How God Turns Adversity Into Opprtunity

HowGodTurns
Adversityinto
Opportunity
ABiographical Approach
ToAnAncient Question
By Ken Hennessey
This book is dedicated to my wife, Patricia Ann, who has

suffered with me and sustained me with her devotion
and affection when I was at my lowest point with little
hope of recovery. She is proof that God can use us if we
How God Turns Adversity into Opportunity
are willing to turn it all over to Him. I want to
acknowledge her steadfastness to our marriage when I
was unable to support her as a husband should.
ii
Contents
CHAPTER 1—A LOOK BACK...................................................15
CHAPTER 2—I BEGIN TO SEE PURPOSE................................29
CHAPTER 3—TIME FOR SOME PHYSICAL CHANGES..............41
CHAPTER 4—GROWTH IN SPIRITUAL MATTERS.....................50
CHAPTER 6—INSPIRATION....................................................78
CHAPTER 7—CHOICES..........................................................85
CHAPTER 8—WITNESS........................................................105
CHAPTER 9—DEATH...........................................................110
CHAPTER 10—JOY...............................................................123
CHAPTER 11—HOPE............................................................126
WE CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT GOD WON’T LEAVE US
HELPLESS TO MEET THE CHALLENGES THAT HE BRINGS OUR
WAY. HE PROMISED US A WAY OUT BY WHICH WE CAN
OVERCOME OUR CIRCUMSTANCES (I CORINTHIANS 10:13) SO
THAT DURING TESTS WE WILL BENEFIT IF WE BUT YIELD OUR
DEPENDENCE TO HIM. HE KNOWS OUR ENDURANCE LEVEL
SINCE HE CREATED US. HE KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS TO
ACCOMPLISH IN US AND HOW HE IS GOING TO BRING IT
ABOUT: “LOOK, I GO FORWARD, BUT HE IS NOT THERE, AND
BACKWARD, BUT I CANNOT PERCEIVE HIM; WHEN HE WORKS
ON THE LEFT HAND, I CANNOT BEHOLD HIM; WHEN HE
TURNS TO THE RIGHT HAND, I CANNOT SEE HIM. BUT HE
KNOWS THE WAY THAT I TAKE; WHEN HE HAS TESTED ME, I
SHALL COME FORTH AS GOLD.” (JOB 23:8-17)...................129
CHAPTER 12—THE GOSPEL—OUR CONNECTION WITH GOD
...........................................................................................132
CHAPTER 13—REWARD......................................................136
CHAPTER 14—GOD IS IN CONTROL....................................140
First printing: September 2005
Second Printing: December 2005
Scripture taken from the New King James Version.

Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2005 by Ken Hennessey

Published by Pathfinder’s Fellowship
info@pathfinderfellowship.org
www. pathfinderfellowship.org
Cover Art: Clickart (RELCOL82.JPG)

iii
http://www.lulu.com/Pathfinders
Requests for information should be addressed to:

Pathfinder’s Fellowship
613 E. Main Street
Mankato, MN 56001
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means except for brief quotations without
the prior permission of the author.
Printed in the United States of America
iv
Introduction
"So Satan went out from the presence of the

LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of
his foot to the crown of his head. And he took for
himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he
sat in the midst of the ashes.
Then his wife said to him, 'Do you still hold fast to
your integrity? Curse God and die!' But he said to her,
'You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we
indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept
adversity?' In all this Job did not sin with his lips.' (Job
2:7-10)
This was written about a Gentile during the time
of the Patriarchs and covers a time period similar to
Abraham’s day so it outlines an age-old problem: how
do we hold fast yet accept adversity? Job evidently
knew of the true God and he was a humble, earnest
worshipper of Jehovah even though he had no
acquaintance with the written Word of his day.
For us to be earnest in our worship of God, we
may have to accept similar adversity. In this same
chapter Job is described as “one who fears God and
shuns evil.” The “fear of the Lord” is a phrase of Old
Testament piety and means a reverential trust with a
hatred of evil. Satan played the same game against Job
that he played against Adam and Eve, aiming to seduce
him from his faith in God and rob him of his integrity by
provoking Job to curse God.
He used adversity of a different sort in another
worshipper’s life. Samson was the son of Manoah, born
at Zorah. The narrative of his life is given in Judges 13-
16. He was a “Nazarite unto God” from his birth, the
first Nazarite mentioned in Scripture. God had prepared
him with incredible strength against the Philistines but
his infatuation for the Philistine harlot Delilah caused
How God Turns Adversity into Opportunity--Introduction
him to wander from God’s grace so he lost his

endowment.
He finally told Delilah (who was in secret alliance
with Philistine soldiers) the secret of his strength: “If I
am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall
become weak, and be like any other man.” The
Philistines captured him, blinded him, and put him to
work in prison at Gaza to grind grain.
His strength returned when they called for him to
perform at a temple celebration of their god Dagon.
Positioning himself between two supporting pillars, he
prayed this prayer: “O Lord God, remember me, I pray!
Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may
with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my
two eyes!”
He perished in the last terrible destruction he
brought upon his enemies. However, “the dead which
he slew at his death were more than they which he slew
in his life.”
I sustained a near-fatal motorcycle accident in
California in the summer of '97 that left me disabled.
Much like Samson, I had to wrestle with emotions and
images that begged the question, “God...why?” The
answer came gradually and maybe, not yet fully, but I
decided to record my thoughts in this book entitled
“How God Turns Adversity into Opportunity.” The first
edition was an 87-page autobiographical approach to
the question “why do bad things happen to good
people” that developed as a result of my accident and
rubbing shoulders with disabled friends.
The book is by no means a classic or best-seller,
but it does give a very personal view of the sovereignty
of God. It is loaded with scripture so it might make a
good missive for a Bible study on the subject of God's
control in our lives. In this revised edition there is more
content, more correct grammar, and more photos. One
chapter is devoted to what occurred on that fateful day
iii
of Thursday, July 17, 1997 and how it lead to a wisdom-

seeking pilgrimage.
I don't plan to write any more books, but I never
planned this one, either! As you read this book pray
that God will give you a morsel to chew on that feeds
your soul. Also pray its message will get into the hands
of people whom it can really help. After you read it you
might want to give a copy to someone who is going
through trials of his own. The gospel is presented
clearly, so it can be used to witness to the lost as well.
The message found in this book is primarily for
those who have trusted Jesus Christ as their Lord though
the principles found herein from the Bible can apply to
all readers.
The words of Psalm 23 have brought comfort to
many people during their trials. These words speak of
the Lord's desire to guide us safely through all of life's
adversity, including death, to His heavenly home.
Jesus Christ is the Shepherd so beautifully
described in this psalm. In John 10:11 Christ said, “I am
the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for
the sheep.” Jesus gave His life for you and me, to pay
for our sins.
In Isaiah 53:6 we read, “All we like sheep have
gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own
way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us
all.”
Jesus died for us and rose again, forever breaking
the power of sin and death. And now, He promises:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word
and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life,
and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from
death into life.” (John 5:24)
You can trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior
today. Then the promises of this beloved psalm will be
yours and the message of this book will become more
meaningful for you.
iv
Is God all-powerful or not? Is He in control or just

a spectator? How could a gracious God allow personal
tragedies or allow our hopes and dreams to be
shattered? Why did my family and I have to go though
a cataclysmic upheaval from a motorcycle accident that
left me disabled? Does God just tossing a dice to see
whose turn it is to suffer? Was He suggesting I needed
to pay for some sin in my life? “God, are You up there?”
was my cry.
One of the oldest dilemmas facing mankind is
recorded in the Bible in Job. The narrative reminds us
that even in the midst of our suffering, God is worthy of
praise. He is absolutely sovereign so has every right to
do whatever he chooses. He has, however, given us
certain promises and guidelines and due to his attribute
of love, has weighted His might with grace and mercy
toward us.
We may not be able to analyze every situation,
but in times of distress we are prone to ask how it is
possible to reconcile God being good, merciful and
faithful with events He obviously allows to take place.
Sometimes we suffer problems because of our way of
living; however, like Job, after we’ve analyzed our
relationship to God and determined that we’re not
“reaping what we’ve sown,” and are sure God is not
“punishing good or rewarding evil,” we come to a place
of understanding how the immeasurable wisdom and
power of God drives us to our knees. How do we show
our faith and how does He prove Himself if we believe
through circumstances that He has lost control when He
hasn’t the power to stop tragedy from occurring?
Finally, how can something so horrendous be “God’s
will?”
A friend of mine who was going through a trial of
cancer was told that because of personal sin in her life
she needed to fall on her knees and repent. She later
explained “how misguided was that person to believe
God punishes His children in such a way. There have
v
been so many ways this experience has enabled me to

reach others. Most of all, I have grown closer to the
Lord, [enabled] to understand so many things He is
[teaching] us. This [experience] has been such a
blessing and I praise Him in every situation He has
brought me through.”
I want to examine the subject of adversity as it
relates to a Christian and see if we can decide
emphatically if suffering can be a part of God’s plan for
us and if it can, what hope can we hold on to. First,
allow me to introduce this treatise with a humorous
story that relates to the theme:
An elderly lady was well known for her faith

and for her boldness in talking about it. She
would stand on her front porch and shout, “Praise
the Lord!” Next door to her lived an atheist who
would get so angry at her proclamations that he
would shout, “There ain't no Lord!”
Hard times set in on the elderly lady, and
she prayed for God to send her some assistance.
She stood on her porch and shouted, “Praise the
Lord! God, I need food. I am having a hard time.
Please, Lord, send me some groceries.”
The next morning, the lady went out on her
porch and noted a large bag of groceries and
shouted, “Praise the Lord!”
The neighbor jumped from behind a bush
and said, “Ha...Ha. I told you there was no Lord! I
bought those groceries, myself! God didn't!”
The lady started jumping up and down and
clapping her hands and saying, “Praise the Lord!
He not only sent me groceries, but He made the
Devil pay for them! Praise the Lord!”
Today, Wednesday, December 31, 2003, as a

challenge to begin a new year, I am starting a journal to
record my thoughts as they occur. What I will be
vi
recording will be “spur-of-the-moment” thoughts. I tend

to think and write in a “stream of consciousness”
method—something I excelled at in my high school
days. The idea to write this all down came as a result of
sending an article from “Our Daily Bread” entitled
“Unanswered Prayer” to several people on November
30, 2003 via E-mail.
The devotional encouraged its readers to read the
Bible passage in Matthew, chapter 26, verses 36
through 44 where it talks about how Jesus went with His
disciples to a place called Gethsemane in Israel and
asked them to wait for Him while He prayed the
following prayer: “My Father, if it is possible, may this
cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will,”
then “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be
taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
The author, Vernon Grounds, made a parallel
between Christ’s prayer and a friend afflicted with an
illness for which there was no medical cure, yet God
seemingly denied repeated requests for healing. He
then cited an article by Carol Bradley that tells us about
the wisdom of Craig Satterlee, a seminary professor in
Chicago. He was legally blind since birth, with only 20
percent of normal vision, yet did not complain, saying
that he believed wholeheartedly that God had given him
something even better.
“I am whole,” he said, “even though I am legally
blind.” He went on to say, “I don't believe in the power
of prayer. I believe in the power and presence of God,
so I pray.” He added, “We know that God brings light
out of darkness, life out of death, hope out of despair.
That's what Scripture teaches us.”
The thought that so many other Christians around
the world are prayng to God at the same moment as we
should never cause us to feel that our needs are any
less important to God. Instead, knowing that He is
present everywhere simultaneously, is infinitely wise,
vii
and has unlimited power, we can be assured that He is

giving us His full consideration.
I realize prayer isn't a way to get God to do
whatever we want. It's more of an expression of our
trust in His power, wisdom, and grace so that no matter
what we ask God to do for us, we are to have the
attitude of Jesus, who said, “Nevertheless, not as I will,
but as You will.” In my own personal life, I had to ask
“how should I react to tragic events like my motorcycle
accident? When upsetting experiences would come to
create an atmosphere of darkness and gloom, how
should I respond? The example on May 19, 1780 of a
judge in Connecticut, Abraham Davenport, gives an
illustration of hope to keep pressing onward.
Many members of the Connecticut legislature
were urging adjournment because a gloomy day was
turning gloomier. Abraham Davenport, however,
proclaimed to his colleagues, “I am against
adjournment. The day of judgment is either approaching
or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for an
adjournment; if it is, I choose to be found doing my
duty. I wish therefore that candles may be brought.”
The apostle Paul had a similar determination.
Even though he had faced severe hardship and
opposition, and was hearing gloomy news about his
future, he was determined to “finish [his] race with joy.”
(Acts 20:24) I have decided to have that quiet
confidence in my Lord and remain faithful in serving
Him. Everyone has probably experienced some form of
suffering but it’s not so much the pain that should be
our focus but what we do with the pain.
Job said it was unavoidable, Paul said expect it as
part of God’s plan, Peter said we were appointed to it,
and Jesus said don’t fear it but just go with Him through
it! They were talking about problems, troubles, and
afflictions. What are they, why do they come, and how
should we respond to them?
viii
The Christian life will sometimes be painful and

full of problems. The affliction in our lives is much like
the fires of Daniel 3: they only burned away that which
hindered the three young men from walking with the
Lord in the fiery furnace! So in our lives affliction burns
away what hinders our walk! Affliction scrapes away
what is not part of God’s plans for our lives. Psalm
119:71 reads “It is good for me that I have been
afflicted, that I may learn your statutes.”
What is adversity from the human standpoint?
Adversity is the ill treatment Hagar got from her
jealous boss Sarah recorded in Genesis, chapter 16.
Adversity is the lack of love that Leah got from her
husband Jacob in Genesis 29. Adversity is the lost
wages and broken promises Jacob got from Laban in
Genesis 31. Adversity is the hatred, jealousy, and
betrayal that Joseph experienced from his brothers in
Genesis 41. Adversity is the underpayment and
overwork of the Hebrews by unkind and evil masters in
Exodus 3. Adversity is the pain Hannah endured
because of her inability to have children in I Samuel 1.
It is described in Psalm 119 as emotional or physical
state of misery through affliction.
But God can use adversity to pull us back and
keep us on His path. Psalm 119:67 tells us that before
we are afflicted we go on a wrong path but afterward
we examine our steps to see if they line up with His
Word. Psalm 119:75 teaches us that adversity can
remind us that everything the Lord does is good and
right. Psalm 119:153 gives us hope that adversity can
lead the way to a personal tutorial from our Divine
Teacher when we have an opportunity to “delight” in
Him rather than cave under our troubles. When we are
faced by strong adversity it comes with a promise from
God for a special delivery with everything we need.
Experience seems to dictate a different answer,
however. When adversity strikes we are apt to ask,
“Why me?” When we ask the question, what we really
ix
want is assurance that everything is under God’s

control. Taking something bad and turning into
something good is not immediately on our agenda
during trying times. Hopefully we can learn from our
devastating circumstances but understanding why
something is happening to us takes an in-depth look at
the workings and character of God.
For those who are outside the realm of God's
peace, hardship is something to avoid. For such a
person it is not possible to believe anything positive can
come out of such pressure. For those who have “the
peace of God, which surpasses all understanding”
(Philippians 4:7), God has turned affliction into blessing.
Yes, life can be tough but that's because we live
in a sin-cursed world (Genesis, chapter 3) and we often
suffer because of the consequence of this sin (Galatians,
chapter 6). However, the Bible has the answers to our
problems (Psalms, chapter 19). Let's face it: we are not
in control of this life (Habukkuk chapter 3) We have to
depend upon Him to turn our afflictions into something
positive (Romans, chapter 8).
No, you're not going to find answers to every
single specific problem you'll face but you can turn to
the Scriptures to find an example or a principal that will
guide you through your dilemma. The Bible is not some
type of “self-help” manual on coping with life, but it
explains the character of Christ who has gone before us
in suffering and Who has conquered the sin and its
woes.
We learn from Him not to become self focused.
Affliction tends to turn our eyes off of God and on to
ourselves and it is a human tendency to think that
everything in life is about us specifically. For the
Christian the focus of life should be on God and our
fellow humans, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. It
is difficult to comprehend that suffering may be all
about something other than us. We tend to want to plan
our own life to make us happy.
x
Just as Jonah eventually came to realize his

purpose in life and the great fish became his
transportation (“Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God
from the fish’s belly. And he said: ‘I cried out to the
LORD because of my affliction, And He answered me.’”
[Jonah 2:1 and 2]) as we accept God's purpose we will
begin to understand that the crises of life are meant to
glorify God and fulfill his purposes and we won’t be
prone to ask “why me?”
It is like the excursion I took into Merrimac caves
in Missouri. The park ranger turned off the lights at one
point. It was ominously dark! I could sense confusion in
that darkness even though I understood that the guide
had done this many times before and had the power to
dispel our fears with one simple flick of a switch. I was
immediately ready for the illumination, but the ranger
delayed the remedy to allow us to experience the full
effect of the occasion! God, too, brings us through
periods of darkness, desiring to draw us closer to Him
for comfort and guidance but we are too impatient to
wait for God’s time for us to learn and understand.
“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not
crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not
destroyed- always carrying about in the body the dying
of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be
manifested in our body. For we who live are always
delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus
also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” (II
Corinthians 4:8-11)
My computer’s electronic mailbox contained
several responses to my forwarding of the afore-
mentioned “Daily Bread” devotional message. One
caught my attention. The author said “When I got
saved I asked God to just take away my pain which was
on a level 10—10 being the greatest. Immediately it was
gone--never has it returned to that level and even
though the disease still ravages my body daily, there is
xi
no physical manifestation of the disease in my body--no

pain of any kind and no suffering.”
I wrote back to this gentleman that I would not
sacrifice spiritual blessings as a result of this physical
handicap and its daily spiritual enrichment for a physical
healing. I could have died but did not—that was a
miracle. I ‘should’ have been a 'vegetable' but am not--
that is a miracle. I should be in extreme debt because
of the thousands of dollars in medical bills but am not--
that's a miracle. There are at least three miracles that I
enjoy that I couldn't without having had my accident.
This sounds strange and ridiculous to anyone who has
never experienced adversity, but my accident was
actually a blessing and my present condition reminds
me of that.
Do we look for healing in God's powerful Word?
Not just read it but believe it and put its teachings into
practice? Those who are plagued by persistent
adversity should read Jeremiah where they can find the
key to healing. Jeremiah, despite difficulties and
hardships, found joy in the words of the Lord. The
psalmist loved God's commandments, as well: “I will
delight myself in Your commandments...I will meditate
on Your statutes.” (Psalm:119:47-48) “The Bible
contains the vitamins for soul health.” (Dr. De Haan)
Jesus cares when we hurt and suffer loss. In Luke
7:12-13 He came to a city where the sole child died of a
widower and was being carried out of her home. The
Bible says that “When the Lord saw her, He had
compassion on her.” In Mark 1:40 and 41 a leper came
to Him, begging to heal him. Jesus was “moved with
compassion” and healed him. Jesus knows our hurts
and understands our grief because He experienced the
greatest betrayal, suffering, pain and loss that a person
could ever experience. Isaiah tells us our Lord suffered
willingly (Isaiah 53.5). If Christ loved us so much that He
willingly submitted to torture and death on our behalf
xii
we can find comfort knowing He cares for us when our

heart is broken and our lives are a mess.
At the waters of Marah, the Lord told Moses to
throw a tree into the water, which made it “sweet” and
drinkable (Exodus 15:25). Marah means “bitter” in
Hebrew. When another “tree,” (Jesus) is “cast into” the
bitter circumstances of our lives, it can make them
“sweet” (“He himself bore our sins in his body on the
tree, so that we might die to sins and live for
righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” [I
Peter 2:24]) Our outlook will be changed as we consider
His submission to the will of God (“Father, if you are
willing, take this cup [speaking of the sacrificial death
on the cross awaiting Him] from me; yet not my will, but
yours be done.” [Luke 22:42]) We may not understand
why our Lord permits certain trials to come our way, yet
it is the will of our Father and Friend, whose wisdom and
love are infinite.
There are a many books on the subject of how
God turns trauma into blessing and even some
television shows that point out how human near-
tragedies turned into victories. My example is not
necessarily a rare nor astounding case of study but it
does give a down-to-earth look at how God meets our
needs in ways that we sometimes don’t understand or
even agree with! Here I am, unable to walk unassisted,
but able to find hope in a painful world.
I am reminded of the ordeals of Joni Earekson
Tada. After her dive into shallow lake waters, she was
left a quadriplegic. She was a Christian young lady with
plans to go to college but in the summer of 1967 her
plans were drastically altered! For years she searched
for meaning. She would implore, “How could You
[speaking to God] let this happen to me?” She would
think, “I can’t go on like this!” Later, she acknowledged
that God responds to the needy and said, “If I can’t die,
show me how to live.” Today she has authored over 25
books, appeared in at least 35 countries, paints
xiii
inspirational art with just her mouth, sings to the glory

of God, and has organized “Joni and Friends,” a ministry
that provides scholarships for needy children to
Christian camps, helps the feeble in nursing homes,
provides wheel chairs to handicapped individuals, and
delivers radio broadcasts of hope. She often speaks of
embracing life and Christ in local churches around the
country. Her testimony reminds me of the saying: “A
little is much when
God is in it.”
xiv
How God Turns Adversity into Opportunity--Purpose
Chapter 1—A Look Back
This day begins the month of January in 2004.

