in any case; but it is quite unbearable if anybody gives us the idea that we are meant to be liking it."

The path by which God takes us often seems to lead away from what we perceive as our good, causing us to believe we’ve missed a turn and taken the wrong road. That’s because most of us have been taught to believe that if we’re on the right track God’s goodness will always translate into a life free of trouble.

But that’s a pipe dream far removed from the biblical perspective. God’s love often leads us down roads where earthly comforts fail us. Paul said, "To you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake" (Philippians 1:29). When we come to the end of all our dark valleys, we’ll understand that every circumstance has been allowed for our ultimate good.

"No other route would have been as safe and as certain as the one by which we came," Bible teacher F. B. Meyer said. "If only we could see the path as God has always seen it, we would have selected it as well." – David Roper

If some darker lot be good,

Lord, teach us to endure

The sorrow, pain, or solitude

That makes the spirit pure. – Irons

READ: Philippians 1:27-30

No trial would cause us to despair if we knew God’s reason for allowing it.

The Bible in one year:

• Joshua 7-9

• Luke 1:21-38