January is named after Janus, the Roman god of
beginnings. He was symbolized as a man with two
faces, one looking back and the other looking ahead.
A new year is an opportunity for new beginnings.
W. R. Hunt wrote a “New Year’s Prayer” that reminds us
to not take for granted friends that enter our life and
gives us a list of things to ask God for in the New Year:
“Dear Lord, please give me a few friends

Who understand me and yet remain my friends;
A work to do which has real value,
Without which the world would feel the poorer;
A mind unafraid to travel even though the trail be not
blazed;
An understanding heart and a sense of humor;
Time for quiet, silent meditation;
A feeling of the presence of God;
And the patience to wait for the coming of these things,
With the wisdom to know them when they come.”
I should trace a little of my history so you can

relate back to the singular event that prompted me to
pen these words. This biographical sketch of my
accident will have little meaning if you don’t know the
backdrop of what preceded. What goes on before leads
to the question, “OK, what did I do to deserve this?” I
was born February 14, 1951.
Yes, I’m a Valentine’s baby!
I’m just grateful my mom didn’t
name me Valentino like she
thought she would. That would
have been a hard name to live up
to considering the actor Rudolf
Valentino born in 1895 in Italy who
became a sex-symbol of movies in America during the
15
“roaring 20’s” and wrote the autobiography “The

Romance of Rudolf Valentino's Adventurous Life.” My
dad is Ken M. Hennessey and my mom is Evelyne M.
(Block) Hennessey. I have a younger brother named
Frederick Mark and an older brother whom I’ve never
met named Terrance. I was raised in a small college
town of Mankato in Minnesota.
I was no mental giant in school but what I lacked
in gray matter I made up in persistence—a trait that
would later become important in my life. I fell madly in
love with my Kindergarten teacher but had a rude
awakening in my first-grade teacher! We lived about a
block from the elementary school until we moved to a
farm and I was relocated to a different elementary
school for third through sixth grade.
I was relocated once again, to another school, this
time because of a bus transportation redistricting, but
only for a short while before I began my middle teens in
junior high school. It was here in seventh grade that I
met John Krause, who would become a life-long friend. I
now correspond with him and compare notes on family
life. We investigated our common interest of science
together all the way through high school. He was the
one to continue on with these pursuits to the end of
becoming a researcher in the field of quarks. I don’t
even know what a quark is.
I remember that seventh grade was when I began
looking at girls differently. I suddenly began to notice
things about them that I never had up to this point.
During those junior high school days I experienced the
typical woes of being a pre-adolescent: hating my
looks, bodily exploration, self-reinvention, authority
disapproval, nicknames, and obsession with the
opposite sex.
It wasn’t until my high school days that I made a
few decisions that I believed would mold my future. I
had already changed church attendance but I took a
more aggressive role in the church. Leadership in my
16
Sunday school class lead to an extended course of

events that shaped my future distinctively and
momentously. God had in mind something much better
than what I could have imagined at that moment,
however.
When I graduated from high school, I thought I
would escape my strict home environment by moving to
a school campus in South Carolina. At a private,
Christian college, however, I was confronted with rules
that were harder to tolerate than those at home!
Attendance there did provide finesse in social skills and
integrity in religious endeavors, however. At Bob Jones
University I met Margaret Packer whom I later wed and
brought four loving children into thee world.
I’m a measly 5’ 10” but I make up for it in weight
—I’m about 200 pounds. I have brown hair (well, except
for the grey!) I’m part Irish. With a name like
Hennessey you hope so, right? I mostly read technical
manuals, but also the Bible and religious articles—
sometimes a fictional book. I wrote this autobiography,
which was a new “stretch.”
Before I became a printer, I taught high school
students for a time immediately after marriage. I was
actively involved with my local church and unwittingly
depended upon my heritage for my spiritual needs. I
seemingly had all the right words and actions to pass
for a “Christian” but inwardly there was a void. Not
until a preacher’s message sunk in through to my spirit
did I actually depend on a finished work of redemption
by Christ.
Our family moved to southern
California where I continued my printing
career. I began on a small printing press.
Because this seemed to be a talent I didn’t
realize I possessed, I moved quickly to larger
presses. I learned a great deal and steadily
advanced in proficiency and earnings until I
was running a large 2-color offset press and
17
eventually was promoted to a foreman. I tried to learn

as much as I could from my co-workers and employer,
but spent far too much time in my career and not with
my family. This lasted about 20 years until God wanted
my full attention.
A decision that evolved many years later into near
calamity was made to purchase a motorcycle. I drove
the “wheels” every day 30 miles to
work and back home for nearly 17
years. From most everyone’s
viewpoint I was pressing my luck. I
will later outline the catastrophe
that resulted, but for now I’ll simply
say the purchase led to inconceivable turning point in
my life.
I had played basketball in high school and my
youngest daughter followed in my path so I understand
and appreciate the game and will watch one now and
then, but I don’t follow the national teams. The Vikings
are big here in Minnesota, but I’m not into football. I
guess I pay attention to tennis and soccer only because
my son, KC, and daughter, Sharee, were active in those
sports, but I prefer chess—not that I’m great at it, but I
like its complexity and unpredictability.
There are many people who had impact on my
young life but a few stand out in my memory. Marilyn
Michel, the wife of my high school Pastor, mentored me
as an Amway distributor. Marilyn’s friendship was my
first exposure to domestic life in a Pastor’s home. It was
back then that I got my first glimpse into her “soul” and
was truly thankful for knowing the “woman behind the
man.”
‘Pastor John’ got me on a road that I would travel
through life. He never gave up on children, and his
persistence became the magnet that drew children to
the Bible and God. There were numerous times when
my Mom called him for help with her son! Even back
then my minister was molding my life. To think that
18
what we have become today is partly due to influences

yesterday. I deeply respected him for his unwavering
stand in the Gospel and for his endeavors to help folks
understand it and believe it. He has many God-given
talents but what sets him apart in my mind is how he
invested them wisely for the cause of Christ.
Another person who molded my life was my
Sunday school teacher, Dick Friend. He took special
interest in me during high school. I remember going
with him on his truck route to deliver cold cuts to
various vendors. He would introduce me to each vendor
as his “helper” which gave me a sense of worth with
pride. Because of his “down-to-earth” approach at
counseling, I was able to grapple with those “big”
questions that plague most teenagers. I came out
almost adult-like in my rationale.
Pete and Joanne Jaeger, a married couple in my
church, had teenagers of their own. Somehow they
managed to attract teens in need. There was nothing
neither outstanding nor striking about them; yet, teens
confided their secret troubles to them in search of
answers that would guide them. Often, the Jaegers
would open their farm home to church-sponsored youth
activities. One characteristic that impressed me as a
youth was their desire to kindly indoctrinate young
people to lead God-fearing and honest lives. Being fun-
loving parents, they used humor to get this point
across.
One of their children was Nicky. I didn’t chum
with him much but he unknowingly influenced my life.
Nicky seemed quiet but he always “stood his ground”
when it came to important issues. I admired him for
this quality. No doubt, his parents had instilled
steadfastness and the ability to prioritize his demands.
Another family that held a special power over my
life was Harold and Francine Wishart with their children
David and Sheryl. A contemporary of mine, Sheryl had
a “magical” power over me! Her outward beauty did
19
not captivate me as much as her inward beauty. She

was very consistent in the expression of her spiritual life
and put real meaning in her walk with her Master, and
that caught my eye. Dave impressed me with his
intelligence but he was not a contemporary schoolmate
whom I hung around with much, so his influence on my
life was minimal until later years when he became my
Sunday school teacher.
I had and have great respect for these people of
resilience, self-control, tolerance and meekness who
“esteem others greater than” themselves. It took a lot
to bridal their fears in the face of what appeared to be
insurmountable odds as teens. I thank God that He
knows the future and we can only do today what He
sees fit for us in the moment. I know that when one
loves people and gives of himself and family to see to
other’s needs, it’s not easy facing life’s challenges but
we must continually remember who’s ultimately in
control. All we can do is try to please Him in all that we
do and trust He’ll take care of the details. I value family
though I nearly blew it with my first one—left them for
another gal. The kids are all grown up with families of
their own so they are beginning to see how difficult it
can be, but I called each of them to apologize and they
aren’t holding a grudge. Even their mom called to show
her care and forgiveness. I guess it helps that we’re all
Christians so that we have the power to really love
I had four children
from that marriage. My
oldest, born September 30,
1972, Margaret Lynnise,
was named after her mom
and two aunts. At this
writing she and her
husband, Jeff, already have five children
of their own. Our second
child, born July 2, 1974,
was named after me in
20
case we didn’t have any boys: Kendra Leigh. She has

one daughter with her husband, Ray. We did have the
boy on September 24, 1975 so we named him after the
two grandpas: Kenneth Carl. He and his wife, Tracy,
have a boy and a girl. My last child born to Margaret
and me was Evelyne Dawn, named after my mom. She
was born September on the 27, 1977. She has one son.
I remarried and had a
daughter named Sharee Irene
born April 9, 1988. I became
the step-dad to two sons Chad
Michel Suchy born March 14,
1975 and Wayne Robert
Suchy born September 1,
1970.
I mentioned I would go into more detail regarding
my motorcycle days. The calamity that I only referred
to I now want to share with you in more detail.
I looked through a box of “mementos” of my
motorcycle accident of July 1997 and was impressed by
the magnitude of friendship and caring that was
exhibited! I received dozens of packaged, hand-made,
hand-colored and computer-generated cards from
friends, children of my church, my doctors, relatives and
friends of friends. The Glenwood School PTA in
Thousand Oaks, California (my youngest daughter’s
school at the time), its office staff, principal, teachers
and children sent hand-written notes and letters,
pictures, drawings and gifts. Children of parents in our
Sunday-school class and people of other churches and
Christian organizations sent notes of encouragement as
did clients, potential clients and professional
acquaintances from my DJ business as well as co-
workers and supervisors from my work places. There
were even some people whom I had never met or
known who sent E-mails from around the world. I didn’t
realize I had made such an impression. I have grown
emotionally, mentally and spiritually quite a bit since
21
then. I believe I can appreciate the sentiments

expressed more now than when they were actually
received but at the time, these sentimental emblems
gave me a sense of hope.
I don’t remember much
before, during, or immediately
after the accident, but now that
some time has passed, I can
offer my assessment of the
experience and relay some of
“life’s lessons” that it taught
me. The experience goes a long way to explain where
I’m at today.
One of the last things that I do remember that I
did before the accident was read my Father’s Day cards.
Apparently, according to what I could glean from them, I
worked one of my three jobs the night before July 17,
1997 from midnight to 5:00 AM and then went off to my
second job from 7 AM until 2 PM
(about 30 miles away from my
home town.) On the trip back
home that Thursday morning I
plowed into a pick-up truck on
the Ventura freeway in Southern
California. I did have some
mobile DJ jobs lined up for the weekend, plus several
more lined up through December (my third job). My
wife, Patti, had to refund deposits and line up
substitutes.
In addition to taking care of my
business details, Patti had to deal with
financial and scheduling changes, plus
manage her own daycare business and ease
the pain of our 9-year old daughter. She did a
very commendable job of picking up and
putting together the pieces of the puzzle of our lives.
22
Another memory I
have is when one of my
daughters, Evie, and her son
Isaiah, were out from
Missouri visiting with me in
California just before the
accident and one of the last
pictures taken before the
accident was of us at a local
pizza restaurant. She was scheduled to fly home on the
following Monday, but she didn’t want to leave until
there was some “sign” that I was going to make it! I
guess that sign came while she was visiting me in the
hospital—I opened my eyes!
I’m told that I “conversed” with one hand (a raise
of my fingers). I must have understood a few things at
that time but I was mostly incoherent and unaware of
my surroundings. Whether or not I understood what
said, I did tell my wife that I loved her two weeks after
the accident.
I had to piece together a few bits of information
from the traffic collision report and several church
bulletins to later figure out what actually happened.
From these I determined that I crashed into a quickly
slowing Ford Pickup headed for LA, south-bound on the
US 101 Freeway in Thousand Oaks in Southern
California on a Thursday evening of
July 17, 1997 and was investigated at
5:48 PM. I was driving a ’83 750cc
Yamaha motorcycle. I was found on
my back in the center divider. I had
careened out of control into the
center-divide retaining wall. Injuries
reported at the scene included “basil
scull fracture, fractured ribs and
clavicle and a collapsed lung.” There
were three drivers who were noted
as witnesses, but I have never approached them
23
concerning what they recalled, although, the witness

directly behind me stated in the report that I “applied
my brakes but was unable to stop” which indicates I was
not asleep as some folks had suggested. I was
transported to the nearby Los Robles ICU hospital where
I remained in a coma for three days with a twisted brain
stem and blood drainage from my left ear. My survival
was unlikely, medically speaking.
I made very slow but steady progress in my
recovery, sleeping most of the time but I did respond to
commands ten days later. My lungs began clearing and
the blood in the brain fluid began to dissipate although I
continued to run a low-grade fever and I was taking
antibiotics. The doctors were encouraged at this point.
Patti was too! She had been told that I might not make
it but if I survived through the weekend, I had a good
chance. By July 29th, I was off the ventilator and was
making efforts to speak.
On August 4, I was
moved from the critical-
care unit and on August
11 I was transferred for
rehabilitation therapy to
St. John's Regional Medical
Center in Oxnard,
California where I did a
major portion of my physical rehabilitation from mid-
August until mid-September. I remember I got used to
using as walker but I had to spend about three hours a
day navigating a wheelchair. Swallowing tests revealed
problems and to this day I choke on tepid liquids or
flaky foods. I saw the outdoors for the first time on the
last day of August before I was transferred to a “rehab
home” for a couple of months where my “cognitive”
thinking and speech were ‘fine-tuned.’ I was allowed to
stay with my family a few weekends during October the,
finally, in early November, I got to go home where I did
24
some in-home rehab with physical and occupational

therapists for 4-5 months.
There are “hospital stories” that are
funny, pathetic, frightening, boring, and
gruesome, but I’ll spare you the details! I
guess I did “come on” to a few nurses,
though (as if I could have done anything
about it!) There was one individual who
gave me incentive to progress through the
different levels that my physical therapist
prescribed and he was a real encouragement despite
his small size and young age. Trevor White began in
our daycare center when he was only a few weeks old.
He learned to crawl and walk during his stay with us.
He and I would practice crawling together—he for a
learning experience and me for therapy. Later, he felt
excited about fetching my cane and bringing it to me
wherever he could find me. We formed a bond that was
very warm, yet comical to watch. In some ways I was
somewhat envious of him because I knew that
eventually he’d be walking whereas I would not.
Some interesting “coincidences” pertaining to the
accident became known later. One such “coincidence”
was that an ambulance was only a few cars behind me
and stopped to rescue me even before the call for help
went in—probably the main reason I survived. The
paramedics inflated a collapsed lung while a girlfriend of
my daughter-in-law held me in her arms (she didn’t
even know who I was until she called my daughter-in-
law, Tracy, and told her the “news.”) Someone
suggested I had fallen asleep on the road, causing the
accident, and while that is very believable, considering
the long hours I kept and my tendency to doze while
driving, a witness proved otherwise. Another
interesting coincidence was that for the first time in a
long time, I decided to wear my padded motorcycle
gloves.
25
After going home from the hospitals

for more recovery I worked with
occupational and physical therapists.
Although I’m certain they were trained to
do only approved tasks, it seemed to me
they were pushing me to my limits. The
exercises and lessons paid off, however,
until I started living a degree of a self-sufficient life
style.
Those around me get teased sometimes because
of my disability (I am not directly teased, but I am
aware of how others perceive my slow cadence and
slurred speech.) My daughter (10 years old, at the time
of my accident) was at an age when peer-pressure
begins to have a great impact on decision making. She,
like many other young folks, did not deal well with
ridicule and began to feel insecure about what others
had to say about the situation. Often, others, feeling
insecure themselves, tried to downgrade my family so
they would feel better themselves.
The other side of this story is that people who
survive such difficulty, usually end up surprising us with
greater insight to life. Take Helen Keller, for instance--
an outstanding example of a person who conquered
physical disabilities. A serious illness destroyed her
sight and hearing at the age of about 1½. Because of
this, she was unable to speak and was entirely shut off
from the world. But she rose above her disabilities to
become internationally famous and to help disabled
people to live fuller lives. She once said: “I thank God
for my handicaps. For through them, I have found
myself, my work and my God.”
I have sometimes wondered if I will ever thank
God for my handicap, but shortly after my accident one
Christmas or Thanksgiving, Sharee's class was asked to
write an “essay” on the thing they were most thankful
for. Sharee wrote: “My dad is the best dad ever. He is
very funny. He had three jobs, and was coming home
26
very tired. One day he got in an accident and was in a

coma for six months. When he came out of his coma he
had a wheelchair, and then a walker, and then a cane.
Now he is much more funny and every line he says has
a joke and everything he does has a punch line. He is
so nice; he gives great presents. I think I like him better
after his accident because he is more fun. If he would
have died, I would have died too.”
From a near-death experience to now has given
me a lot to think about. My main thought has always
been there must have been a reason for this incident. I
can’t walk without a cane, but I went from on my back
in bed to a wheelchair to a walker to a cane so I’m doing
better than was expected. I’m closer to my family. I’m
closer to my friends. I’m closer to my God. In many
ways, I’m a better person having experienced the
various stages of recovery. I now can thank God for
how my circumstance has given a new outlook for my
family.
Having to deal with mobility problems is bad
enough to cope with but add to that the wounds that
loved ones deal with is a battle that I had hoped to
avoid. God was, however, trying to exercise the “faith
muscles” of others besides mine. It turned out that my
wife and daughter needed some “fine-tuning” also so
God, in His infinite wisdom, used my accident to
restructure their lives as well.
Because of the rising housing costs and the high
standard of living in California, it became necessary to
move out of state once I began to receive the limited
funds from the Social Security disability income.
Minnesota was a logical choice since my wife, Patti, and
I were born there and we could, therefore, be closer to
our relatives still living there.
A series of events began to unfold that allowed us
to purchase a home here in Minnesota. It took a loan
from a distant relative, donation of equity from my
brother, some major leveraging of loan company
27
officers to qualify, creative financing, and, not to

minimize the most important event, the providence of
God.
These are the historical facts that eventually led
me to a point of publishing several E-mail magazines in
order to express myself. I don’t speak too well
anymore, but I do have had a knack for writing, so this
is one area that I will continue to pursue. The answer to
the question “what was the reason” is what I want to
explore in the remainder of this treatise.
28
Chapter 2—I Begin to See Purpose
We were meant to grow in both physical and

spiritual areas but sometimes we don’t until we are
forced to. At times, we need a nudge in the right
direction. This accident was my nudge! The biggest
challenge, in my opinion, is not the person who cannot
overcome his physical handicap but who cannot
overcome or even recognize mental or spiritual ones. I
had some lessons to learn in this area and am in the
process of learning them as time goes on.
Part of every prelude to my newsletters that I
send via E-mail through Pathfinder’s Fellowship each
weekend reveals the impetus for contacting each
subscriber with hope outside themselves:
You may wonder why you receive this from

me without advertising or charge. I do have
an explanation! After a near-death accident
in July, 1997 I reprioritized my life. I
dedicated my life to helping others. The
best way I found to do that was by learning
and using the up-coming technology of the
Internet. My strong faith in God has given
me the energy and commitment so you'll
find my communications to be wholesome.
And, though I don't just send out religious
material, it's all “clean.” There's a reason
for this: God made us to be a
communicative being so we can converse
with Him and He with us. God, Himself,
uniquely gave us the ability to use words.
After all, He did give us a tongue and all the
necessary components for speech. There is
therefore, a requirement for a stewardship
of words. The real “us” is revealed by our
speech. Words tell what's on the inside of
us--they are an overview of our inner self.
29
How we handle words is important. Do we

edify others or bring them down? When I'm
coming at you with this or that, I try to keep
these principles in mind--this is my way of
giving back to God a little of the kindness
He has shown me
Was my accident and resulting disability a

limitation or an advantage? If one reads II Corinthians
12:1-10, the apostle Paul concluded that God’s grace
was sufficient for him and that God’s “power is made
perfect in weakness.” Paul said he would “boast all the
more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's
power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I
delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in
persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I
am strong.”
Bodie Thoene said “One day we will meet beside
the river and our Lord will dry every tear. For now, we
must live in the joy of that promise and recall that for
every generation life is hard, but God is faithful.”
We've been taught that when we ask God for
something He may respond “no,” though obviously
that’s not what we may want to hear. It certainly wasn't
the answer Paul wanted. Because he wanted to be
strong in his ministry, Paul asked God for deliverance
from a “thorn in his flesh.” Although God didn't grant
his request, He answered his prayer. Author J. Oswald
Sanders summarized Paul's attitude like this: “At first he
viewed it as a limiting handicap, but later he came to
regard it as a heavenly advantage.” There's advantage
in our weakness: it is when we're feeling helpless that
God's grace and strength upholds us.
When affliction invades our lives, we ask, “Who
needs all this?” Author Paul E. Billheimeri said “if you're
suffering, remember: No wounds, no pearls.” What was
he referring to? Pearls are created when a foreign body
of some sort, such as a grain of sand or a parasite, finds
30
its way into a pearl oyster. The oyster reacts by coating

the irritant with layer upon layer of the pearly substance
known as ‘nacre’ that develops into a pearl.
In Genesis chapter 41 God used Joseph in Egypt to
feed Joseph's family during famine. But how did this
come to pass? It began with an emotional wound being
sold into slavery by his brothers that created a “pearl”
of hope. Joseph became better, not bitter by relying on
God.
There are no accidents in the lives of God's
children. Joseph interpreted his experience differently
than his brothers. Being thrown into a pit and sold as a
slave doesn't seem like an act that God can use! From
the human standpoint it appeared to be a tragic case of
injustice. But Joseph later said that “God meant it for
good.”
Does everything seem to be going against you?
These apparent misfortunes are not accidents. They are
gateways to blessing. The Lord allows them for a
purpose that He has in mind. Our approach needs to be
one of patient trust.
Study Paul's reasoning of why he suffered trials in
prison: “But I want you to know, brethren, that the
things which happened to me have actually turned out
for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become
evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest,
that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in
the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are
much more bold to speak the word without fear.”
(Philippians 1:12-14)
Christ had His fair share of suffering even before
His shameful torture of the cross. One of the purposes
of His turmoil was to taste pain and anxiety that we go
through so He can give us assistance in time of distress:
“For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and
by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory,
to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
sufferings. ...For in that He Himself has suffered, being
31
tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”

(Hebrews 2:10)
How would you answer if Jesus were to ask you,
“What do you seek?” (John 1:38) Would you ask Him for
health and fitness? A better job? A happier marriage?
Financial security? I decided that the thing I should be
seeking was none of these but
God’s grace. I prayed for
deliverance from my disability,
but deliverance hasn't come. I
had to learn that God's grace is
sufficient for me. He can
transform my limitation into an
advantage. A friend of mine and
a client of my wife’s daycare,
Heather White, through her own cancer battle, gave me
inspiration to stubbornly and optimistically find the
courage to face whatever the future can bring.
It’s easy to be fooled by our circumstances into
believing that God has forgotten us or doesn’t care
about us anymore. Did Paul have any reason to feel
this way? No matter what the problem was and no
matter how he felt about them, Paul always displayed a
heart of joy. Rev. Larry Johnson of Owatonna,
Minnesota (with possible reference to Warren W.
Wiersbe) said of Phil. 1:12-30 that the passage reveals
four circumstances that are gateways to joy. These
gateways are often camouflaged, appearing to be
insurmountable problems. However, the four gateways,
have a common thread: the promotion of Christ.
The first gateway to joy that appeared to be a
problem for Paul was one of confinement. Paul was able
to concentrate on the purpose of his predicament,
however: furthering the gospel in a Roman prison. Paul
didn't complain about his situation. Instead he
dedicated himself to God's plan. Susanna Wesley,
mother of Charles Wesley, said “I will not complain
32
about what God didn't do. Instead, I will rejoice in what

God's going to do.”
The second gateway to joy was denunciation.
Paul wouldn't succumb to envying another who seemed
predicament-free. He realized that a sacrifice could
bring glory to God. The only thing Paul knew he needed
help in was God's blessing as a result of prayer. In all of
his letters, Paul asked for the hearer's prayer. He knew
God was his source of genuine peace.
The third gateway was decision. Paul had to
make a mental choice between being with God or
serving him. It was in God's hands whether Paul would
stay on earth to minister or fly to heaven and offer God
praises but Paul had to be ready to rejoice in either
scenario. He had to consciously decide that if God
wanted him to stay on earth he would find a way to
magnify God in whatever circumstance he found
himself.
The last gateway was conflict. Paul had to adapt
himself to suffering. Notice that he was not alone,
however. There is benefit to fellowship. Not only did he
have a fellow sufferer, but God was with him as well.
This gave Paul confidence and boldness. His confidence
in his Master gave him victory over his circumstances.
Paul’s predicament was cloaked with a promise of
power but to the faithless it appeared to be an illusion.
An illusion, according to the dictionary, is an “erroneous
perception of reality.” Sleight-of-hand artists use it to
“do the impossible.” Most illusions are harmless, but
some can be fatal. The most dangerous illusions are the
spiritual ones that people are so prone to believe.
Because our culture considers difficult pathways to
success something to be avoided, Christians tend to
think that suffering cannot be a part of God’s plan but
Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be
of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
The typical view of the Christian life is one where
we are delivered from adversity. In actuality we are
33
delivered through adversity: “He who dwells in the

secret place of the Most High shall abide under the
shadow of the Almighty. No evil shall befall you, nor
shall any plague come near your dwelling.” (Psalm 91:1,
10)
A child of God certainly encounters adversities.
Jesus tells us not to be surprised when they come: “In
the world you will have tribulation; but be of good
cheer, I have overcome the world.” He is saying, “There
is nothing for you to fear.” Saved people often complain
and worry because they have the wrong idea of what it
means to live the life of a believer.
The strain of life is what builds our strength. God
cannot impart strength unless we are willing to accept
the strain. By accepting the strain God will give us the
strength. When you give of yourself spiritually, you get
more strength. God never gives us strength for
tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of
the moment. Our temptation is to face adversities from
the standpoint of our own common sense. But a
Christian can “be of good cheer" even when seemingly
defeated by adversities, because victory is impossible to
everyone, except God.
Another illusion is that God chooses only to work
His miracles through “gifted” and “beautiful” people.
Some of the great miracle-workers I know are not so
“beautiful” by man’s standards. Many are disabled and
don’t seem like they have much to offer, but into a
hopeless situation Jesus comes “to redeem those who
were under the law, that we might receive the adoption
as sons.” (Galatians 4:5) Rather than simply being
given a new set of rules and sent off on our own, we are
adopted into God's family. Never forget that Paul was a
murder but later he became one of God’s greatest
missionaries.
I was reminded of how the world views beauty in
commerce when I recently went to the YMCA for my
workout. I’ll delve into how the my physical world fits
34
into my spiritual world later in this book, but I want to

give you a brief view now to illustrate how “beautiful”
people are regularly viewed in our society. I was busy
exercising in the “life center” (where there are
machines to build strength an endurance) when three
young ladies appeared with cameras and a tripod. One
would model on a machine while the other two took
pictures of her. Obviously the “Y” was getting ready for
a new promotional brochure.
I was struck by the fact that the model was one of
those “beautiful” people. She was actually, very
pleasant to look at but not “real!” Her clothes were
“perfect.” Her posture was “perfect.” Her demeanor
was “perfect.” Her look was “perfect.” Everything
about her was “perfect.” She didn’t even have a drop of
perspiration like the rest of us! What is my point?
From the average consumer’s point of view, the
brochure would be “perfect” because the model would
portray what he would fantasize about—being “perfect.”
The producers of the brochure wanted to give the
impression that if one worked out at the “Y” he could be
“perfect” just like the model. Of course, the brochure’s
not going to mention that most people drop out before
they get “perfect.” I’ve been working out there for
nearly 3 years and I’m not “perfect” yet! Amazingly
though, in Christ, we are perfected instantly.
I recently had the opportunity to attend a
Christian Disability Conference. All the speakers were
disabled or worked with disabled people or had disabled
family members. There was one common theme that
was repeated by all: people had grown spiritually in
ways that would not have been possible had they not
gone through trials of adversity. If I had to choose one
verse to sum up the thoughts expressed it would be “A
satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb, but to a hungry
soul every bitter thing is sweet.” (Proverbs 27:7)
Before most of us hit rock bottom we are hindered
by stubborn self-sufficiency. We tend to be self-
35
dependent rather than God-dependent. Unfortunately,

we are not in a position to rebuild of our lives in an
exalted state. Although God hates His children to suffer
needlessly, He will, sometimes, allow us to experience
hard times to eliminate our desire to manage our own
affairs. He intends to break down our self-sufficiency by
using a painful process that pushes us to His side.
“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep
Your word...It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
that I may learn Your statutes.” (Psalm 119:67, 71)
Looking back, I clearly see
All the grief that had to be
Left me when the pain was o'er
Richer than I'd been before.--Anon.
Most people feel anything but spiritual when they
hit bottom. This is where we have to start, however,
before we can experience the nurturing that God
provides. Norman Macleod described our absolute need
for unflinching belief that God can guide us along an
unlit path in his poem, "Trust in God:"
Courage, Brother, do not stumble,

Though your path be dark as night;
There’s a star to guide the humble,
Trust in God and do the right.
Let the road be rough and dreary,

And its end far out of sight,
Foot it bravely, strong or weary;
Perish policy and cunning,

Perish all that fears the light;
Whether losing, whether winning,
Trust no party, sect or faction,

Trust no leaders in the fight;
36
But in every word and action

Simple rule and safest guiding,

Inward peace and inward might,
Star upon our path abiding;
Some will hate you, some will love you,

Some will flatter, some will slight;
Cease from man, and look above you,
I had to wait for God to give me a new starting

point. Quite frankly, I wasn't ready to give him my all
until He rebuilt me.. Ironically, I had all these talents
but didn't use them right. God took a few away and
now I do more for Him! It's easy to feel confined by
structure in our faith because we have a natural
resistance to rules. But God's commands are given to
enhance our lives rather than restrict them.
I now have insight to how disabled people feel.
Often a healthy, strong individual will be confronted
with the presence of some weak and incapable
individual. What is the customary reaction? Fear of
feelings of sadness, an uncomfortable awkwardness,
and anxiety over what to say are just a few of the
attitudes that overwhelm them. These are based in
deep-seated feelings of guilt. Although the average
person hesitates to admit that he feels that disabled
people are “second-class” members of society, when
they are confronted with someone who has no muscular
control, sitting in a wheel chair, speaking with a
stammering tongue, drool smeared across their face,
and smiling incessantly, uneasiness develops almost to
point of immobilization.
I am not totally without mobile abilities but still
require assistive tools to get around, such as my cane. I
37
thank God for a “middle ground” that allows me to

identify with disabled people yet minister to them.
Before my motorcycle accident I overlooked disabled
people but now I look for opportunities to minister to
them. I feel I should take the example of my Master.
Most of the people he healed were lame, blind, deaf,
mute, weak, undernourished, sickly, or otherwise
physically handicapped. Some were even dead!
Richard DeHaan once said “Few unbroken lives in
this world are useful to God. Few men and women can
fulfill their hopes and plans without some interruption
and disappointment along the way. But man's
disappointments are often God's appointments, and the
things we believe are tragedies may be the very
opportunities through which God chooses to exhibit His
love and grace.” (“Our Daily Bread,” April 1, 2005)
I have determined that I won’t allow the fact that I
am physically disabled to interfere with my ability to
give something to others. My abilities are limited in
some areas but, somehow, God is able to use other
areas for His benefit. I can wallow in the mire of self-
pity because of my limitations or I can rejoice by God’s
grace in His strength for the many advantages of
weaknesses. It’s really a matter of perception. Because
I am a new person (“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he
is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come”
[II Corinthians 5:17]), I have a greater value to God than
I have to mankind. My disability isn’t holding God back!
It’s one of those illusions that can cause people to think
that disabled people have little to offer.
An old adage says, “Our hindsight is better than
our foresight.” From a human viewpoint this seems to
be true. We seem to be insistently concerned about the
“why’s” to our circumstances and I have many times
wondered what God was trying to do in my case. I’m
certain that until I am in the presence of the All-knowing
Prince, I won’t have all the answers but one that has
become apparent is an issue that relates to my mother.
38
God used the circumstances that I have alluded to

create a “pearl” of usefulness.
My mom is 84 years old at this writing. She had a
“mini stroke” around the turn of the millennium and her
short term memory was affected. I often wondered
what the Lord was doing by putting me back in
Minnesota but now I'm beginning to understand that I'm
here to help my brother take care of mom. Now that I
have the patience to deal with this kind of thing, I can
listen to her repeated questions and complaints with
understanding and compassion. I used to wonder why
God left me with the ability to drive but now I see why:
to take mom for tests and doctor's appointments.
I was ready for God to whisk me off this planet,
but, apparently, He wasn’t done with me yet. I
understand what Paul was saying in Philippians 1:19-25:
“For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance
through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus
Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope
that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness,
as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my
body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is
Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this
will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I
cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two,
having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far
better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more
needful for you.” (Phil. 1:19-25)
My mom suffered four heart attaches and faced
death while in the hospital after her last one. She
believed that losing a loved one was more threatening
to her than the possibility of losing her own life.
I wondered why. I know she had asked herself,
“Am I ready to die?” Her answer was, “Yes, I am
because I have Christ as my Savior.”
Mom might have been imagining the emotions
that would bubble up as one faced a similar challenge.
As I observed her demeanor I have often thought about
39
my own death, but the real question is, “Am I ready to

live?” Would I live in fear of death or in faith? Isaiah
43:1 comes to mind: “Fear not, for I have redeemed
you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.”
These words to Jacob echo Paul's words, “For to me, to
live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Those of us who have watched in sadness as
someone close to us has died may wonder what they
are doing in eternity. If they had trusted Jesus Christ as
Savior, we know they are in heaven, and that they are
enjoying God's presence (2 Corinthians 5:8). We know
that they haven't yet received the perfect body that
God promises us when Christ returns (1 Thessalonians
4:13-17). We also know God is planning a glorious
reunion with our loved ones. We may not know what all
is entailed, but we can be assured that our eternal
rejoicing will begin.
Mom’s bouts with heart attacks brought her to the
hospital for several weeks and it was with great honor
that I could visit her during these trying times. The
doctor visits and tests after her stays at the hospital
would have posed some difficulty if I were still in
California and my brother on his job or even if I were
here in Minnesota but couldn’t drive.
40
How God Turns Adversity into Opportunity--Physical Change
Chapter 3—Time for Some Physical

Changes
It’s February 14—my birthday! It has been said

that when one can’t change his circumstances he
should change his attitude. It’s time for another
“attitude adjustment!”
I am reminded of the tennis star Arthur Ashe who
died of AIDS, which he contracted from a blood
transfusion. He could have become self-pitying, but he
maintained a grateful attitude. He concentrated on
what was positive in his life. His attitude rebuked me
when I grumbled. When I questioned God for allowing
my accident to happen Ache’s example helped me
remember the blessings God puts into our lives—
blessings that many are deprived of. When I asked,
“Why me?” my grumbling gave way to praise.
In our spiritual lives we have to cart the trash
away—get rid of any obstructions that drag us down or
hinder our spiritual growth. This “trash” could be the
“cares of this life” (Matt. 13:22) or our pride
(exaggerated feeling of self-reliance) and if not removed
will weaken us and spill over to infect others. God
“empties the trash” in a number of ways, but one
effective method He uses is one of the world’s oldest
dilemmas found in Job: bring or allow human suffering.
Like Job, we learn that even in the midst of suffering,
God is worthy of praise. He is utterly sovereign and has
every right to do what He chooses.
The Bible tells us clearly that God can do
whatever He desires, yet he remains our trusted Helper
in our times of need: “The LORD has His way In the
whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust
of His feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, And
dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, And
the flower of Lebanon wilts. The mountains quake
before Him, The hills melt, And the earth heaves at His
presence, Yes, the world and all who dwell in it. Who
41
can stand before His indignation? And who can endure

the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like
fire, And the rocks are thrown down by Him. The LORD
is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He
knows those who trust in Him. But with an overflowing
flood He will make an utter end of its place, And
darkness will pursue His enemies.” (Nahum 1:3-8)
There is no sense worrying and fretting about
things that cannot be changed, but I noticed I was
putting on undesirable weight again and while weight
gain alone is not a spiritual deterrent, when one feels
that his weight gain is caused from a lack of exercise
and poor diet, the accompanying mental and spiritual
battles that ensue can act as “weights that easily beset
us.” Here was something I could change. At one time,
years ago, I got up to 242 pounds. I’m only 5-feet, 10-
inches, so my weight is supposed be around 180. When
I hit 230, it was time to begin fretting.
Diets are like fashion. They come and go.
Currently, the trend has been toward high-protein, low
carbohydrate consumption: the “Atkins” diet. It used to
be high-carbs, low fats. Of course, there is the ‘old
fashioned way’ of counting calories.
When I went to college in the early ‘70’s, one of
my classes was a weight-training class. The majority of
the time was spent free-lift “circuit training,” but some
of the time was spent in lectures where we learned to
chart our fuel intake and our caloric output. Basically,
we learned that in order to lose fat we had to consume
less calories than we expended in exercise. Those early
beginnings drove my quest for a healthy body and
kindled my curiosity for a biologically sound fitness
program.
In the late 90’s, I helped a chiropractor friend,
Douglas Markham from Thousand Oaks, California, put
together a booklet called “Living in the Zone.” The
book was part of a total health system with workouts,
food menus and supplements. It loosely followed the
42
writings of Dr. Barry Sear's published work, “Enter The

Zone” published in 1995. Both Dr. Sears and Dr.
Markham had philosophies of health that were more
than just dieting. They held to some of the same tenets
that Dr. Atkins proposed, but delved deeper into overall
body health. According to Dr. Sears “The Zone” is when
your body is operating at optimal levels for weight loss,
or weight maintenance. I became a follower of the
philosophical teachings of the high-protein regimen.
Like Dr, Atkins, Dr. Sears believed in promoting a
low carbohydrate diet. He believed food portions should
have a ratio of 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein and
30% fat. For him, The Zone low carb diet was not just a
weight loss program, but a lifestyle choice. Entering
“The Zone” is achieved by eating controlled food
portions. This portion control assists with your body's
insulin production, which allows for effective fat burning.
I was saturated with these teachings and became a
proponent of this lifestyle.
Dr. Atkins set the stage for a diet revolution that
has affected an estimated 20 million people. This low
carb diet plan was updated and republished in 1992 as
the “Dr Atkin's New Diet Revolution”, and is still
extremely popular today. It has become so popular that
restaurants are even offering “Atkins-approved” dishes.
The diet is split into four phases, which then sets the
foundation for long-term healthy eating. The basic
details of this low carb diet plan include the restriction
of breads, cereals, pasta and starchy vegetables with
the encouragement of eating nutrient-rich foods,
especially meat.
There are four stages in the Dr Atkins low
carbohydrate diet plan that starts with the “Induction
Phase” when certain foods are restricted. During this
time, weight loss is quick. The second stage of this low
carb diet is “Ongoing Weight Loss” that is followed until
your desired weight is nearly achieved. The weight loss
is slower, but foods formerly restricted are allowed back
43
into the diet. When you are a few pounds away from
your goal, the “Pre-Maintenance” stage begins. The
weight loss in this stage is minimal as some foods are
re-introduced into your diet. The final stage is the
“Maintenance Diet,” designed to maintain your desired
weight. Dieters following this plan are encouraged to
stick with maintenance to remain healthy.
I was quite indoctrinated into the whole idea of a
low-carb, high-protein regimen for weight loss, but as I
studied the subject more, I began to see some health
benefits that were important beyond weight loss.
I began reading another treatise on the subject
entitled “Protein Power” by doctors Michael and Mary
Eades. The book was billed as “the high-protein/low
carbohydrate way to lose weight, feel fit and boost your
health.” The Protein Power diet looks at how the three
main types of food (carbohydrates, protein and fat)
interact in the body. Like the Atkins Diet, the Protein
Power Diet restricts carbohydrates, encourages more
protein intake, and requires little fat and calorie
counting. This low carbohydrate diet involves one to
follow several phases depending on current weight. The
first phase is the “Intervention” stage - which is very
restrictive on your carbs intake. This phase is to be
followed until you almost attain your target weight. The
“Transition” phase can begin when you are close to your
target weight. Some carbohydrates are re-introduced to
your diet, but are still at low levels. “Maintenance” is
the last stage in the Protein Power low carb diet, and
can be followed well after you attain your target weight.
The diet is about protein, not fat and even
encourages using some fat. Protein Power details the
science behind the weight loss. I was drawn to it
because it not only gave sound reasoning concerning
weight loss but also concerned itself with improving
general health as well. The authors taught about losing
weight, feeling better, lowering cholesterol, and
enjoying fresh foods. This team of doctors explained
44
how the protein-rich eating plan succeeded where low-

fat diets failed. This explanation seemed to be a
medically sound plan to achieve lifesaving health
benefits, including lower cholesterol and blood pressure
readings and an improvement or reversal of common
disorders such as heart disease and adult-onset
diabetes. The simple regimen calls for a new way of
eating to feel better and more energetic, and promises
to correct blood sugar levels, high blood pressure, and
elevated cholesterol.
For years, overweight Americans have been
counseled to turn away from meat and fat and embrace
a high-carbohydrate diet. The authors discuss the
biochemical roles of hormones in the metabolic process
to demonstrate why low-fat, high-carb programs don't
always result in weight loss and present a convincing
case for their high-protein, low-carb alternative. The key
is preventing overproduction of insulin, which controls
the storage of fat and is triggered by the ingestion of
carbohydrates.
When it comes to physical exercise, I can find
numerous excuses to avoid it! It is not something I
readily desire to do. I knew, however, that it had
beneficial side effects and I needed to get an exercise
program started. I read a joke once that gave 10 pieces
of advice on the subject. ‘Though it’s tongue-in-cheek
humor it portrays my sentiments regarding exercise
quite vividly:
1. I have to exercise early in the morning before my
brain figures out what I'm doing.
2. I like long walks, especially when they are taken
by people who annoy me.
3. I have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach
covers them.
4. The advantage of exercising every day is that you
die healthier.
5. If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start
with a small country.
45
6. Walking can add minutes to your life. This enables

you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5
months in a nursing home at $5000 per month.
7. My grandmother started walking five miles a day
when she was 60. Now she's 97 years old and we
don't know where on earth she is.
8. I joined a health club last year, spent about 400
bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have
to go there.
9. I don't exercise because it makes the ice jump
right out of my glass.
10. You could run this over to your friends but
why not just email it to them!
Regardless of my disdain for exercising, I did
decide it was time to try to become a little more
physically fit in order to slow down my deteriorating
physical abilities. I felt weaker as time marched on and
found myself on the floor more often due to increased
instability. Because the local YMCA offered a reduction
in membership rates to disabled folks and because it
seemed to have great facilities for every level of ability,
I enrolled in a YMCA weight-training program.
Simultaneously, I started a swimming regimen for
increased breathing stamina. I discovered later, that
due to scheduling conflicts, swimming was not a
profitable endeavor. I later substituted stationary
bicycling for the swimming since the machines were
already available in the “life center” where the weight-
training machines were.
In her book, “Ultimate Strength” Fitness Instructor
Sherry Boyles says “The first step to establishing an
exercise routine is to develop a plan. The second part is
to stick with the plan! Once your plan and routine are
well established and you know that you are committed
to it, you can begin to add some variation to your
exercise. Establish a habit first, then vary.” She goes on
to say:
46
Establish your routine. One of the important

early steps in establishing your routine is to
analyze your daily schedule and determine
the time of the day that you have available
for exercise. Choose a time that can be used
consistently for exercise. The biggest
advantage to exercise only happens when
you actually exercise! So, choose a part of
the day that makes sense for you--I
recommend that you not try to do
everything on the same day. Spread your
workouts over the week...Any combination
of workouts that fits your schedule is the
workout to make routine. One thing to
remember, however, is to refrain from
strength training the same muscle groups
two days in a row.
Sherry instructs her clients to include exercises
that will improve the cardiovascular system plus overall
strength and flexibility. She puts a special emphasis on
back strengthening and stretching.
For stability and endurance I started out with a
short 10-minute stationary bicycle program that burned
off about 100 calories. I added more time and peddled
faster each week. Eventually, I was riding for 30
minutes, covering over 10 miles and burning off over
370 calories.
I decided to get strength from weight lifting. The
regimen for my self-tailored exercise program consisted
of upper and lower body exercises. I found that if
worked my upper portion one day and the lower portion
another, I was able to rest enough in between to keep
stamina for each workout and keep the emergency
crews away from me “passing out!” I exercised
aerobically for 30 minutes on a stationary bicycle first to
warm up the muscles in preparation for some heavy
workouts. After the peddling I moved on to the weight
machines.
47
This plan will probably not work for too many

people, so don’t use it as your model. The main factor
in my situation was adaptability. My first consideration
was strength. During that first year my upper-body
strength doubled and my lower-body strength nearly
tripled! I later concentrated on endurance. I started a
new weight at 10 repetitions but don’t change any
resistance until I reached 20 repetitions instead of the
suggested 15.
An important consideration was diet. I continue to
eat mostly high-protein foods but snack once in a while
on high-carbohydrate ones. I still limit fats, but if it
comes to a choice between protein-with-fat and
carbohydrate-with-fat I choose the protein. I don’t
count calories but if a snack is loaded with “empty
calories” I avoid it. In the two years that followed, I only
lost 25 pounds but my new weight was easy to
maintain!
What does my exercise program have to do with
attitude adjustment? The circumstance of immobility
lead to an exercise program that not only helped me
physically to become more mobile but also allowed me
to experience God’s blessing of peace. Sure, a new
confidence ensued but the passage of scripture in I
Corinthians 10:31 that says “whatsoever you do, do all
to the glory of God,” gave me drive to make my
experience count for something other than selfish gain.
I used my exercise periods to “witness” about
what God did for me and to give away “tracts” (little
leaflets with Bible verses about Biblical subjects
pertaining to eternity). Sometimes I would wear a T-
shirt that would have a Biblical message embroidered
on it as a conversation starter.
God’s Word teaches, “Do you not know that those
who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?
Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone
who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.
Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for
48
an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with

uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection,
lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should
become disqualified.” (I Corinthians 9:24-27)
There are times when I want to give up, but when
I meditate on “imperishable crowns” I determine it will
be worthwhile to perform some self-discipline in order to
improve my health for my family and God. It is difficult
to explain on paper what is happening, but I find I’m
dragging baggage through life that I don't need. It
hinders me, dragging me down. I need to determine to
“lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily
ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race
that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). The problematic
health issues caused by lack of sleep, inadequate
hydration, over-working, poor eating habits, and limited
exercise can be avoided with proper self-discipline.
There are some burdens that are welcome:
“Blessed is any weight, however overwhelming, which
God has been so good as to fasten with His own hand
upon our shoulders.” (F. W. Faber.) Of course, this refers
to spiritual burdens, not physical. The remainder of my
treatise deals with this subject and is the “meat” of
“How God Turns Adversity into Opportunity.”
49
How God Turns Adversity into Opportunity--Spiritual Change
Chapter 4—Growth in Spiritual Matters

Italian born American actor, R. C. Allen said, “we
grow because we struggle…” A story has been told
about a blacksmith who developed his arm and shoulder
muscles with potatoes. He started with a 5-pound
potato sack in each hand. After a while he tried 10-
pound potato sacks, then 50-pound potato sacks and
finally he got to where he could lift a 100-pound potato
sack in each hand.
Commenting on this story, a minister, Alan Smith,
said “We understand (intellectually, at least) the value
of trials. We understand that the testing of our faith
produces patience (James 1:3). We understand that the
fiery trials serve to purify our faith (I Peter 1:7). But
empty potato sacks will never build muscles. And light
trials will never develop the kind of qualities that God
seeks to develop in our lives. May the trials you are
going through today serve to strengthen the muscles of
your spiritual life.”
It is now the middle of the year when school gets
out for the summer vacation. This will give me an
opportunity to concentrate on Biblical principles that
relate to spiritual strengthening without distraction.
The Bible reads in Revelation chapter 2, verse 19:
“I know your works, love, service, faith, and your
patience; and as for your works, the last are more than
the first.” This was written to a church in Asia Minor
called Thyatira but I find these words to be very
appropriate in my situation. After I could meditate on
the aftermath of the accident, it occurred to me that I
actually had more time to devote to God’s service than I
had devoted previously. With fewer tasks to draw
attention away from God’s work, I found myself enabled
to devote more energy toward doing things to promote
God’s kingdom.
I wanted to serve God through the spiritual
muscle of prayer, but my prayers didn’t seem to “go
through.” I E-mailed my friends a message for help:
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I'm sending this to all the Christians I

know because I really want your input!
I've been a believer for nearly 30
years and you'd think I'd have an answer to
my questions by now! But, have you ever
felt like God had turned a 'deaf' ear toward
you when it comes to answering your
prayers? Lately, I feel like I'm just not
“getting through!” I know that sometimes
“no” is an answer, but should that be the
case all the time! As many of you know, I
started a prayer ministry and I'm ashamed
to say at this point I don't feel much like a
prayer warrior!
I even tried fasting but the only thing I
saw from it was hunger! I tried a 3-day deal
—it was hard! I can't imagine what Christ
went through for 40 days! No wonder Satan
tempted Him with a chance at food. Hey, I
would have settled for some measly bread!
I will say that the effect on me personally
was great—I prayed more often, more
humbly and more sincerely than ever. Just
didn't get the results I expected. I know the
Bible says something about “faith as a
mustard seed” but mine must be the size of
a grain of salt!
If you've got some reading material to
offer or some personal accounts to share or
some advice to give or some Bible
references to point me to, fire away!
…It really bothers me to see her in
such agony but there's little I can do to
help. God is big enough for the job though!
If only I could get Him to see it my way!
Any suggestions?
51
One response I received was from a gentleman

that I greatly respect. I would like to give you his
comments verbatim because much of what he said has
to do with spiritual growth:
Hi Ken,
I get so mad at God sometimes because He
doesn't answer my prayers the way I want
Him to! We have had some real shouting
matches where I was horse for several days
after, literally. I just can't figure it out
because I have a biblical justification for
Him to do what He is supposed to do.
Verses that tell us “to ask in Jesus name and
it will be done” makes it very difficult to
accept when He doesn't do what I have
asked. So, I don't have scripture figured out
at all. But as far as the biblical accounts go,
I'm not alone. Did God do what John the
Baptist wanted? Did God take away Paul's
thorn? Did God do what Jesus wanted in
Gethsemane? No sir! And there are many
other examples with the same scenario.
What I learned from this is that even when
we think we have figured out God, we
haven't. God answers every prayer. The
problem is we want what we want instead of
what God wants. Even with prayer we need
to lose our life to find it. In other words, we
have to have the faith to pray and leave the
answer to Him. It may not be answered
until we are in heaven! Or we may never
see the answer. But as Paul said “I have
been crucified with Christ and no longer
live” and that means even in our prayers,
our life (desires, wants, goals, needs) are in
Him and subject to His sovereign will. I
don't like it because I want what I want and
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sometimes it keeps me from praying, but He

is Lord and that's the end of it.]
In his book, “Sharing His Suffering,” John Henry Jowett

says
“[We find] Jesus gathering about Him a little

company of twelve men. No member of the
little band belongs to the ranks of power, or
culture, or wealth. They are all
inconspicuous, many of them unlettered,
the majority of them poor; it is just a
company of working men standing
nervously on the borders of an unfamiliar
publicity…I am amazed at the almost
audacious candor of the program… ‘Ye shall
be brought before governors and kings for
My sake.’ ‘Ye shall be hated of all men for
My name’s sake.’ ‘When they persecute you
in one city, flee ye into another.’ ‘A man’s
foes shall be they of his own household.’ ‘He
that taketh not his cross, and followeth after
Me, is not worthy of Me.’”
With a call to ministry such as this, we are

tempted to become “tight lipped,” take the path of least
resistance, and “go with the flow!” We will tend toward
self-preservation, but, this tendency actually leads
toward spiritual self-destruction. We must express our
feelings, exercise our faith, and become proactive in our
cause. No muscle gets stronger from lack of exercise.
No rest comes without toil. No inevitable or
predetermined course of events is achieved without
movement. We look for and desire rest, joy and
strength but these are not automatic—we have to work
for them! We don’t achieve rest by being idle. We
don’t find joy without some resistance. We don’t attain
strength by catering to weakness. We find ourselves
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only when we lose ourselves. “Life becomes fruitful only

when it becomes sacrificial.” (John H. Jowett)
The Bible reads in the book of Romans chapter 5,
verses 3 and 4: “We also rejoice in our sufferings,
because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
perseverance, character; and character, hope.” The
theme of joy does not top my list of association when it
comes to suffering but that seems to be what the author
is suggesting! It is said that Jewish prisoner Corrie ten
Boom would thank God for the fleas in the Nazi
concentration camp. The fleas kept the German soldiers
out of the barracks and allowed her to minister.
One of our problems is that we expect to get fed
on Sunday morning and have the food last all week until
the next feeding. We wouldn’t dare do that with our
physical bodies but we tend to try it with our spiritual
souls.
A child was told, “Go look in the mirror and wash
your face.” He insisted, “I already have!” His mother
responded, “Look again!” His dirty face proved that if he
really had looked in the mirror, he ignored what he saw.
He may have seen the truth about himself, but he didn't
act on it.
If we honestly want to become more like Christ,
we must look into God's mirror, the Bible, regularly. But,
just looking isn't enough. God's Word can change us,
but only if we obey it.
The Bible has many examples of hope when
afflictions arise. If we encounter tribulations, needs,
distresses, tumultuous times, sleepless or worrisome
nights, or even persecution we can depend on God's
Spirit and His Word to empower us with wisdom,
patience, kindness, love, and honor: “We give no
offense in anything, that our ministry may not be
blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as
ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in
needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in
tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by
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purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by

the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by
the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the
right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by
evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true;
as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold
we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful,
yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as
having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” (II
Corinthians 6:3-10)
Are we so busy that we find it hard to take even a

few minutes to spend reading the Bible? Many people
set aside time in the early morning before they get
caught up in the hectic pace of the day. I have come to
believe that God used my accident to get me to slow
down so I’d take more time for Him. I can think more
deeply about life, God, and others. Change
is an inevitable part of life. We are being shaped every
minute we live. Every decision and every action we
make is shaping us into what we will become. Either
we're moving toward Christ or away from Him. It's true,
I lost some physical things through the ordeal but I
gained spiritual growth that I probably would have
missed. I felt calmness, peacefulness, His faithfulness,
direction and purpose anew when I took time to
experience them personally.
The world's idea of success is more prosperity and
power. But success in the eyes of God is discovering
and pursuing His truth through reading and obeying His
words. The Bible (by the power of the Holy Spirit)
illuminates our minds so that we can think the way God
thinks and understand more about Him. When we have
to make decisions, we can reach back into what we
have read and the Holy Spirit will illumine our mind and
make it possible for us to make the best choices.
The words to one song read:
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“All things work out for good, we know—

Such is God's great design;
He orders all our steps below
For purposes divine.”
Often our hearts are filled with of selfish things.

We need to recognize that He is what we most need and
make His will our heart's desire. We need to have the
Holy Spirit kindle a fire of Godly desire so that we may
see through any selfish deception that would rob us of
having His best. Often we are petty and selfish. As we
learn as much as we can about God’s desires for us we
can honor Him better with our choices.
Saul (who later was called Paul) asked, “Who are
You, Lord?” when he was confronted by the Risen Savior
on the road to Damascus. When he realized he was in
the presence of the living God he then asked, “Lord,
what do You want me to do?” (Acts 9:5-6) He then
recognized that obedience to God was the most
important aspect of his life. Requests for health or
success would have been selfish requests if they were
not secondary to a desire to obey God. Obedience
expresses the measure of our love for God.
One way to do this is by compiling a “joy list.” At
first our list will be filled with temporal things from a
human standpoint, but as we begin looking each day for
the presence and power of Jesus Christ it will fill with
examples of our love relationship with God. Of course,
any joy list will be incomplete. No matter what our
circumstances, joy is His gracious gift to us as we trust
Him. Trust matures and so will our list. Eventually,
what seems like a trial will become a joy. Even as Jesus
faced the cross, He looked beyond its agony to the glad
result. The Bible reads in Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself
in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your
heart.” Rather than seeing this as a way to get our
prayers granted, we will find our priorities properly
aligned and our hearts tuned to know what is really
56
valuable and what is not a good choice. Our desires

eventually get replaced by His desires as we make Him
the center of our focus. God makes His interests our
interests.
Habakkuk had his focus on God when he wrote,
“Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on
the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the
fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off
from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls—Yet I
will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my
salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make
my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on
my high hills.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19)
I've been asked if I would do anything differently
regarding the event of my accident. Actually, knowing
what I know now, I wouldn’t. God has used the accident
to bring me closer to Him by ceasing to rely on my
strength and rely on His. I wouldn’t be writing you if I
hadn’t had the accident, for instance. God had to slow
my life down a bit so I see how I was ignoring Him and
what He wanted me to do. The truth of the matter is
that it wouldn’t have mattered if I tried something
different anyway--He’d got my attention some other
way! The road conditions were fine. The weather
conditions were fine. I was driving safely. God just felt
it was time for a little learning about grace! As far as
my condition now, I’ve lived this way 8 years--I expect
to die this way. Medically speaking this is “permanent.”
God may have different plans, of course, but I've been
claiming some verses in Psalms 31: verses 14 though16
read “But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD; I say, ‘You
are my God.’ My times are in Your hand.... Make Your
face shine upon Your servant; save me for Your mercies’
sake.” Author Aldous Huxley once said, “There are no
back moves on the chessboard of life.”
It’s a day-by-day experience. I identify with the
words of a song by Blott En Dag, translated by Andrew
L. Scoog:
57
Day by day and with each passing moment

Strength I find to meet my trials here.
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
…Every day the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour.
All my cares He fain would bear and cheer
me,
He whose name Counselor and Pow'r.
…Help me then in every tribulation
So to trust Your promises, 0 Lord,
That I lose not faith's sweet consolation
Offered me within Your holy Word.
Help me. Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E'er to take, as from a Father's hand
the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the Promised Land.
When I’m tempted to worry about what may happen in
my future on earth I am reminded from scripture “do
not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry
about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own
trouble.”--Matthew 6:34
58
How God Turns Adversity into Opportunity--Grace
Chapter 5—Transcending Grace
The Bible reads in Psalm 91:1-11
“He who dwells in the secret place of the

Most High shall abide under the shadow of
the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is
my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I
will trust’” Surely He shall deliver you from
the snare of the fowler and from the
perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with
His feathers, and under His wings you shall
take refuge; His truth shall be your shield
and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the
terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by
day, nor of the pestilence that walks in
darkness, nor of the destruction that lays
waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at
your side, and ten thousand at your right
hand; but it shall not come near you. Only
with your eyes shall you look, and see the
reward of the wicked. Because you have
made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the
Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall
befall you, nor shall any plague come near
your dwelling; for He shall give His angels
charge over you, to keep you in all your
ways”
Dennis De Haan of “Our Daily Bread” relates the

following story:
On a bright Sunday morning one of

my boys, who was just a little fellow, was
walking to church with me. Soon the sights
and sounds of a new day invited him to skip
on ahead. Suddenly his carefree progress
came to an end. A few yards away was a

boxer dog looking at him. Stopping abruptly,
my son turned and rushed to my side. Only
when his hand was securely in mine and he
knew I was right beside him was he able to
walk undisturbed past the boxer.
What a picture of our pilgrimage
through this world! From time to time the
fierce-looking obstacles of illness, money
problems, or personal conflicts appear
before us, striking fear into our hearts. At
first we are bewildered and life seems to be
at a dead end. But then by faith we make
our way to the Savior, realizing we dare not
go forward without the assurance of His
presence. As we completely trust in Him, He
helps us face the future by walking with us
each step of the way.
If anxiety and dread are lurking on the
threshold of your tomorrow, remember
God's wonderful promise in Isaiah 41:10,
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not
dismayed, for I am your God. I will
strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will
uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
I'm grateful the Bible includes a passage that

reads “God is our refuge and strength, A very present
help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) Life's problems can be
like tornadoes and strike without notice. I live in
Minnesota where tornadoes are a fact of life that
Minnesotans have learned to live with. We face them
unexpectedly as they bring their damage. The
“tornado” trials of life are equally unpredictable and
sudden much like becoming badly injured in an
accident. But God is present to help us in such times of
trouble. The Psalm continues, “Therefore we will not
fear, even though the earth be removed...” The writer
of this Psalm seemed to have the most extreme

circumstances in mind. Sometimes our trials feel as
though the foundations have broken loose and slid off
into the depths of the hopelessness and our personal
“earth” has shaken, and we feel helpless to do anything
about it, but God is still our hiding place and safety net.
Have you ever asked, “What good is faith when all
seems lost?” You try to give it all to God and a
“tornado” strikes causing grief and disbelief. But the
shock is not over. Later, another strikes before you’re
over the first. Shock, pain, and sadness again enter into
your world. Somehow you find help from God and His
Word. When the grief overwhelms us we have to turn to
God's Word and His gift of eternal life through Jesus
Christ. When life's troubles hit us like a tornado, we can
remember that God's compassions never fail: “...the
LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His
compassions fail not.” (Lamentations 3:22) He can give
us hope.
We are told that “...we have the mind of Christ." (I
Cor. 2:16) We get new thoughts when we are
transformed in the second birth. Yet, we are told that
we still need a mind transplant after salvation.
Philippians 2:5-8 tell us how we do that. Through
humility and sacrifice we can install an attitude like
Christ’s. Notice the end result of exaltation. I have a
note in my Bible that reads “If you have trouble with
circumstances, take the ‘humility approach’—what
would Jesus do?” Joy in circumstances comes with a
humble mind.
Like the two women mentioned in Philippians
chapter 4, verses 1-5, we need a voluntary mind
transplant if we want joy and release from worry. If we
can think like Christ we can accept whatever He brings
our way. See I Corinthians 2:16 where it reads “...we
have the mind of Christ” and Ephesians 4:23 where it
reads “...be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”
Philippians, chapter 2 starts with “let this mind be in you
which was also in Christ Jesus” then, continues by

showing us what kind of mindset Jesus had: a self-
denying attitude, a servant's attitude, and a sacrificial
attitude. He forfeited His claim to a throne and
submitted to, instead, cruel death on a cross. He gave
up His glorified and holy position with His Father so that
the Father could receive the glory. He refused credit for
Himself so that we could be credited with justification
before God. When we submit to this mind transplant we
take on the mindset of Jesus.
In Daniel, chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar, the King of
Babylonia who captured the Israelites, spoke to the
Jewish young men Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego,
and told them they had to worship the gold image of
himself or be “cast immediately into the midst of a
burning fiery furnace.” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-
Nego answered “’O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need
to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God
whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning
fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O
king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we
do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold
image which you have set up.’” (Dan. 3:14-18)
“But if not...” A small phrase but packed with
significance! These Hebrew young men displayed the
same attitude that Jesus had in Gethsemane:
“...nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew
26:39). “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But
the LORD delivers him out of them all.” (Psalms 34:19)
So what is faith and how are we supposed to use
it? Can we accuse the three Hebrew young men of
Daniel of not having faith when they said “But if not...?”
The following “tongue-in-cheek” story of the “Beverly
Hillbillies Go to Church” by Larry Davies tells us faith
can turn trials into triumphs if we have the mind of
Christ.
“Jethro, why don't you read something from

the ‘Good Book,’” said Jed Clampett.
Jethro carefully opened the Bible: “Keep on
asking, and you will be given what you ask for.
Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on
knocking, and the door will be opened. For
everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who
seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone
who knocks.” (Mat. 7:7-8)
“That's wonderful, Jethro. But do you know
what it means?” asked Jed.
“You bet I do,” shouted Jethro but then he
paused and admitted: “No, Uncle Jed. No, I don't
know. What does it mean when it says, ask for
anything and you'll get it?”
“Well, I don't rightly know myself, Jethro.
What do you think, Granny?”
Granny replied: “Jed, all I know is that folks
pray for food and still go hungry and these old
bones of mine still ache when I get up in the
morning. Every day, I've still got to get out of that
bed and cook enough fatback and hog jowls to
feed all of you. Like you say, Jethro, you don't get
things just by asking for them. There's a heap
more to it than that.”
“Granny, I think you're right,” Jed added.
“We can't get everything just because we ask for
it. When Jesus said, ‘Ask and you will receive’ it
don't mean for us to give him a list. You see
Jethro: Faith in the Good Lord ain't some kind of
magic wand. Faith is more a way of living during
the good times and the bad times too. It means
you respect life like it is not like what you want it
to be.”
“You boys come in the kitchen so I can show
you something,” said Granny. She walked into the
kitchen and filled three pots with water and put
them each on a burner. In one pot, Granny put a
carrot. In another she put an egg and in the third

pot she placed a handful of coffee beans. “Jethro,
when you put a carrot in this pot and boil it, it gets
real soft. But what happens to the egg?”
“That's easy, Granny. It gets hard and I love
hard-boiled eggs. Can I eat it now?”
“Settle down Jethro,” said Jed. “But Granny,
what about the pot with the coffee beans.”
“That's the best part Jed,” answered
Granny. “Look what happens after you boil the
beans.”
Jethro jumped in again, “You get coffee,
Granny and I love a good cup of coffee.”
“Jethro, you love anything that will fit in that
big mouth of yours,” shouted Granny. “What I'm
trying to say to you fellers is that when times get
tough, some people get soft like the carrot and
give up. Some folks, like the egg, look fine on the
outside but inside they're hard-boiled. But coffee
beans somehow turn the boiling water of trouble
into a delicious fresh pot of coffee. Now Jed, that's
what I call faith!”
“Well, doggy. I believe you're right. When I
look at life as a hardship it's too much. But when
you look at life as a challenge it gets exciting,
waiting to see how it all turns out.” Jed thought a
moment and said, “It’s like the words to my
favorite hymn: ‘Life is like a mountain railway,
with an engineer that's brave. We must make the
run successful, from the cradle to the grave.
Watch the curves, the fills, the tunnels; never
falter, never quail. Keep your hands upon the
throttle and your eyes upon the rail.’”
The “Beverly Hillbillies” worship service
ended with the Clampett family and everyone in
the church singing the chorus together: “Precious
Savior, thou wilt guide us. Till we reach that
blissful shore: When the angels wait to join us in
Thy praise forevermore. In Thy praise

forevermore. Amen.”
“Well now it's time to say goodbye to Jed
and all his kin. An’ they would like to thank you
folks for kindly dropping in. You're all invited back
again to this locality, to have a heapin’ helpin’ of
their hospitality. Hillbilly, that is! Set a spell, Take
your shoes off! Y'all come back, here!”
Somehow we need to “Be still, and know that [He

is] God.” When it seems at any moment the
foundations of our life are about to be torn loose and
destroyed, we need to cease trying to outrun the storm
and stop and know God. It's when we try to fix
everything in our own way the God seems distant. Only
when we become still and turn our eyes upon God, will
our fears subside. Fear is the result of trusting
ourselves and not God.
Is there a tornado on the horizon of your life? Be
still and get your focus on God. No matter what life is
throwing at you, there is one answer to it: turn to God.
Get your eyes off the problem and off your self or others
and be still. Learn to know God by focusing on His
strength and help in your time of need. By doing so you
will not fear. Max Lucado said “Faith is the conviction
that God knows more than we do about this life and He
will get us through it.”
Another passage of scripture in the Bible teaches
us that we can profit from our trials: “My brethren,
count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing
that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let
patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect
and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4) What do
we do when problems come unannounced? James tells
us to “count it all joy,” because trials do not happen
without a reason. Trials are unavoidable and
unpredictable. Knowing that our sovereign God will walk
with us through trials and use them in His plan to bring

maturity, we can count them “all joy.”
Without bogging down with theology and
semantics, allow me to expound on these verses from
my point of view. I compare this passage to the visual
of clay, which is shaped by the potter: it is fired in a kiln.
Then, glowing red hot, the result is a unique product.
So it is with us. We bear the imprint of the Potter's
hand. He is not yet finished with us. We must
experience the kiln of trials. God uses this illustration for
Israel in the Bible (Jeremiah 18:6) when He said “Look,
as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My
hand….”
The first verse of a song entitled “Have Thine Own
Way” reads: “Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own
way, Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and
make me after thy will, While I am waiting, yielded and
still.” What the poet and the Divine Author are trying to
tell us is that God wants to fashion a beautiful and
durable tribute but He has to put us through some tests
first.
Another passage of scripture reads “For 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)
How can we express suffering as something that is
“granted” to us? Apparently, when we become
“partakers of His sufferings” (II Corinthians 1:7) we can
rejoice because when He is revealed in all His glory, we
will be there with Him (I Peter 4:13) and receive such an
incredible reward that “it will be worth it all when we
see Jesus.” A phrase of a song appropriately reads
“One glimpse of His dear face—all sorrow to will erase.”
I am reminded of a scientific fact that many of us
have heard but bears reexamination: when someone
examines a cocoon to watch a moth emerge, the moth
struggles to get through the tiny opening. We are
tempted to enlarge the hole so the moth can emerge
easily—but we dare not. The moth’s wings will be
shriveled if we do. The struggle through the narrow

opening is God's way to force fluid from its body into its
wings. We think we’re going to help the moth by
making it easier to get out, but we actually hurt it.
Hebrews 12 describes the Christian life as a race that
involves endurance and discipline. We need the struggle
to become what God intends us to be.
Another illustration of becoming what we are
meant to be through hardship is also found in nature.
Everyday, the mama eagle finds food and drops it
directly into the open mouths of hungry eaglets. This
goes on for a few weeks, until one day, mama makes a
dive into the nest and begins to shake it violently. Then
she will pick up a perplexed eaglet, soar into the sky,
and drop it. The little bird will begin to free-fall. Just
before the eaglet smashes against the rocks, mama
eagle swoops down to catch her baby. This goes on for
several times. Every time it is being dropped from the
sky, the eaglet will struggle by flapping its wings. Mama
is teaching her young to fly. At about the fourteenth to
fifteenth try, the eaglet begins to fly.
Learning to fly can be a very dangerous and
traumatic time for eagles but only then will they
become what they are meant to be. Christians are like
baby eagles, comfortable in the nest until one day,
something happens and we struggle. The nest gets
shaken and we don't know what to do. It's just our
loving Father who allows our nest to be shaken because
He wants us to grow into maturity. We are afraid of
free-falling, unsure of where we will land, yet God
watches over us and teaches us something wonderful
through it.00
Tough times are a part of our existence. Adversity
is a defining characteristic of the human experience.
Because we are not in direct control of our life we find
ourselves looking at a life we neither planned nor
expected but no matter how hard life gets, it is but a
momentary trial compared to what God has waiting for
us, and any suffering that we endure in this life is mild

compared to the glorious future that's waiting for us.
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is
working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight
of glory, while we do not look at the things which are
seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the
things which are seen are temporary, but the things
which are not seen are eternal.” (II Corinthians 4:17-18)
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time
are not worthy to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18) We may not be
in control of what happens in this life, but we can be
sure that whatever hardship we face will work out
eventually for your ultimate good and God’s glory. In
the end, we will know about God’s grace with new
awareness.
Sometimes our burdens seem more than we can
bear, and we wonder how we will ever get through
them. In times like that we need to be reminded that is
when God is closest to us. “The LORD is near to all who
call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will
fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear
their cry and save them.” (Psalm 145:18-19)
Nothing catches God by surprise. Satan can’t
even fool God. We know from reading Job 1:1-12 that
he has to get permission from God for his antics. God
knows what is going to happen before it “gels” in our
mind so when something happens to us that we
consider bad, we need to understand that God knew it
was going to take place. If He wanted to prevent
something from happening He has an eternity to work
around the event. The fact that He doesn’t proves He is
going to use the event in His plans. Whether we can
understand His plan or not doesn’t diminish its purpose
in the mind of God.
We never need face rough times alone, because
our Heavenly Father is “gracious and full of compassion,
slow to anger and great in mercy. The LORD is good to
all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.”
(Psalm 145:8-9)
When we experience one of life's burdens, and
feel that it is more than we can bear, we need to rely on
God's help. He is ready to bear our burdens. Psalm
145:14 says “The LORD upholds all who fall, and raises
up all who are bowed down.” Isaiah 26:3 instructs us
that He keeps us “in perfect peace, whose mind is
stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
In the words of our Savior, Jesus Christ says
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and
I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) When we face a
crisis in our daily walk with God we can rely on God’s
promise found in Psalm 138:7: “Though I walk in the
midst of trouble, You will revive me….”
The following anonymously-written poem alludes
to this newness of life:
When my weary body fails me,

And my mind is filled with strife,
When the world is pressing 'round me,
And I cannot deal with life,
When I've taken on the burdens,

Far more than I should share,
I cry with broken spirit,
“Lord, don't others even care?”
In my darkest midnight hours,

I hear You calmly say,
“You must take My yoke upon you.
You must rest within My way.”
Then my many cares I gather,

And I lay them at Your feet.
Where I let Your love surround me,
As my every need you meet.
~ Author Unknown ~
Life is hard sometimes. We are sometimes faced

with discouragement, depression, despair and worry.
We have a Person of awesome power, however, Who
offers real solutions to us. This was the case with Israel
in the day of the judges. In Judges chapter 20 we see
Israel going to battle against the Benjamites in Gibeah.
They asked God to reveal which tribe was to go first.
God indicated Judah. So the tribe of Judah went.
22,000 people died that day at the hands of the
Benjamites! Needless to say, Israel wasn’t so hasty the
next day. This time they enquired if they should even
go—God said “Yes.” So they did. This time the
Benjamites killed 18,000! Probably at this point
anybody in his right mind would say that God was not in
this plan. But Israel, after mourning and fasting, asked
God what they should do. God said, “Go again; only this
time you will win.” So they went to war the third day. It
looked pretty grim as the Benjamites started fighting
fiercely as in days before and it looked like they were
going to win again but Judges 20:35 says “The LORD
defeated Benjamin before Israel” and 25,100 of
Gibeah’s soldiers were killed. The Gibeanites panicked
and tried to escape. A few did, but later, Israel tracked
them down and destroyed them also.
What leveled the field for Israel? God did the
fighting. We can learn from this example that when
God fights for us, we win. On a more personal level, we
read about the wicked wife of King Ahab, Jezebel,
threatening Elijah’s life in I Kings 19. She threatened to
kill him. Elijah became so worried and anxious that he
prayed to God to die. He was seemingly all alone out in
the desert. He had had enough. What was the answer
to his despair? God was the answer. God met Elijah at
his need and Elijah responded by having a talk with
God. We too, can speak to God in prayer and
communicate with Him through the Bible.
God showed Elijah that he still had a job for him to

do. It’s amazing how quickly depression or worry ceases
when we are busy fulfilling God’s plan for our life. No
matter where we are emotionally, God still has a
purpose for us. Pursuing and fulfilling that purpose
leaves little time for anxiety. Sometimes we have to
reach a low spot in our human experience but we can’t
be focused on ourselves. We need to look at God for
strength and wisdom. Elijah turned to God in his
darkest hour even when he thought he was alone. We
need to, when we experience discouragement,
depression or worry, look to God for help. Look to God
for encouragement. Look to God for purpose. Look to
God for meaning.
God may appear to be invisible during these trials
but when the mountains of adversity and affliction bear
down we need to look beyond their pressure of suffering
to the precious faith that those trials produce. I Peter
1:6-7 alludes to this when it says “In this you greatly
rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you
have been grieved by various trials, that the
genuineness of your faith, being much more precious
than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may
be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of
Jesus Christ.” Peter tells us that the “faith producing”
experience is of great value to our spiritual lives.
Therefore, we can actually rejoice in it: “whom having
not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet
believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of
glory […].” (v.8) God brings trials in order to create
dependency and an atmosphere for trust. Answers
build confidence.
There will be times when we can’t see a reason
for what is happening to us. This happened to Gideon.
Even though he was considered a “mighty man” he was
forlorn because he thought God had “left him in the
dust!” Read Judges 6:11-16:
“Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat

under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah,
which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his
son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in
order to hide it from the Midianites. And the Angel
of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him,
‘The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!’
Gideon said to Him, ‘O my lord, if the LORD is with
us, why then has all this happened to us? And
where are all His miracles which our fathers told
us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up
from Egypt?' But now the LORD has forsaken us
and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.’
Then the LORD turned to him and said, ‘Go in this
might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the
hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?’ So
he said to Him, ‘O my Lord, how can I save Israel?
Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I
am the least in my father's house.’ And the LORD
said to him, ‘Surely I will be with you, and you
shall defeat the Midianites as one man.’”
Gideon probably saw the enemy as an
insurmountable problem considering his tribe was so
seemingly insignificant. But God made it clear that He
was with Gideon, that the battle wasn’t left to him to
fight alone. The Israelites were successful in battle and
then enjoyed peace for 40 years.
The psalmist tells us that God puts a new “song”
in our mouths (Ps. 40:3). When He said this it was after
a devastating calamity (verse 2) and it took God to
rescue him. It’s as if God jumped in the pit with him
and helped him out. We, too, get a new song to sing
when we've experienced God's deliverance from
trouble. We receive that transcending grace that only
comes after we reach “the end of our rope.”
So, how can we “count it all joy when you fall into
various trials?” (James 1:2) Where do we turn to when
some calamity grips our heart with fear and sorrow?
God wants us to trust Him through all our

circumstances. He wants us to accept loss as
opportunities for growth in faith. Only as we submit to
His sovereign control can we agree with James and
rejoice even in calamity.
It's better to ask God to meet our needs in His
time and in His way than experiment with our own
methods and expect immediate results. If we ask God
to meet our needs His way, we may face some
challenges down the path of life, but James said, He
gives “more grace” (James 4:6). There are many times
I’m glad I don’t have to go it alone. Most times I
wouldn’t want to rely on my own judgments about some
matters. If I got my way in everything I would have to
live with some sobering consequences. At least God’s
way leads down the path that yields consequences that
are right for me. Even when we know that God's way is
best for us, though, we may still struggle to obey Him.
We know He can help us as we grapple with the difficult
choices in our lives, but we are still prone to want
everything our way and be taken care of immediately.
Do we think we know better than God Who sees the
future?
Isaiah 45 tells us in verses 5 through 7 that He is
the Lord and that there is no other that deserves our
adoration. He takes care of His own even when we
don’t acknowledge it. Isaiah goes on to explain that
there is nobody like Him. Who else can form light and
create darkness? Oh sure, we can turn off a light switch
to cause there to be an absence of light so that it
appears dark, but God can make darkness from light!
We do well to put our trust in Him. Isaiah also says of
God, “I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do
all these things.” Apparently, God can create
“calamity” for my good!
The Bible reads in Psalm 147 that God “does not
delight in the strength of the horse,” and that He takes
no pleasure in the legs of a man.” It goes on saying
“The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in

those who hope in His mercy.” I’m sure it’s not saying
that God could care less about human strength, but He
doesn’t need us to accomplish His objectives; however,
He likes it when we put the trust of our lives in His
merciful watch care. A poet said is this way: “The God
who made the firmament, Who made the deepest sea,
The God who put the stars in place Is the God who cares
for me.” Rather than concentrating on the trials of life,
we should fix our attention on its blessings.
When I was a little boy, a friend my mother and
our neighbor used to embroider. Sometimes I would lie
on her floor and look up from the floor and watch her. I
watched her work from the underside and thought that
it sure looked messy from where I sat. When she was
finally finished she showed me a marvelous “picture.” I
could not believe it, because from underneath it looked
so messy. I did not realize that there was a pre-drawn
design on the top.
Often we look up to our Heavenly Father and say,
“Father, what are You doing?” He answers, “I am
embroidering your life.” “But it looks like a mess,” we
say. The threads seem so jumbled and we think that
there’s a mistake. The Father seems to say, “One day I
will bring you to Heaven and you will see the plan from
My side.”
David Roper said “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.” God often leads us down roads
that seem unreasonable at first but when we come to
their end, we begin to understand that the paths have
been allowed for our ultimate good.
Philippians 4:10-13 reads “But I rejoiced in the
Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has
flourished again; though you surely did care, but you
lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need,
for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.

Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be
full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer
need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens
me.”
The apostle Paul proclaimed that he had learned
an important secret: how to find inner contentment in
his circumstances. He would respond positively. It was
not Paul’s immediate thinking. He had to endure
learning experiences that enabled him to face his
difficulties without discontent, worry, or fear. Each time
he experienced a trial, he had a choice to look at it from
his own perspective or from the perspective of God. He
could judge the experience emotionally or spiritually.
Just as Paul had to accept certain circumstances
as coming from God, so too we have to trust that God
knows what is best for us. If we fail to submit to His
design, we are essentially telling God He has made a
mistake! We must consciously make a decision to
submit to whatever He brings our way and believe that
God’s plan cannot be improved. Read Ephesians 1:11
and 12—“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance,
being predestined according to the purpose of Him who
works all things according to the counsel of His will, that
we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of
His glory” or Isaiah46:9 and 10—“Remember the former
things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am
God, and there is none like Me. Declaring the end from
the beginning, and from ancient times things that are
not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will
do all My pleasure.’”
By drawing our inner strength from God, we no
longer have to face our circumstances alone. If we have
failed to ground ourselves in God’s Word through
spiritual appointments we will have week faith and little
trust. We must trust in the Lord by focusing on God and
not our circumstances. Isaiah tells us in chapter 26 of
his writings that God “will keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on [Him], because he trusts in

[God]. Trust in the LORD forever, for in YAH, the LORD,
is everlasting strength.”
Inner pain comes when we live by feelings instead
of spiritual principles. We need to look at our
circumstances from God's point of view, but, is it really
possible to face trials and have God's peace? Yes, but
not in our own strength. The secret is learning to bring
God's power into our weakness. This is accomplished
through what we believe, not through what we do.
Trusting that we have access to God's power through
the Holy Spirit at all times for all situations is the first
step to contentment.
In an article entitled “Where Is the Good Life
When We Suffer?” written by the infamous imprisoned
believer Chuck Colson, Chuck said
“...my oldest son, Wendell, was diagnosed with a

rare form of bone cancer. ...my precious daughter
Emily was diagnosed with melanoma. ...my wife,
Patty, underwent major knee surgery. ...As I’ve
frequently written, no one gets through life
unscathed. You have probably discovered, as I
have, that when trouble comes, it seems to pile
on.
…I found myself at times wrestling with the
great deceiver. He attacks when we’re weakest...I
write now, however, with perspective. The self-
pitying fog began to clear in June: I was reminded
how God so often uses the suffering of believers
for His redemptive purpose. As a visible public
figure, how I would bear up under this would be
an important witness--as it is with each of us
dealing with affliction. When I came to terms with
this, my confidence was renewed, and I even
experienced glorious moments of God’s sustaining
grace. ...Our feelings are irrelevant; God is not
the creature of our emotions--God is the great I
AM, who created me and in whose care rests my

family and my family’s destiny."
Many times our disappointments are used

effectively by God to accomplish some aspect of His
grand design. Tragedies become opportunities through
which God can demonstrate His love and grace. If we
could review our lives completely from beginning to
end, we would see that when we were broken we
became more effective Christians than if they had
carried out all our own plans.
Are you being broken today? Perhaps someone
dear to you has been torn away. Perhaps you seem
stampeded by repeated bad circumstances. Perhaps
misery has taken up residence in your soul. Try to see
the purpose of it all from God's standpoint. The best
things that come to us are not those that we acquire
from having our ways, but from letting God have His
ways. Though the ways of testing and trial seem cruel, it
is the way of God's love and in the end will be the best
for us. Remember, we have the Lord's promise: “No
good thing will He withhold from those who walk
uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11) Someone once penned these
words:
I walked life's path with worry,
Disturbed and quite unblest,
Until I trusted Jesus;
Now faith has giv'n me rest.
How God Turns Adversity into Opportunity--Inspiration
Chapter 6—Inspiration
The Scriptures teach us that God wants us to

bring our requests to Him and we can be confident that
He will answer (Philippians 4:6;
I John 5:14-15). But He is never obligated to answer in
the way we want. When His Son was agonizing in
Gethsemane, He ended His requests in humble
submission by saying, “Your will be done” (Matthew
26:42). That example ought to govern all our praying
because the Father's will is always saturated with
infinite love and wisdom. We as trustful children gladly
commit to Him our desires. Whatever He grants will
prove in the end to be the best.
Prayer is not just telling God what we want. It is
asking Him to receive what we really need. It is more
about growing and trusting than about getting. As we
grow in faith, our prayers will become less of a wish list
and more of an intimate conversation with the Lord.
Of course, there are many characteristics and
truths to contemplate about our Great God. One could
write a library of books about any one of them.
Knowing God's character in answer to our petitions
gives us hope in a hopeless world. Whatever God does it
is perfect by default because God is perfect. It is
important to contemplate and try to understand Who
God is: He is perfect love, righteousness and justice.
This gives us hope when we let Him solve our problems.
When we ask for God’s will to be done, we are
submitting to His perfection even if we can’t understand
it. Sometimes we ask for patience but forget that
“tribulation produces perseverance (patience).” The
message we receive is very much like the following
poem I received by e-mail: all of our trials are put into a
box with holes and God sorts through them, giving us
the blessings that go with them:
God's Boxes
I have in my hands two boxes,

Which God gave me to hold.
He said, “Put all your sorrows in the black box,
And all your joys in the gold.”
I heeded His words, and in the two boxes,
Both my joys and sorrows I stored,
But though the gold became heavier each day,
The black was as light as before.
With curiosity, I opened the black,
I wanted to find out why,
And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole,
Which my sorrows had fallen out by.
I showed the hole to God, and mused,
“I wonder where my sorrows could be!”
He smiled a gentle smile and said,
“My child, they're all here with me.”
I asked God, why He gave me the boxes,
Why the gold and the black with the hole?
“My child, the gold is for you to count your
blessings,
The black is for you to let go.”
~author unknown~
I have often wondered how someone as

inadequate as I can expect to surmount great
mountains of trials. The answer is in this poem:
STEP BY STEP
He does not lead me year by year
Nor even day by day.
But step by step my path unfolds
My Lord directs my way.
Tomorrow's plans I do not know,

I only know this minute,
Then He will say, “This is the way
By faith, now walk ye in it.”
And I am glad that it is so,
Today's enough to bear,

And when tomorrow comes His grace
Shall far exceed its care.
What need to worry then or fret?

The God who gave His Son
Holds all my moments in His hand,
And gives them one by one.
~~Morrison
We legitimately ask the question, “How do I make

from the valley of turmoil to the mountains of blessing?”
The answer echoes back “little by little.” It is by one
small victory after another. In his song, “Sweet
Company” By Scott Krippayne from the album “Celtic
Pride”, it says “In my deepest night - He is the guiding
star; In my sinfulness - He is the forgiving heart.” God is
said to be “A willing ear for each silent prayer” and “A
shoulder for burdens I cannot bear.”
We survive the onslaught of emotional upheaval
by accepting God’s comfort in the present and His
promises for the future. It all requires faith and we
express our faith through honest prayers of need
tempered with adoration toward The Sustainer.
I find it interesting that in the book of Revelations,
chapter six, Jesus is referred to as both a Lamb and a
Lion in the same context! We know He was the
sacrificial Lamb that willingly gave His life to God as the
price for mankind’s debt of sin, but, have you ever
thought of a lamb conquering? That’s why we are
“more than conquerors through Jesus.” We can turn
those tragedies of life into victories because Jesus did
and as long as we rest in His plan, we get to share in the
same victory!
My daughter, Kendra Leigh Hazer in Missouri, sent
me a story by E-mail that fits this theme of allowing God
to use what appear to be calamities for His gift to us:
“The only survivor of a shipwreck was

washed up on a small, uninhabited island.
He prayed feverishly for GOD to rescue him,
and every day he scanned the horizon for
help, but none seemed forthcoming.
Exhausted, he eventually managed to
build a little hut out of driftwood to protect
himself from the elements and to store his
few possessions.
One day, after scavenging for food, he
arrived home to find his little hut in flames,
with smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst
had happened, he thought, and everything
was lost.
He was stunned with disbelief, grief,
and anger. “God, how could you do this to
me?” he cried. Early the next day he was
awakened by the sound of a ship that was
approaching the island.
It had come to rescue him. “How did
you know I was here?” Asked the weary
man of his rescuers. “We saw your smoke
signal,” they replied.
It's easy to get discouraged when
things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose
heart, because God is at work in our lives,
even in the midst of pain, and suffering.
Remember this, the next time your
little hut seems to be burning to the ground.
It just may be a smoke signal that summons
the grace of GOD.”
Job can be an inspiration to those that are

suffering. At one point he wished he had never been
born (3:1-3). He experienced some grievous sorrow
after the devil received permission from God to take
away his possessions and health. Whereas men usually
observe their birthday with rejoicing, Job looked upon it
as the unhappiest day of the year. He cursed his day,

but he did not curse his God. Yes, he was weary of his
life and would gladly have parted with it but he was not
weary of his God. Job resolutely clung on to Him and did
not let go. Job had his infirmities with like passions as
we but he expressed great submission and resignation
to the holy will of God. He knew that God was
regulating the extent of his affliction and trusted Him
explicitly for his misery to be tempered with God’s
mercy.
Florence Nightingale experienced great pain and
as Job, wanted life to end. She is most remembered as
a pioneer of nursing and a reformer of hospital
sanitation methods. At seventeen she felt herself to be
called by God to a career in medicine. When she was
only in her thirties she wrote in her diary, “My God,
what will become of me? I have no desire but to die.”
But her despair gave way to the light and she went on
to become a source of endless comfort to suffering
souls and write two books about hospital reform that
paved the way for the nursing profession.
Maybe you're at the point of not wanting to go on.
Being God's child intensifies your desperation, for you
wonder how a believer could feel so alone and forsaken.
Don't give up. Some words from “All Things Work Out
For Good,” a song written in 1961 by John W. Peterson
of John W. Peterson Music Company echo hope in the
midst of calamity: “All things work out for good, we
know—Such is God's great design; He orders all our
steps below For purposes divine.”
In a similar way that God plans good to come of
frustration, He enters our lives and removes the
darkness of our sin and despair and continues to
comfort us through times of sorrow. In the midst of
trouble and disappointment, the Lord encourages His
children by giving hope. This may come through
encouragement from a fellow believer, or it may be a
word of encouragement from God's Word by the
ministry of the Holy Spirit, or it may be encouragement

in response to a prayer. Whatever the case, God works
things out according to His design for those that get in
alignment with His purposes.
We may not feel that there is any hope but we
can exercise our faith muscle by giving thanks “In
everything…for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
concerning you.” (I Thessalonians 5:18) We take small
steps forward. The weaker we are, the more we rely on
God. The more we rely on God, the more He does. The
more He does, the greater our faith becomes. Faith
doesn’t shield us from emotions, but it does help us
respond victoriously. It’s a two-way street: we respond
in faith not to make life easier but to help us get
through it. Then God responds by giving us the tools
necessary to do just that.
I had the privilege of participating in a Disability
Conference at Hope Baptist in Mankato, Minnesota in
October, 2005 where several representatives from “Joni
and Friends” spoke about how trials had perfected their
lives. I had a wonderful time at this emotionally charged
seminar. I made some new friends and created fond
memories. While listening to the presenters, I couldn't
help but to think what an awesome God we serve.
One of the presenters, Scott Rogers, had this to
say: “As with myself, God has brought each and every
one of you a long way, and all glory goes to Him.
According to the scriptures, we are made in Gods'
image. When trials and tribulation comes our way, they
have already passed before the Father. In His
sovereignty, He has already equipped us for what
tomorrow brings, and we have hope in Him. In turn,
those trials and tribulations draw us nearer to Him. He
polishes the mirror that we've become, and we are then
able to allow the world to see Jesus in us.”
We live in a culture that is anti-suffering, yet, God
works through suffering, however. Evil would prevail if
uncontrolled, but God holds back the onslaught of
tragedy so that He can use our circumstances through

faith to provide strength. We then can share our growth
after it matures. The valley of experience allows us to
comfort others in similar circumstances beyond just
being sympathetic. We can’t remove tragedy but we
can walk with people though it. The closeness and
intimacy of our relationship doesn’t remove the strain
but a peace enters the picture that alleviates the
pressure somewhat.
Joanie Yoder was born November 28, 1934 and
died of cancer on October 15, 2004. She shared her
growth through struggle in “Our Daily Bread" since 1994
after she retired from missionary work in three foreign
countries. She shared her dependence on God from
personal tragedy of addiction to pain medicines and
subsequent renewal of faith as she discovered the
unfailing sufficiency of Christ.
How God Turns Adversity into Opportunity--Choices
Chapter 7—Choices
A decision made today can determine the course
of tomorrow. There is no person immune to the power
of a decision. Sometimes we make good decisions that
are hard to follow through on and sometimes we
downright refuse to make good decisions because of
fear or selfishness, but to make truly wise choices that
cater to God's purposes, we must know God's Word and
apply it. If we don't, we may make destructive
decisions that could lead to our demise!
What are the toughest choices you had to make
today? Simple things, like when to awake, what to
wear, or what to eat don't rank too high on the
toughness scale, though choices like these can
accumulate into hazards or blessings. But I'm asking
about those momentous decisions that you agonized
over. These are the ones that, through time, turn out to
be life-changing or dramatic when we look back on
them. Because we can't see the future, we need to rely
on Someone Who can.
Sometimes, in making what seems like an
inconsequential decision, we are actually molding our
future. What seems like a casual choice can turn out to
have monumental consequences. Take Eve's choice in
the Garden of Eden, for example. All she had to decide
was whether or not to partake of a specific fruit. Of
course, she faced a great deal more than that! On one
hand, she had Satan trying to get her to do what he
wanted. On the other hand, she had God trying to get
her to do what He wanted. This was her moment of
decision--Who would she listen to? As one of the first
living beings, she became the first to experience
spiritual death and began a chain of events that lead to
the entire human race being plunged into spiritual
death. Consequently, we are all born dead! “And you
He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.”
(Eph. 2:1)
Just as our first parents could choose to obey or

disobey God, we can exercise our independence and
obey our will over God’s. We suffer the same
consequence they did—guilt. Our fellowship with God is
destroyed and alienation replaces trust.
Life is full of choices. How do we know when the
choices we make are wise decisions? It would be
helpful to have a guidebook with principals outlined and
examples portrayed that show us how we can wrestle
with these choices that will affect us during a lifetime
and through generations to come. Guess what: the
guidebook exists! It’s called “The Bible.”
The choices we make are writing the script for our
life's story! David’s story is summarized in Psalm 119.
He reveals what our responses to adversity should
entail. Adversity tends to cause us to search God's
Word for the answers (verse 50). Adversity pulls us
back on to the right path (verse 67). Adversity teaches
us that God is faithful (verse 75). Adversity keeps us
focused on the wise Master (verse 92). Adversity
causes us to reflect on His promises (verse 107).
Adversity brings God closer to us (verse 153).
Traumatic and painful experiences actually help
us become more concerned about what God desires
rather than what we want. When troubles come we pay
closer attention to our teacher.
Have you ever been in a car accident?
Afterwards, you probably paid closer attention when you
got into your car, right? Have you have ever had heart
problems? Afterwards you probably careful about what
you ate, right? Has someone dear to you died?
Afterwards you probably gave more attention to those
close to you, right? Has your home ever burned?
Afterwards you probably were careful to check your fire
policy and insurance coverage, right? You got your
mind off your problems and onto their solutions.
So it is with God-directed adversity—we get our
attention off the circumstances and on to the Provider

of help.
It takes commitment to our Lord to make wise
choices based in His will. A song of commitment was
presented to me one Sunday morning. It has made a
special impact on my concept of the meaning of
“following Christ.” I have a hard time even committing
to the second stanza!
Whatever It Takes
There is a voice calling me from an old rugged

tree,
And whispers draw closer to me.
Leave this world far behind,
There are new heights to climb and a new place in
me you will find.
Whatever it takes to draw closer to you,
That's what I will be willing to do.
Whatever it takes to be more like you,

Oh that's what I'll be willing to do.
Take my houses and lands, change my dreams
and my plans,
For I am placing my whole life in your hands.
If you call me today to a land far away,
Lord I'll go and your will obey.
Lord take the dearest thing to me,

If that's how it must be to draw me close to Thee.
Let the disappointments come-lonely days without
the sun,
If through sorrow more like you I’ll become.
Oh whatever it takes to draw closer to you,
That's what I am willing to do--for whatever it
takes to be more like you.
I'll trade sunshine for rain,

Comfort for pain,

That's what I’ll be willing to do.
Whatever it takes for my will to break,
For whatever it takes to be closer to you.
That's what I’ll be willing to do
If we want our life of service for God to be

worthwhile, we have to make the right choices. We can
learn this lesson from David in Psalm 71. We have the
privilege to run to the Lord instead of living in confusion
so we, like David, need to learn to cry to the Lord before
giving up to troubles. We too, can learn to resist fear by
running to God and asking help before we become
bitter. We would do well to remember His faithfulness:
we are supposed to praise God that He has a plan for
our life. As David did, we must let our life be a
testimony for the Lord by praising God rather than
complaining. He was enabled to trust God to the end of
his life. We are also obliged to take our fears to God in
prayer and humbly depend on the Lord for guidance.
We see from David’s example that we can learn to see
hardship as a blessing through having a lifetime
commitment to the Lord and letting the Lord invade all
of our life. Peter tells us that we have an inheritance
waiting for us that can never be taken away: “Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again
to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and
undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in
heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God
through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the
last time.” (I Peter 1:3-5) Times of hardship and
disappointment become a reminder of what is awaiting
us in eternity. Is this an easy thing to do? No. It takes a
willful choice on our part.
The Bible warns us that for those who desire
a dedicated Christian walk “will suffer persecution” (2
Timothy 3:12). Jesus talking about counting the cost of

discipleship said, “If anyone desires to come after Me,
let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow
Me” (Matthew 16:24). Yet, Paul said our suffering for
Christ isn't worthy “to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us.” And Peter told us, “Rejoice to
the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that
when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with
exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:13).
Christians who endure hardship tend to look at
their situation as a privilege to be identified with their
Christ rather than look back with regrets. However,
strengths derived from faith can become weaknesses if
God is not allowed to channel them for His purposes.
An example of this principle is Peter in Matthew 14:25-
30. At first we see Peter walking on the sea of Galilee.
When Christ asked, “who do you say that I am?” in
chapter 16, Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the
Son of the living God” displaying his faith. Yet, the
strengths that Peter possessed became weaknesses
later. We see him in verse 30 taking his eyes off the
Master and Peter's involvement became unfocused as
he lost some faith. Later, his initiative became
insubordination as he took Christ for granted (Matthew
16:22.) His boldness even became interference as he
hindered the glory of God (Matthew 17:1-4.)
God isn’t a looser! He changes outcomes to suit
Himself. He can take all the bad decisions that would
lead to pain and suffering and use them for His own
purposes. He is able to alter schedules and work
around different personalities so that His plans get
carried out.
We should want to be involved with His agenda
and be willing to do things His way. It will start with
what we believe about Him. What we believe influences
our decision-making.
When Joshua sent spies into Jericho as recorded in
Joshua, chapter 2, their initial contact with the prostitute
Rahab lead to a city-wide advertisement as to where to

find them. When the police showed up, Rahab had to
decide if these men were representing the true God and
therefore earn her trust or if she should help her
countrymen. It could not have not been an easy
decision but she didn’t have time to think about it. Her
decision was based on a brief introduction to God but it
was just enough to give her the courage to go against
the tide of her culture. She quickly agreed that “the
LORD [their] God, He is God in heaven above and on
earth beneath.” (Joshua 2:11) Unknowingly in her infant
faith, she was submitting to a sovereign God.
Rahab’s faith caused her to buck contemporary,
earthly wisdom and experience that “it is God who
works in you both to will and to do for His good
pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13) It had nothing to do with
what she had been taught by her peers or who she was
but with her faith in how God would invade her future.
Her choice in that moment determined her destiny.
People seldom start life's vocation with no
preparation. There are technical schools, business
colleges, apprenticeships, correspondence courses,
night schools, etc. After proper training what is
supposed to be the right choice? After high-school
graduation, what then? After college graduation, what
then? After marriage, what then? After children, what
then? After a career what then? After money, house
and car what then? After retirement what then?
What about eternity? What we do when faced with
trials determines who we are and what our future will
hold for us. There is more to life than simply existing.
I had lots of education and experiences behind me
to help me in what I felt were my plans for the future to
become a computer programmer. Little did I know God
was going to remake my schedule! The Bible says in
Proverbs 16:9 that “a man's heart plans his way, But the
LORD directs his steps.” What I thought were my
talents and skills for one area of life God used to start a
ministry in a different area—a ministry called

Pathfinder’s Fellowship.
Pathfinder’s Fellowship sends out 4 “Ezines” (E-
mail newsletters) each week. These get sent out once a
week usually on the weekend. In addition to the
newsletters Pathfinder’s maintains websites for
churches (see www.pathfinderfellowsip.org) and
missionaries (see www.webmissions.org .)
This ministry was not what I had planned for my
future vocation and took considerable adaptation. Until
June, 2003 I worked at least one job a year and as many
as three. From the time I was 16 and was used to
earning income for what I needed and wanted. I
developed self-sufficiency. I had to learn to rely on God
to stretch my faitht. I knew in my heart that I was
surrounded by things that didn't belong to me, like my
family, my health, my church, my possessions, my
friends, and even my life. These all belong to God and
are on loan while I'm down here on earth. Yet, in my
every-day experience, I still tend to call them mine. The
Psalmist said in Psalm 89:11 that “the heavens are [His]
and the earth also...”
My mind and mouth are on loan also! I felt very
inadequate after the accident, primarily because even
though I had the thoughts, I couldn’t seem to express
them. God was trying to use my writing skills to
supplant what I felt were inadequate speech skills.
Moses, on the occasion of his call by God, had
similar reservations about his skill: “O my Lord, I am not
eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to
Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of
tongue.” (Exodus 4:10) The Lord went on to say to him,
“Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute,
the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?”
(v.11)
My disability was not an accident from God’s point
of view; it was God-designed. God's way of dealing with
what we call “limitations” is not to remove them but to
endow them with strength and use them for His glory.
For example in the New Testament, God said to his
servant Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My
strength is made perfect in weakness.” (II Corinthians
12:9)
We often let our relationship with the Lord be
influenced by the experiences of others. But we must
not be concerned with what God has planned for
someone else. We are created for a specific task that
God feels nobody else can do. Yes, we can temporarily
“fill another’s shoes” but we can not receive another’s
blessing. The experiences that were reserved for
another called to that mission cannot be experienced by
us because God is preparing him with gifts specific to
the cause. God prepares you for His task. (Ephesians
4:11-12)
Paul tells us in II Corinthians 12:9 that God’s
“grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made
perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather
boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may
rest upon me.” What makes His grace “sufficient?”
How is our weakness turned into His “strength?”
I know that many readers balk at the idea that
God could actually be the cause of distress. Many of my
friends tell me that my accident was caused by evil
powers believing that the origin of anything hurtful has
to have its source from outside of God. That idea
minimizes the intendancy of God. Others will go one
step further in stating that, as in Job, evil powers have
to get permission from God to perform their schemes.
While, most of the time this is true, God can, if He
chooses, bring distress to His people. Read how God
put His people in harm's way in Amos 9:4: “Though they
go into captivity before their enemies, From there I will
command the sword, And it shall slay them. I will set My
eyes on them for harm and not for good.” “What looks
like just an accident when viewed through human eyes,
is really God at work in us—His blessing in disguise.”
Another case of Israel in trouble with God is Israel

in Micah. The Assyrian invasion is described in the first
chapter. Granted, it is a judgment for Israel’s sin and
although Assyria didn’t make it through the gate the
danger was imminent. God, Himself, is said to have
come out of His place to bring His judgment. Micah was
trying to warn his people to have a holy fear of the
divine wrath to come. The disaster, as he called it,
emanated from God: “For the inhabitant of Maroth pined
for good, but disaster came down from the LORD to the
gate of Jerusalem.” (Micah 1:12)
Even the pious Job said a person’s life is “full of
trouble” (Job 5:1) and felt God Himself was inflicting a
severe consequence: “But now He has worn me out.”
(Job 16:7) Joseph, when he was sold as a slave said to
his brothers “But as for you, you meant evil against me;
but God meant it for good…” indicating that God
supervised the whole affair. When Jeremiah
contemplated the troubles that faced the descendants
of Abraham, he recorded that God said “whom I have
sent out of this place for their own good, into the land of
the Chaldeans.” (Jer. 24:5) In the New Testament Paul
said “we are appointed to” affliction (I Thessalonians.
3:3). In I Peter, verse 6 we are told we should rejoice in
the temporary trials because we have the privilege to
suffer with Christ (I Peter 4:13).
Again, in the Old Testament, God said to Israel,

“Every commandment which I command you today you
must be careful to observe…to humble you and test
you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would
keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you,
allowed you to hunger… Therefore you shall keep the
commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His
ways and to fear Him. For the LORD your God is bringing
you into a good landscaping…in which you will lack
nothing…beware that you do not forget the LORD your
God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments,
and His statutes which I command you today, lest…
when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD…”
Sometimes God has to kick out our crutches from
underneath us to show us we are more capable than we
think if we rely on His limitless power rather than our
own finite strength. Epictetus, who lived around 50 A.D.
to about 138 A.D., was a Phrygian Stoic philosopher. He
wrote nothing, but his teachings were set down by one
of his disciples. He emphasized indifference to external
goods and taught that the true good is within oneself so
he didn’t subscribe to the Christian example but he
once said “I am always content with what happens; for I
know that what God chooses is better than what I
choose.”
Trying to explain this to others usually produces a
big question mark. The idea of getting your mind off of
yourself when life is tough and making a conscious
effort to meditate on all the good things that God has
done, seems alien. We seem to be prone to dwell on the
one “bad” thing while forgetting the many “good”
things.
I have had my share of “bad” days over which I
have no control. How can I look for the good when the
day’s events are beyond my control? I am reminded of
these words: “This is the day the Lord has made.”
(Psalm 118:24) The Lord has made every day, of
course, but the meaning behind what is being said here
is that God will have control over everything in it, even

the “bad” events because they have been screened
through His wisdom and have become opportunities for
me to grow in faith.
Adversity provides us an opportunity to
incorporate the grace of God. The character of Christ
becomes evident as hardships become blessings
because Jesus is magnified. You finally come to the
point where you realize that not everything is about
“me”.
If we respond positively to adversity the world is
going to think that we're out of touch with reality. It is
not the world's idea of “natural” to respond to suffering
with thanksgiving but in Acts chapter 16, we find Paul
and Silas thrown into prison after they had been beaten
almost to death praying and singing hymns to God!
These might have been songs of thanksgiving because
later those who were listening wanted the joy that Paul
and Silas had. This was exactly the opposite of what
the guards expected. Christ was glorified because Paul
and Silas saw their suffering as a way to further God's
purpose instead of responding “why me?”
Every tough time should remind us why we're
even here--to allow us the opportunity to bring glory to
God and to bring others to a saving faith in Him. We are
prone to ask, “Why did this happen to me?” A more
logical question to ask is “Why doesn’t more happen to
me?” We could have been born with a disabling
handicap. We could have been born in an
underdeveloped country where starvation is rampant.
We could have been born in a hostile land where
persecution is the norm. Are we any more special than
others who struggle just to survive? From God’s point
of view, we are the offspring of a defiant race shaking
its fist at God. None of us deserve anything from God
other than His wrath!
Sometimes it’s not so much an event that triggers
our dismay as much as it is a person. Unfortunately,
bad emotions seem to rub off on others but even our

emotions can be turned over to God for adjustment. I’m
sure the Psalmists had moments of belittlement and
frustration but we are reminded in Psalms 76:10 that
“Surely the wrath of man shall praise You.”
God's people suffer wrong from time to time
because we live in an angry, provoking world. We often
feel much from the wrath of man but God can set
bounds to the wrath of man just as He does to the
raging sea. His name is glorious, and He is the proper
object of our faith. Since there is no contending with
God it is to our advantage to submit to Him. As we seek
His favor and commit all our concerns to Him, He makes
man’s wrath give way to our praises.
In the handling of everyday life King David gives
us some insight. David was a man after God's own
heart (see I Samuel 13:14 and Acts 123:22). He
expressed the entire spectrum of human emotion from
joy to sorrow in the Psalms. Here he cried out to God in
anguish of despair and fear of danger. Throughout the
Psalms, he always found help from his God after he
realized that his own frailty was the source of his pain.
He asked God to test his faith and show Himself faithful
in Psalm 26:2-3: “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me;
Try my mind and my heart. For Your lovingkindness is
before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth.”
David endured tremendous challenges. Saul
wanted him dead. His own son tried to kill him. He was
guilty of adultery and murder and he suffered the death
of his own children as a consequence. His family dealt
with rape, betrayal, murder and treachery. At the same
time, David had the nation of Israel on his shoulders and
was responsible for leading it. It is no wonder that he
cried out “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in
trouble; my eye wastes away with grief, yes, my soul
and my body! For my life is spent with grief, and my
years with sighing; my strength fails because of my
iniquity, and my bones waste away. I am a reproach
among all my enemies, but especially among my

neighbors, and am repulsive to my acquaintances;
those who see me outside flee from me. I am forgotten
like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel.
For I hear the slander of many; fear is on every side;
while they take counsel together against me, they
scheme to take away my life.” (Psalm 31:9-13) Through
it all, though, notice David's immediate answer in Psalm
31:14-15: “But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say,
'You are my God.' My times are in Your hand...”
David sums up our sufficiency in God in Psalm
19:7-14: “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the
soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the
simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the
heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they
than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than
honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your
servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great
reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me
from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from
presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over
me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of
great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the
meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O
Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”
The weight of his sin and his responsibility to rule
Israel took him to depths that most of us could hardly
imagine. Many times in the Psalms he expresses his
despair of how the enemy surrounded him. In Psalm 6
he gets “real” with God and asks for mercy (v2). In
verses 6 & 7 he expressed how low he really felt: “I am
weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim;
I drench my couch with my tears. My eye wastes away
because of grief; It grows old because of all my
enemies.” Can you imagine your life getting much

more desperate than this!
And yet, notice David's recognition of his remedy:
“But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my
God. My times are in Your hand.’” (Psalm 31:14-15)
God was sufficient for David's needs (and they
were great!) The Creator of the Universe is not only
capable, but, willing and faithful to sustain us and give
us victory through the darkest human suffering and
discouragement. Is God sufficient, or not? He claims
that He is. The question remains for each of us to
answer individually: is the Creator of the Universe
faithful to give us victory through deep human
suffering? The answer lies where our trust is placed. It
becomes no longer a question of God's sufficiency but,
rather, of taking God at His word. If our Creator cannot
help us, how can His creation?
Over and over, Jesus urged His followers to do
what God said was right, not what they felt was right.
Our natural tendency is to say, “I'll feel better if I get
revenge.” Jesus said, however, “Do good to those who
hate you.” (Luke 6:27) Having strong feelings about
something doesn't make it right. As Jude wrote, those
who follow their own desires and instincts lead others
into conflict and division (1:18-19). Supernatural
strength that only God can give is required to live by
faith rather than by feelings. Matthew Henry said
“When I cannot enjoy the faith of assurance, I live by
the faith of adherence.”
Nothing defines us more than the choices we
make. Christians can be faced with the reality of
discouragement, despair and worry as much as the
world but Who we turn to for help is a choice that
distinguishes us from the world. The world quickly turns
to a quick and easy means of remedy. Christians,
however, have a much greater solution available.
Elijah ran frantically from King Ahab in I Kings,
chapter 19. He was in despair of his life though he had
experienced God’s presence in a dramatic way when he

prayed that God would send fire from heaven to
consume the water-saturated altar (1Kings 18). Elijah
really knew God well and had no doubt about His power
much like many believers reading these words. Like
many of us, though, he reached a deep point of
depression in his human experience. He felt all alone
and physically and emotionally used up. He had
reached the end of his rope and had enough. He got
lost in self-pity.
What is the answer to our discouragement? Will
our choice be modern therapy, medication, or some
self-help technique? Will we choose to embark on a long
journey of self awareness and self focus? God should be
our first choice. As a true child of God, God meets us at
our need. Then we, like Elijah, need to talk with God.
We need to quiet our spirit and get our mind off
ourselves so that God can communicate in a “still small
voice.” God can draw us out of our self-pity and take
our minds off our circumstances.
God will then show us what job He has for us to
do. Look to God for purpose. Look to God for meaning.
Have you ever seen how quickly worry ceases when we
are busy fulfilling God’s plan for our life? How much self-
pity can we have when we are serving others? How is it
possible to be despondent if we meditate on Jesus? God
has a purpose for your life, even (and maybe,
especially) in times of worry. Pursuing and fulfilling that
purpose leaves little time, or need for anxiety and
hopelessness. But, when we are looking anywhere
except at God, life will quickly overpower and
discourage us. Getting our eyes back on God is always
the solution.
Should we be surprised when life gets tough?
Should we feel our life has gone wrong because
adversity knocks on our door? Ironically, not only is a
Christian susceptible to the same frustrations as non-
Christians, but we are promised to have to endure
some hard times! Look at these Bible quotations: “Yes,

and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer
persecution. ...But you must continue in the things
which you have learned and been assured of, knowing
from whom you have learned them...” (II Ti. 3:12-14)
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may
have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but
be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John
16:33) “Therefore, when we could no longer endure it,
we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, and sent
Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow
laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and
encourage you concerning your faith, that no one
should be shaken by these afflictions; for you
yourselves know that we are appointed to this.” (I
Thessalonians 3:1-3) “Man who is born of woman is of
few days and full of trouble.” (Job 14:1) “[...]
strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them
to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through
many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.’” (Acts
14:22)
When life gets tough, it might bother us, but is
shouldn't surprise us. I Peter 4:12-13 reads: “Beloved,
do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is
to try you, as though some strange thing happened to
you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of
Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you
may also be glad with exceeding joy.” The reality is that
once you start living for Jesus, the war is on and
suffering is just around the corner. As a matter of fact,
if we got what we deserved, it could be worse! Psalm
103:10 says “He has not dealt with us according to our
sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities” and
Ezra 9:13 says “And after all that has come upon us for
our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since You our God
have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and
have given us such deliverance as this….”
The Lord does, of course, improve our spiritual

and emotional life as we allow Him to. But only after
salvation, do we have at our disposal everything we
need to live a contented and fulfilled life through the
Holy Spirit of God. Our circumstances of suffering may
intensify but only as we are made more capable to
handle them: “[…] God is faithful, who will not allow
you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with
the temptation will also make the way of escape, that
you may be able to bear it.” (I Corinthians 10:13) The
Amplified Version puts a thorough interpretation to this
verse by saying, “[…] no trial […] no matter how it
comes or where it leads you […] that is beyond human
resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and
belonging to human experience, and such as man can
bear. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His
compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to
let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your
ability and strength of resistance and power to endure,
but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the
way out…that you may be capable and strong and
powerful to bear up under it patiently.”
I Corinthians. 10:13 is speaking directly about
temptations to commit sin, but in a general sense, God
provides the necessary measures to endure any trial we
face, be it temptation to commit sin (a specific sub-
category of trials) or impending disability from the
common flu! We must first give the trial over to God’s
control.
Life can be hard. Seemingly, the closer we are to
God, the harder our circumstances may become.
Greater peace, blessings and grace will flow, however.
If we walk in the Spirit, God will cause adversity to work
for our good (Romans 8:28). Suffering turns head
knowledge into heart knowledge (Job 42:5). Adversity
brings an opportunity to display the character of Christ
so that others might be saved (II Corinthians. 4:8-11; I
Pet. 3:14-15). Hardships make us long for Heaven and
to be with Jesus (Rev. 7:16-17; I Pet. 1:3-5). God uses

adversity to transform us into the image of Christ (Heb.
12.11; I Pet. 1.6-8). Tough times pull us back on the
right path when we have strayed away (Psalm. 119.67).
One of the realities of suffering is that it enables
us to better relate to and sympathize with others who
endure the same suffering. I've already discussed this
so I won't elaborate at this point but I want to explore
how adversity keeps us reminded of the reality of life in
this sin-cursed world. When we receive blessings from
suffering it helps us empathize with our fellow
Christians. These blessings increase our capacity for
compassion towards others who are suffering the same
thing we have endured. By accepting adversity as a
blessing from the hand of God, we can relate more
effectively to hurting people God wants us to love.
When wishful thinking ceases, only reality is left,
and it is plain to see that life truly is filled with tough
times. I am not saying that we are to walk around
discouraged and depressed. Are we to moan at
inevitable suffering? Absolutely not. We are to rejoice in
all things. Christians of all people are to be
characterized by joy and contentment. This is possible
only in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit and is in
spite of the world we live in. I have already quoted II
Corinthians 1:3-7. In that passage of scripture we see
the word or form of the word “comfort” six times. It
teaches that if we are brought through trials it is for a
future blessing of comfort: “And our hope for you is
steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of
the sufferings, so also you will partake of the
consolation (comfort).”
“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be
unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all
passed through the sea…they drank of that spiritual
Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But
with most of them God was not well pleased, for their
bodies were scattered in the wilderness […] nor
complain, as some of them also complained, and were

destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things
happened to them as examples, and they were written
for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages
have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands
take heed lest he fall.” (I Corinthians. 10:1-12)
God is the source of mercy and comfort. He
comforts us first so that then we may comfort others.
We know how to comfort others because God has
provided the example for us. As the sufferings of Christ
abound in us we will increase our capacity to bring
comfort to others. If for no other reason than that,
adversity becomes a blessing.
There are many things that God asks of us that
are distinctly opposite of what the world teaches. Our
response to suffering is supposed to be thanksgiving!
What person would ever be thankful for adversity and
distress? The human dream is comfort, ease and
luxury. In a world consumed with self-gratification we
are told many times how much we “deserve” every
good and luxurious thing in life. It appeals to our pride
and tells us that not only should we have what we want
but we deserve them now. We certainly don't deserve
suffering; much less should we be thankful for it.!
What we commonly fail at is viewing adversity
from God's perspective. But, by doing so, we can give
thanks to God, becoming more like Christ. Turning to
God in our trials allows us to see His faithfulness to
comfort and strengthen us. God promises to care for,
comfort, provide for, and guide us. Each time that we
experience a trial or hardship it is an opportunity to see
the faithfulness of God deepening our faith and
strengthening our relationship with Him. Psalm 119:75-
77 reads “I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right,
and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. Let, I
pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort,
according to Your word to Your servant. Let Your tender
mercies come to me, that I may live; for Your law is my
delight.” God does not always promise a way out of our

predicaments, but He does promise grace and strength
to endure them, and He promises to be with us, so we
will never suffer alone.
Here is a secret of real joy: we should never rely
on good things money can buy for happiness because
we are crushed when we lose them. When joy is found
in the Lord nothing can disrupt it. In pre-Christ days,
unsuccessful agriculture was considered a curse but the
prophets of God insisted that one should not depend on
a successful financial pursuit but on God Himself:
“Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on
the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the
fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off
from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls--yet I
will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God off my
salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make
my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on
my high hills.” (Habakkuk 3: 17-19)
We should strive to become all that we can be or
do all that we can do, but, ultimately it is God who gets
the glory. Along the path to success there are pitfalls of
failure, regret and disappointment. We give them to
Jesus since we have no use for them and the Holy Spirit
of God helps us forget what lays behind so that we can
press on to what lays ahead. Our hopes, dreams and
wills are fine-tuned to be in conformity with God’s plans
so that He can use past successes to both encourage us
and challenge us. “Teach me to do the humble task;
The very best I can; And not to look for greater calls;
Which may oppose Thy plan.” (Bernheisel)
How God Turns Adversity into Opportunity--Witness
Chapter 8—Witness
“If the world were like me, what kind of a world

would this world be?” An unknown author penned this
question, but it is a very good question! Paul had the
audacity to say that Christians should be like him:
“Therefore I beseech you, be followers of me” and
“Therefore I urge you, imitate me.”
In Acts 4 we find Peter and John, ordinary people
whom God placed in unusual situations. These men
were facing threats for their witnessesing about the
risen Christ. Our opportunities to portray Christ in our
lives may sometimes come, as they did for the disciples
in Acts, disguised as trials.
When Gamaliel addressed the Pharisees regarding
Peter and other apostles preaching in Jesus’ name the
believers were beaten badly. “…they departed from the
presence of the council, rejoicing that they were
counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily
in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease
teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” (Acts 5:41
& 42) We hesitate to think of what some Christians
have to endure to serve their Savior and I’ve wondered
if I would we do the same? I have read of modern-day
believers that have been tortured for their faith in such
magazines as “Voice of Martyrs.”
The Lord does not ask us to endure such hardship
before it is necessary. He imparts the strength when we
need it. We can be sure that when we “suffer for His
sake” (Philippians 1:29), He will provide whatever we
need as we take one step at a time, confident that the
Lord's of grace will be just right to see us through.
We can, however, live a transformed life:
“Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree.”
(Isaiah 55:13) God causes a noble juniper and a fragrant
evergreen shrub to grow where once thorns were. This
reminds us that God can bring forth beauty where evil
once was. Where scornful or jaded negativity once

grew, the most hopeful aspects of a situation can begin
to emerge. Where a cutting remark intended to wound
thrived, gentle words of healing can appear.
When we live out our faith in Christ, we're bound
to attract the attention of others. When we know our
sins are forgiven and look forward to being with Jesus
forever, we want to share our faith with others, and
some people will want to know the reason for our hope
(I Peter 3:15). Yet, if the people in your community
were asked about the Christians who live there, what do
you think they would say? Would they say they
recognize Christians by their love, or because of
something else?
I have not seen as many trials as some, but I have
learned that in order to witness effectively, we’re going
to have to at least give up a life of ease. I’m not saying
that one has to be handicapped in some way to witness
but God will sometimes intentionally limit us so His
power will shine through. Paul, the apostle, was a great
man of God partly because he was willing to endure
turmoil just so he could win some to Christ: “We then,
as workers together with Him [.…] We give no offense in
anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in
all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in
much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in
stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in
sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by
longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere
love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the
armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the
left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good
report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet
well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened,
and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as
poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet
possessing all things.” (II Corinthians 6:1-10 )
Sometimes, God brings us through trials so we

can witness to others. Read II Corinthians 1:3-7:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who
comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to
comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort
with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as
the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation
also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is
for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for
enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if
we are comforted, it is for your consolation and
salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we
know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also
you will partake of the consolation.”
We can use what we’ve been taught but we must
always treat the recipient of our graces with respect.
We should be gentle when trying to restore him but
never do for him what he should do for himself because
we don't want to get in the way of the consequences
that God can use to bring change. We need to
remember that we don’t have the power to change
another person. Only God, Who knows the best plan
because He sees the future, can do it correctly. All we
do is reach out in love, seeking God's wisdom in what to
say and do and depend on God for the results. We will
make mistakes but by resting in God's Word and His
power through prayer, we can use what seem like our
perils to showcase God’s grace.
We are prone to uses many excuses not to
witness for God. Moses, when he was asked by God to
lead Israel out of Egypt, made excuses. “O my Lord, I
am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have
spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and
slow of tongue.” (Exodus 4:10) The wording suggests
that Moses had a speech impediment. But the Lord said
to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes
the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I,
the LORD? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your

mouth and teach you what you shall say” (v.11).
Our handicaps are not accidents; they are God-
designed. He uses them for His own glory. God's way of
dealing with what we call “limitations” is not to remove
them but to empower them and use them for good.
God went on to say “Is not Aaron the Levite your
brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is
also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will
be glad in his heart. Now you shall speak to him and put
the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth
and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall
do. So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And
he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be
to him as God.” (verses 14-17)
Even a little child can witness for God. Anne
Cetas gave a short story in “Our Daily Bread” for July
14, 2005 entitled “From Sunset To Sunrise.” She told
about Kariel who was admiring the sunset, when she
said, “That sunset is so beautiful it looks like heaven!”
She was asked, “Do you know how to get to heaven?”
Kariel, who was only 5, answered confidently, “You have
to have Jesus as your Savior—and I do!” Early the next
morning, fire swept through Kariel's home, and
tragically, she died. She was in heaven with Jesus at
sunrise.
No one has the promise of tomorrow but we are
tempted to ask why did a 5-year old girl have to die?
The crucial question is not about her death but ours! Do
we have Jesus as our Savior? Have we admitted our
need for God's forgiveness of our sin and trusted Jesus
as our Savior? Romans 3:23 says “for all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God” and John 1:12 says
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the
right to become children of God, to those who believe in
His name.” Our sin separates us from God and requires
judgment, but Jesus gave His life in our place: “And as it
is appointed for men to die once, but after this the
judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of

many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear
a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” (Hebrews
9:27-28)
Because some people actually laugh at my antics,
some people are repulsed by my gestures, some people
are puzzled by my responses, while others are
exasperated by my seeming lack of awareness, I have
built up a wall of excuses not to talk about what makes
God so important to me. Just like Moses, I have plenty
of excuses. Ironically, one them has to do with a speech
impediment! I wrote this book partly to tell its readers
that “unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
(Luke 13:3)
Paul, in II Corinthians 12:7-8 referred to an
unspecified “thorn in the flesh” that he repeatedly
asked the Lord to take from him. But God’s answer was,
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made
perfect in weakness” (v.9). Moses had to learn this truth
the hard way—I don’t want to!
How God Turns Adversity into Opportunity--Death
Chapter 9—Death
John Wesley was asked what he would do if he
knew he had only a short time to live. He responded, “I
should meet with my young men till the moment came
that I was called to yield my spirit back to Him that gave
it.” The psalmist also desired to pass along his
understanding of the Lord to others when he penned,
“Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do
not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this
generation [….]” (Psalm 71:18) One area of our
usefulness may be to pass what we have experienced
from God on to others during our twilight years.
Many people suddenly realize how little their lives
have contributed to those most meaningful to them
even though they've made successful business deals
and had some fun along the way. In terms of satisfying
friendships or lasting accomplishments, their lives
haven’t counted for much. Measured by the world's
yardstick of success, our lives may seem unrewarding
but as we share our experiences with the next
generation we pass on a heritage that multiplies itself
and mushrooms into a sweet fragrance before God. We
may not live long enough to share in those blessings,
but we can relish in the thought that our influence is not
ending with our death.
David once prayed “LORD, make me to know my
end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may
know how frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as
handbreadths, And my age is as nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.
Selah Surely every man walks about like a shadow;
Surely they busy themselves in vain; He heaps up
riches, And does not know who will gather them. And
now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.” (Psalm
39:4-7)
David seems to have been uneasy about
something when he penned this psalm. We don't know
the circumstances that gave him such passion

concerning the end of his life but some scholars suggest
it was the death of some dear friend. As he
contemplated his final days on earth, he wasn't asking
God to let him know when the end was near which
might be our first interpretation. He could not, in faith,
pray such a prayer. God has nowhere promised to let
us know. In wisdom He has locked up that knowledge.
It would not be good for us to know it.
The text means, “Lord, give me wisdom and grace
to face the end and to improve what I know concerning
it.” What is death? To the wicked man it is the end of
all happiness but to a godly man it is the end of all grief!
It is a serious thing to die and the end of our lives
comes quickly. It is something to prepare for.
When this body sheds its mortality to put on
immortality it gives up a heritage described as a
“vapor” for one that is described as a “glorious liberty”
(Romans 8:21.) We cease to be simply a “shadow” and
become “light in the Lord.” (Eph. 5:8) The
"”handbreadth” of life we have now will be replaced by
a life that can't be measured. Our vain search for riches
in this life will be supplanted by a home made of gold.
This world offers temporary satisfaction, but our
confidence is in God.
I had the privilege to witness the miraculous
power of Our Lamb through the life a dear friend, Anna
G. Kokoruda. In September 2004 she was diagnosed
with cancer that would not respond to radiation and
although she had the usual human emotions leading to
fear, she was more concerned for her husband’s well-
being than her own.
At one time she wrote in a journal to God, “I feel
anxious but have a peace about our decision [for
surgery]” and in another entry she said “What a blessed
peace you give.” She concluded, “Lord, I praise you in
all circumstances” and “Lord, I know you are still in
control—they can do only what You allow.”
In her second to last entry she admitted her frailty

but acknowledged God’s superintendence: “I don’t know
what the future holds or why this all came about but I
trust You and love You.” She didn’t know the answers
to “why” until later when she entered her last
summation. She testified of her peace in the face of
death to her impressed niece who also had cancer and
after sharing some Bible verses her niece invited Christ
to take control of her life. Anna’s assessment of this
experience: “Lord, I’m so thankful for your plan of
salvation. I’m so thankful for answered prayer and that
Your Spirit prepared her heart.”
Anna told me that her niece would not listen to
anyone preaching the gospel except Anna because she
shared similar circumstances. She wanted the same
peace that Anna had! The instance of cancer was
Anna’s “open door of opportunity.” (I Corinthians 16:9)
Anna’s only connection to her niece was an apparent
calamity that God used to bring His redemptive gift into
an otherwise hopeless situation.
The Bible reads in Psalms 116, verse 15: “Precious
in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” We
don’t know who wrote these words but some scholars
believe it means “the saints are too precious in the
Lord’s sight, lightly to give them over to death.”
Whatever it’s meaning, we all experience the death of
one of our loved one's while we are here on earth. We
may take comfort in knowing that they are with God if
they have trusted in His Son for their hope of eternal
life. Those that have taken Biblical care of their eternal
destination can take comfort in knowing they will see
their loved ones again, for it isn't the end of them but
only the beginning--a beginning that may have resulted
from merely our sharing late in life.
I have been to many funerals of loved ones in my
latter years. One of the most difficult deaths to
experience was that of my father’s in 1998. For many
years he was under the illusion that his eternal state
depended upon how he acted and what he had heard.

It wasn’t until my brother, Fred, presented a clear,
Biblical explanation of what eternal destiny was all
about that my father finally gave up his opinions on his
eternal state and acted on Christ’s invitation for a home
with Him. I found the following poem to minister to
me. If you have experienced a similar loss, perhaps you
will appreciate reading it.
Safely Home
I am home in heaven, dear ones;
Oh, so happy and so bright!
There is perfect joy and beauty
In this everlasting light.
All the pain and grief is over,

Every restless tossing passed;
I am now at peace forever,
Safely home in heaven at last.
Did you wonder I so calmly

Trod the valley of the shade?
Oh! But Jesus' love illumined
Every dark and fearful glade.
And He came Himself to meet me

In that way so hard to tread;
And with Jesus' arm to lean on,
Could I have one doubt or dread?
Then you must not grieve so sorely,

For I love you dearly still:
Try to look beyond earth's shadows,
Pray to trust our Father's will.
There is work still waiting for you,

So you must not idly stand;
Do it now, while life remains,
You shall rest in Jesus' land.
When that work is all completed,

He will gently call you home;
Oh, the rapture of that meeting,
Oh, the joy to see you come!
-- author unknown --
Augustine wrote, “But not even the saints and

faithful worshippers of the one true and most high God
are safe from the manifold temptations and deceits of
the demons. ...seek with keener longing for that security
where peace is complete and unassailable. There we
shall enjoy the gifts...gifts not only good, but
eternal...also of the body renewed by the resurrection.”
(Augustine [354-430])
For those who trust Jesus Christ, death is not an
end to life. It is an ushering into the presence of a
loving Lord. The apostle Paul understood this when he
said, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians
15:54) Because of Christ's death and resurrection, we
can look at death not as a period but a comma that
precedes a glorious eternity with our Lord.
Paul also eluded to our new bodies when he said,
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also
eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who
will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed
to His glorious body, according to the working by which
He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”
(Philippians 3:20, 21)
My mother faced a similar occurrence with her
heart trouble. As a diabetic, health ailments for her
seemed to be magnified beyond what a non-diabetic
might experience. Early in her 80’s she had a stroke
that landed her an assisted living facility. When she hit
84 everything seemed to deteriorate physically. One
early Sunday morning, I got my first dreaded phone call.
Mom had a heart attack and needed to be rushed to the
emergency room. She spent a week in the ICU area and

life seemed bleak a first. She did experience
improvement while there but it was difficult to stay
focused on positive reinforcement when faced with so
many negative aspects.
We call our older years the “sunset years.” But
many elderly folks become bitter or despairing. To
avoid this mindset, we must get focused on the eternal
early in life. Much of how we think and act is shaped in
our younger years so that the kind of person we will
become is really what we are right now. Older people
who find contentment and peace have had their focus
on Godly matters during their younger years. They
found early in life what sort of people they were was
more than just feelings. A focus that brings sentiments
of gratitude for Jesus and His gift of eternal life, begun
early in life, helps us grow sweeter as the years go by
rather than bitter.
David spoke of our latter years in Psalm 39,
verses 4 and 5: “LORD, make me to know my end, and
what is the measure of my days, that I may know how
frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as
handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You;
certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.”
Compared to eternity, our life is indeed a “vapor” that
vanishes away just as we begin to understand what we
should do with it! That is why it is so important to figure
out what God expects out of us early in life. I guess if
we’re busy doing what we’re supposed to be doing
today, tomorrow will take care of itself, but there is a
sense in which we need to take into account the brevity
of our lives and be found using it for God’s purposes
before it’s gone and we’ve missed all the wonderful
opportunities to serve Him.
David went on to say “Surely every man walks
about like a shadow; surely they busy themselves in
vain; he heaps up riches, and does not know who will
gather them.” We tend to think and act for the moment
and get caught up in the “daily grind” of trying to make

a living instead of truly being alive and living life. When
we leave this life, we leave the physical stuff behind—all
we take with us is spiritual. David contemplated this
aspect of living and came to the conclusion that,
ultimately, only one thing mattered: “And now, Lord,
what do I wait for? My hope is in You.”
David acknowledged that his life and the length of
his living was up to God, not him: “My times are in Your
hand.” (Psalm 31:15) We can do some things to
lengthen our stay here on earth, like eat properly,
exercise daily, and refrain from smoking, but ultimately,
God’s decision determines when we exit. I’m reminded
of the story of a man who shook his fists at God, saying
he’d go when he was ready. One day a storm came up
suddenly while he was driving in the countryside. He
saw a tornado in the distance coming his direction. He
thought, “If I make to the ditch and lay down in it the
tornado will jump over me.” He headed for the side of
the road, stopped his car, and dove into the ditch just
before the tornado stole away his car. Unfortunately for
him the ditch was filled with rain and he drowned!
As believers we have the Holy Spirit living inside
of us. This old body doesn't deserve such a glorious
Visitor but God has chosen to live inside our frail bodies
so others can see His strength and not ours: “But we
have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the
excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”
(II Cor. 4:7) We die a little every day since birth, yet
inside, the Holy Spirit is making our spirits fresh and
giving us new outlooks as we go through the trials of
life. In the light of eternity our earthly problems begin
to appear miniscule. “Life's trials will seem so small
when we see Christ.”
Sometimes we get impatient waiting for the
permanent to replace the temporary, but we are asked
to wait for the Lord's timing. By concentrating on the
glory that awaits us, God will dim the gloom of this life:
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our

outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being
renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but
for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the
things which are seen, but at the things which are not
seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but
the things which are not seen are eternal.” (II Cor. 4:16-
18)
This explains why Christians on their death beds
smile. They are soon leaving their temporary dwelling
place for that permanent and gloroious dwelling place
that promises perfection: “For we know that if our
earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a
building from God, a house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens. ...So we are always confident,
knowing that while we are at home in the body we are
absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by
sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be
absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”
(II Cor. 5:1, 6-8)
Death and suffering are intruders into a once-
perfect world. Eventually they will be dealt with and
caused to disappear
As the saying goes, “Getting old is not for sissies.”
Growing old is about losses. It is common to try to
acquire things and wealth in our younger years but,
later, to lose them as we age. We lose our strength,
looks, health and job and perhaps, friends and wealth.
There is one thing that we will never lose, however:—
the attention of God. “Even to your old age, I am He,
and even to gray hairs I will carry you!” (Isaiah 46:4)
God promises to be with us even when we lose
our home, spouse, independence, and eventually our
very life. When God determines that our time here is
done, there’s nothing we can do to thwart Him.
However, we can say with David “Oh, how great is Your
goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear
You, which You have prepared for those who trust in

You” (verse 19). In other words, when we do pass on, if
we’ve done all we can to give God first place in our
thinking and actions, we can look forward to a future
that will far exceed our greatest dreams or
expectations.
What of a loss that seems premature? Frankly, all
loss of life seems premature to those we love. It is
easier for disassociated friends to offer condolences for
a lost loved-one and then move on with their own lives
but it is not so easy to move on for those to whom the
loss is close. I am reminded of some dear friends who
were left me behind as a result of their moving on.
Tammy was a young mother of two. She passed
with a form of cancer. She left behind two daughters
and her husband. Tammy was a dear believer in the
resurrected Christ. Her funeral was more of a
celebration in her destiny and the comforts of her new
home, and her daughters and husband presented
themselves as bearers of blessing because of her life on
earth. Was there a vacuum in their heart for their
mother and wife? Certainly. But God was able to fill
that vacuum with peace.
Shawn was ill from his youth and eventually it led
to deafness. I never met a man that gave such glory to
God! He loved motorcycles, and many of his friends
that attended his funeral wore their “colors” and
“leathers.” That day they heard from Shawn even in his
death. Shawn, though he died young, left a Godly
legacy that will be part of conversations years after his
absence. Do his parents miss his presence? Certainly.
But they are grateful that God has prepared for him a
mansion.
Sheriff Steve was only an acquaintance of mine,
and I was unable to attend his funeral. However, his
wife’s E-mail address is still in my address book and I
still carry on E-mail dialogue to this day. Steve had
deadly cancer that his body fought for years. He
eventually lost the battle, but only after being a blessing

to countless friends, neighbors, and loved ones. He’s in
heaven today as “clean” as fresh air! Do his wife and
children feel a void? Certainly. But God knows how to
fill that void and make it useful for His purposes.
More recently, Michael D.
Shaffer born in 1957 and who was
plagued by attacks to his very
personality, passed away in a hospital
at Mankato, Minnesota. The verse in
his memorial pamphlet was from John
11:25 and 26: “Jesus said to her, ‘I
am the resurrection and the life. He
who believes in Me, though he may
die, he shall live. And whoever lives
and believes in Me shall never die.’”
Many times I saw him in church sitting with and hugging
his mom. Does she miss those hugs? Yes, but she
committed her son to God’s care, trusting that He had a
better place prepared for Mike.
There have been friends who left behind such a
tremendous life of giving that their funerals were
tributes to them. One such lady, Angie, who died of
cancer gave so much of herself in life that both young
and old did not want her to leave. Over 600 people
attended her services and gave honor to her great gift
of selflessness. Her family, former students, and
dignitaries attended. Several pastors gave eulogies of
her steadfast and unselfish character. Do you think
she’s missed? Certainly. But God will touch all of their
lives in His special providence.
Israel’s king David faced the premature death of
one of his children. The story is presented for us in II
Samuel 12:15-23: “And the LORD struck the child that
Uriah's wife bore to David, and it became ill. David
therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David
fasted and went in and lay all night on the
ground….Then on the seventh day it came to pass that
the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to

tell him that the child was dead….So David arose from
the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed
his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and
worshiped….Then his servants said to him, “What is this
that you have done? …And he said, ‘While the child
was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell
whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child
may live?' But now he is dead; why should I fast?”
This passage of Scripture records king David's
admission of guilt when confronted by Nathan. David
was forgiven, but God let the consequence of his sin fall
on the baby conceived out of wedlock. David fasted and
prayed to the Lord day and night for his son's healing. In
spite of his sincere petitions, the baby died.
Instead of behaving like a demanding child and
being angry with God, David got up, washed, changed
his clothes, “went into the house of the Lord, and
worshiped” (II Samuel 12:20). His actions teach us an
important lesson: Sometimes we must accept “no” from
God as the answer to our pleas.
In times of difficulty or loss, we should seek God's
help and deliverance. But we must still trust Him if He
does not answer our prayers the way we want Him to.
Death is our enemy, robbing us of joy and hope if the
triumph of Christ's resurrection doesn’t invigorate our
heart.
Dealing with death can be frightening when there
is a bleak promise of the future, but Jesus is both our
Great Physician and our Friend, and He promised that
He would never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
When in the presence of a terminally ill person we can
feel awkward, yet, some of the greatest opportunities to
help someone come during a person's final days on
earth. As an earthly friend we can at least stand with
our friends and family in His name as their earthly
journey nears its end.
The book of Hebrews teaches that we will all face

death one day: “It is appointed for men to die once, but
after this the judgment.” (9:27)
As believers in the gospel, news of death does not
need to arouse dread. We know, as Paul joyfully assured
us, that by His resurrection Jesus has broken the power
of death and “brought life and immortality to light
through the gospel” (II Timothy 1:10). Death has been
“swallowed up in victory” by the Lord Jesus Christ (I
Corinthians 15:54). Its sting is gone (v.55).
A few hours before His death, Jesus told his
disciples that He was going to have to leave them.
Then, He said, “I will come again.” (John 14:3) When
Jesus was taken up into the heavens by the Father, two
men in white apparel told the disciples who were
witnessing the ascension, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand
ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is
taken up from you into heaven, shall come again in like
manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts
1:11)
The return of Christ is probably the most
mentioned theme in the New Testament. The return of
Jesus is referred to over 300 times. The expectancy of
the coming of Christ is found in every book of the New
Testament.
Peter wrote, “that the genuineness of your faith,
being much more precious than gold that perishes,
though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise,
honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ..” (I
Pet. 1:7) James proposed, “You also be patient.
Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at
hand…” (James 5:8) Paul recorded, “Now may the God
of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your
whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Thessalonians.
5:23) John published, “And now, little children, abide in
Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence
and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” (I John
2:28) Finally, the Bible closes its record with, “He who
testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming
quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev.
22.20)
When Paul was in Athens in the midst of
persecution and affliction, he wrote back to the
Thessalonian disciples and raised a question concerning
the return of Christ: “For what is our hope, or joy, or
crown of rejoicing?” He answered the question for them:
“Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus
Christ at His coming?” Experiencing the nearness of
Christ had produced such glory that in the midst the
afflictions Paul was experiencing hope and joy. That is
how we overcome our affliction--continually living in the
expectancy of the coming of Christ.
Jesus will come to bring restoration. This is the
eternal hope of every believer in Christ. Jesus will come
again with His power of deliverance to save us in every
crisis of life.
How God Turns Adversity into Opportunity--Joy
Chapter 10—Joy
The book of Philippians in the Bible teaches us

about real happiness. There are at least 15 instances of
words akin to “joy” in just those four chapters (chapter
1, verses 4, 18, 25, and 26; chapter 2, verses 2, 17, 18,
28, and 29; chapter 3, verses 1 and 3; chapter 4, verses
1, 4, 5, and 10). The happiness found in this book is not
an emotional experience that is dependant upon
circumstances that can change, but upon decision. At
least 25 times the words akin to “mind” are used in this
book (1:7, 9, 12, 17, 19, 22, 27; 2:2 [twice], 3, 5, 20, 22;
3:10, 15 [twice], 16, 19; 4:2, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 15).
Our emotions need to be guided by reason. Isaiah 1:18
talks about reasoning (using your mind) with God to get
rid of sin.
True joy is not being happy all the time. The
dictionary defines happiness as emotions experienced
when in a state of well-being. What happens when
we're not in a state of well-being? We become
unhappy. It can be said, therefore, that our happiness
depends upon circumstances. Joy, however, does not
come from how we feel at any given moment but who
we are. Read the following verses from the Bible and
discover the pattern of living apart from circumstances:
“How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of
their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the
riches of their liberality.” (Corinthians.8:2) “And you
became followers of us, and of the Lord, having
received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy
Spirit. (Thessalonians. 1:6) “Looking unto Jesus the
author and perfecter of our faith; who for the joy that
was set before him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of
God.” (Heb 12:2) “My brethren, count it all joy when
you fall into various temptations.” (James 1:2)
There can be several hindrances to joy, however.

The book of Philippians tells us what they are. In
chapter 1 Paul makes reference to his “chains” (v. 7)
but says they “actually turned out for the furtherance of
the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole
palace guard, and to all the rest, that [his] chains [were]
in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having
become confident by [his] chains, [were] much more
bold to speak the word without fear.” (verses 12-14)
We can think of our own circumstances as possible
robbers of joy unless we look at the eternal perspective.
In chapter 2 of Philippians we see a possible
hindrance to our joy can be our mind. Paul warns us in
verse 3 to “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition
or conceit” but to let “this mind be in you which was
also in Christ Jesus, Who, being in the form of God, did
not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made
Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a
bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And
being found in appearance as a man, He humbled
Himself and became obedient to the point of death,
even the death of the cross.” (verses 5-8) Our minds
can sap our joy if we allow haughtiness to ignore
anyone but ourselves.
In chapter 3 we find a third hindrance to joy:
inheritance. This inheritance could be tradition,
education, or material possessions. Verse 3 warns us to
“have no confidence in the flesh” but Paul tells us the
things that were considered gain to him he “counted
loss for Christ. Yet indeed [he] also count[ed] all things
loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
[his] Lord, for whom [he] suffered the loss of all things,
and count[ed] them as rubbish, that [he would] gain
Christ.” (verses 7 and 8) Warren Weirsbe once said
about material possessions that “when we want to
possess things, we find them possessing us!”
Finally, in chapter 4 of Philippians worry can
hinder joy, but Paul said to “Be anxious for nothing, but
in everything by prayer and supplication, with

thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
and the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4: 6 and 7)
In Philippians we find the remedy for removing
every hindrance to joy: making Christ the center of our
lives so everything else fits on the edge where it easily
is removed or simply falls off. Our mantra becomes “for
to me, to live is Christ.” (1:21)
How God Turns Adversity into Opportunity--Hope
Chapter 11—Hope
Someone once said “A gem cannot be polished
without friction, nor a man perfected without adversity.”
Adversity gives us the opportunity to see the true
character of Christ. One of the most natural, yet wrong,
reactions to suffering is to become self focused.
Affliction tends to turn our eyes off of God and on to
ourselves and our trial. When we suffer unexpectedly
and cannot understand why, it is a very natural to
become self-consumed in our struggle. We need to
understand that not everything in life is about us
specifically and individually. For the Christian who is
walking by the Spirit, the focus of life should be on God
and our fellow humans. Christians that practice
“crucifying the flesh,” it is not quite as difficult to
comprehend that suffering may be for our benefit. An
individual who attempts to satisfy his own needs by
arranging everything around what makes him happy, it
becomes difficult to see that adversity can be a
blessing.
A tornado rips through a community. A young
child is in the hospital dying from a rare disease.
Another couple ends their family with divorce. Loved
ones are lost in death. A young man goes to jail
struggling with a drug problem. A woman continues her
brave battle against cancer with yet another round of
chemotherapy. A woman is desperately trying to break
the pervasive hold of an abusive relationship. Where
can someone find God in the midst of this much
tragedy? Where is the hope?
Paul, hurt and in prison, writing to a church in the
midst of struggle was surrounded by hopelessness. Yet,
Paul spoke of hope: “We are hard-pressed on every
side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in
despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but
not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)
How did Paul maintain his faith? He continued:

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our
outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being
renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is
but for a moment, is working for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not
look at the things which are seen, but at the things
which are not seen. For the things which are seen are
temporary, but the things which are not seen are
eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
Your body may be dying but with trust and faith,
your spirit will strengthen. The tragedy and suffering
you experience now will soon be replaced with God's
glory that lasts an eternity. We must learn to look
beyond our troubles to the joys of God's promises! But
how do we do that? Maybe Paul answered it best: Our
troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come
will last forever. If you are looking for God, don't give
up. Pray, open your Bible, and God will soon find you!
As we embrace the idea that our life is for God’s
purpose then when tough times come, our thoughts will
revolve on “how does this glorify God and fulfill his
purposes?” 2 Corinthians 4:8-11 begins to become alive
in us. Hardships become a lesson because God is
glorified. It becomes an exciting development in our life
when we discover God is using our adversity.
There is no doubt that if we respond Biblically to
adversity we will be misunderstood. It is “not natural” to
respond to suffering with prayers of thanksgiving and
the singing of joyful songs yet in Acts chapter 16, that's
the Godly example set for us. Paul and Silas were
thrown into prison after they had been beaten almost to
death. They began praying and singing hymns to God
and the other prisoners were listening. Later on some of
those who were listening wanted to know what they
could do to have the same joy in their lives. By
responding in a Spirit-led manner, Christ was glorified
and lost souls were saved because Paul and Silas saw
their suffering as a way to further God's purpose.
Adversity also causes us to long to be with Christ
and not be too content in this world. This sin-cursed
world is not our home (1 Peter 2:11). Instead, it is a
place where we can bring as much glory to God as
possible by transforming us into the image of Christ
(Rom. 12:1, 2). Every tough time should cause us to
long to go to our real home and refocus our minds on
our perfect eternity. (Revelation 7:16-17). 1 Peter 1:3-5
tells us that we have a living hope and that we have an
inheritance waiting for us that can never disappear.
Each moment of hardship and disappointment can
become a reminder of what we have waiting for us in
eternity.
It is not easy conforming to Christ's image in this
regard. It takes a willful choice. We have to ask for
God's strength. It helps to remember that people are
watching us and by a Godly response, others may be
drawn to Christ. For anyone living a life independent of
God, hardship is something to be avoided and a part of
life in which there appears to be no benefit. For the
consecrated Christian, however, our merciful God takes
what we have messed up through sin and turns our
affliction into one of life's blessings.
We are not in control of life (Habukkuk 3.17-18)
but the Bible has all the answers we need concerning
adversity if we walk in the Spirit. (Psalms 19; 2 Tim
3.16-17; 2 Pet 1.1-3). We can't look at a table of
contents to find an entry for every single specific
circumstance that we will face but there is no dilemma
or problem in this life that we cannot turn to the
Scriptures and find an example or a principal that will
help us get through our difficulties. The Bible is not
another “self-help guide,” but it is our resource-book
through which God reveals how He causes adversity to
work for our good (Romans 8.28).
We can have confidence that God won’t leave us

helpless to meet the challenges that He brings our way.
He promised us a way out by which we can overcome
our circumstances (I Corinthians 10:13) so that during
tests we will benefit if we but yield our dependence to
Him. He knows our endurance level since He created
us. He knows what He wants to accomplish in us and
how He is going to bring it about: “Look, I go forward,
but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive
Him; When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold
Him; When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him.
But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested
me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:8-17)
When you examine a passage like Romans 1:16-
29, you realize that there is some divine intervention
taking place in our lives. God determined our purpose
on earth before time began; therefore, doubt can be
replaced with hope because God manages our future to
match His plan. What a glorious thought—God is
engineering my circumstances! He is at the steering
wheel of my life if I let Him be. Contentment means I
accept His decisions for my future. God’s control allows
all things to contribute to making us more Christ-like
What should be my response to His guidance? He
is the source of His own will, so I should have no trouble
accepting His counsel: “..according to His good
pleasure which He purposed in Himself.”(Eph. 1:3-9) I
first need to completely rely on His promises by taking
Him at His word. Then I need to loosen hold on my
circumstances by resting in God’s sovereign care.
Lastly, I should be rejoicing in the moment knowing that
God is using my circumstance for His purpose. I can do
my best to solve my predicaments, but trusting God will
prove to be a more profitable endeavor. Circumstances
don’t determine our moral or ethical strength, they
reveal them.
The church that was at Thessalonica suffered
some struggles according to Paul (II Thessalonians 1:4-
7) so he prayed for them “Therefore we also pray

always for you that our God would count you worthy of
this calling…” (v. 11) He also stated that they would
experience rest when Christ came back: “rest with us
when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His
mighty angels.” (v. 7) Our faith in God may cause us
delayed reward but it is a certainty that we can cling on
to in those troubling times.
Trust in God is a foundational principal of the
Christian life. Sometimes, without giving any
consideration to their spiritual maturity, we advise our
friends or family to “just trust God.” The truth is that
confidence in our Father is not automatic at salvation; it
must be learned. Spiritual education in the area of trust
begins with three truths we must accept.
First, God is perfect in His love, which means He
always does what is best for us. Sometimes we question
the dependability of His perfect will for our lives,
particularly when things look bleak. Unfortunately, we
have the mistaken idea that easy circumstances are a
token of God's love. Not necessarily true. A hallmark of
the Father's love is difficulty and trial because He is
committed to transforming us into the image of His Son.
This is best accomplished through hardships. He loves
us so much that He refuses to leave His plan for our life
incomplete.
Second, God is infinite in His wisdom. If God loves
us and wants the best for us, He must know the right
moves for us to make. He will direct our path if we allow
Him. Sometimes we do not understand His reasoning,
but we ignore His commands at our own peril. We
cannot improve on the infinite wisdom of the Lord.
Third, God is sovereign in His control. Nothing can
touch our life except through His permissive will. In
addition, He orchestrates events to bring about His
perfect plan. When we recognize the loving and wise
hand of God is always beneath us, we can fall into His
palm with absolute trust. (Romans 4:16-21.)
How God Turns Adversity into Opportunity--Gospel
Chapter 12—The Gospel—Our Connection

with God
As I was writing these thoughts, I was listening to

an album by “Faith First.” A song entitled “Mercy Came
Running” that was originally written by Dan Dean, Dave
Clark, & Don Koch came on. It speaks of our
connection with God:
Once there was a holy place

Evidence of God’s embrace
And I can almost see mercy’s face
Pressed against the veil
Looking down with longing eyes

Mercy must have realized
That once His blood was sacrificed
Freedom would prevail
And as the sky grew dark

And the earth began to shake
With justice no longer in the way
CHORUS:
Mercy came running
Like a prisoner set free
Past all my failures to the point of my need
When the sin that I carried
Was all I could see
And when I could not reach mercy
Mercy came running to me
Once there was a broken heart

Way too human from the start
And all the years left it torn apart
Hopeless and afraid
Walls I never meant to build

Left this prisoner unfulfilled
Freedom called but even still

It seemed so far away
I was bound by the chains

From the wages of my sin
Just when I felt like giving in
CHORUS
Sometimes I still feel so far

So far from where I really should be
He gently calls to my heart
Just to remind me
CHORUS
One Christmas celebration, my son Kenneth Carl

(“KC”) received a gift encased in his Grandfather's own
gun case. Grandpa Carl had recently passed away so
he must have left it for Grandma to give. Inside that
case was a shiny, like-new, rifle - one that KC had
accidentally left outdoors to become rusted and ruined.
Grandpa had repaired the gun. It was beautiful. The
tears flowed from everyone in the room. Since Grandpa
knew his time to meet the Lord was near, he included a
note with the following poem:
I’m Spending Christmas With Jesus This Year
I see the countless Christmas Trees around the

world below
With tiny lights, like heaven’s stars reflecting on
the snow.
The sight is so spectacular please wipe away that
tear,
For I’m spending Christmas with Jesus this year.
I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold
so dear
But the sound of music can’t compare with the
Christmas choir up here.
For I have no words to tell you the joy their voices

bring.
For it is beyond description to hear as angels sing.
I can’t tell you of the splendor or the peace here
in this place.
Can you just imagine Christmas with our Savior,
face to face?
I’ll ask Him to light your spirit as I tell Him of your
love,
So then pray one for another as you lift your eyes
above.
So please let you hearts be joyful and let your
spirit sing,
For I’m spending Christmas in heaven and I’m
walking with the King
Carl knew he'd have a home prepared for him in

heaven. He had been married to Marge over 45 years
but his focus on earth revolved around telling the story
of Jesus’ love to as many souls as he could. As a matter
of fact, when I asked his daughter's hand in marriage,
one of his first desires was for me to explain my spiritual
condition.
Grandpa had been ill for several months before
his death. On Sunday, October 24, 1999, Grandpa fell ill
again. He collapsed into his chair, and said nothing.
Grandma looked into his eyes and tried to rouse him
from the chair. The only response she got was an
empty, soulless-like stare so she called for an
ambulance.
When he arrived at the hospital, his blood
pressure was low and he had a high fever. The doctors
and nurses did everything they could do to get his blood
pressure up and his temperature down. A neurologist
wanted to perform a risky procedure that carried the
potential to kill Grandpa, yet, without it there would be
no way to find out what type of infection was causing
his illness.
Grandpa remained in a semi-conscious state for

many days. He did not show any physical signs of
communication with anyone except one day when KC
came to see him nervous and frightened and talked with
him! KC had hesitated to see him, but the one time he
did visit Grandpa communicated with him. Afterward,
Grandpa Packer passed away peacefully.
K.C. moved from California after his engagement
to Tracy to Missouri where his grandpa lived and one of
grandpa’s first conversations with K.C. and Tracy upon
their arrival was centered around their eternal destiny.
Carl devoted his attention to God’s plan. Consequently,
Carl lived outwardly instead of inwardly. He was
consumed by the needs of others ignoring his own
personal desires. To him death became a time clock
measuring his distribution of the salvation message.
One of Carl’s close friends and my one-time
pastor was Pastor Ray Rogers. Ray’s gospel message
appears in chapter 11. Ray was a very staunch believer
who adhered strongly to the adage, “if the Bible says it,
it is so.” Carl’s character was very similar to Ray’s so
they shared a common bond in Christ.
How God Turns Adversity into Opportunity--Reward
Chapter 13—Reward
Sometimes we wonder where God is. David did.

He said in the first verse of Psalm 10 “Why do You stand
afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide in times of trouble?”
He answers his own question in verses 16 and 17: “The
LORD is King forever and ever…. LORD, You have heard
the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear….” Firstly, God is
sovereign—we can’t see the future. Secondly, He does
hear our prayers by making us humble. Finally, David
says to us in the very next breathe, “In the LORD I put
my trust.”
If you are ever believed you were insignificant,
consider that you are a one-of-a-kind creation of God
(Psalm 139:13-14) and there never has been and never
will be another person exactly like you. Even more
importantly, God values you (Matthew 6:26-30) and has
gone to great lengths to bless you. II Peter 1:2-4 reads
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge
of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has
given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,
through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory
and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly
great and precious promises, that through these you
may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped
the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
These blessings come as a consequence of great
cost to our Lord but we join in his divine nature when we
suffer with Him. James says in the first chapter of his
book in the Bible that “Blessed is the man who endures
temptation; for when he has been approved, he will
receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to
those who love Him.” A verse written by an unknown
author points out this in perspective: “Looking back, I
clearly see all the grief that had to be left me; when the
pain was o'er richer than I'd been before.”
Many people keep a calendar in which they record

details of future commitments. Seldom do people
prepare for a time alone with God. What would happen
if we used it in the opposite way—not recording
activities until after they've taken place? It would
become more of a diary than an appointment book and
allow us too meditate on how God prepared the day.
If we focus on the results rather than the strategy
we might find God enabling us to live by faith. I use the
word enabled because we couldn't do some things
without God's help. Relying on God's strength, we can
identify with the apostle Paul, “I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
By allowing God to strengthen and use us we can look
back on our day, glorifying God as we realize what He
has enabled us to do. We will no longer feel
insignificant as we become a part of God’s plan.
Rather than facing the day worrying about what
“bad” things may happen to us, we can look forward to
how God is going to use us. Our daily activities begin to
take on greater meaning and value as we attempt to
view them from God’s perspective. As we ponder
Christ’s suffering on our behalf we look less at our
troubling circumstances as hindrances to our personal
agenda but more as stepping stones to His goals.
Logging our experiences rather than accounting for
every minute in a scheduler allows us to end the day
contemplating successes rather than failures. This
makes it easier to face a new day with its many
challenges—”How is God going to use me today?”
We learn that we need to let God be our Daily
Planner. A large problem we have is that when we plan
our day and something goes wrong we only have
ourselves to blame. Our plans usually involve trying to
obtain another buck and we don’t expect any “bad”
experiences to thwart our goals. When we endeavor to
find out what God planned, however, we begin to accept
the “bad” experiences as His means of getting us where
we should go. Dennis J. De Haan, a nephew of Dr. M. R.

De Haan, the original author of “Our Daily Bread,” wrote
a snippet of rhyme for the monthly periodical, stating
that “If we pursue mere earthly gain, we choose a path
that ends in pain; but joy will stay within the soul when
we pursue a heavenly goal.”
People that tend to leave no room for God in their
schedule find it hard to see the “good” when it comes.
“Thus says the LORD: ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in
man and makes flesh his strength…shall not see when
good comes…Blessed is the man who trusts in the
LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like
a tree planted by the waters […]’” (Jeremiah 17:5-8)
Even during a draught we can experience fruit if we put
our confidence in the One Who made our day
Even the most malleable of plans, though, cannot
prepare us for circumstances that surround us as we
attempt to walk hand-in-hand with our Lord daily for is
the inevitable change that takes place as a result of a
move to a higher plane with God that we can’t plan for.
Change is the one certainty in our world. Ours is a
troubled world where dishonesty, injustice, and crime fill
the news. The one constant seems to be change.
Change is acceptable if it is for the better. We cannot
plan for it but we must accommodate it.
By faith in Jesus Christ we can have a relationship
with the unchanging God, however, who says of Himself
in Malachi 3:6, “I am the Lord, I do not change.” God’s
character is flawless, His actions are perfect, and He
keeps every promise. He is “the same yesterday and
today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) We can depend on
God to be the same forever: “Of old You laid the
foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work
of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure;
yes, they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak
You will change them, and they will be changed. But
You are the same, and Your years will have no end.”
(Psalm 102:25-27) He is our firm foundation, Who can

give us confidence and security in this changing world.
We can have complete confidence in God because
He knows what is happening for every person at every
moment (Luke 12:2-3). God has total power over all
things. Nothing is outside of His divine control (Job
42:2). There is no place or person in all of creation that
is outside of God's presence.(Psalm 139:7-12). And,
God cannot lie. He always speaks the truth, and His
words are flawless. Therefore, we can trust His
responses to our prayers.
How God Turns Adversity into Opportunity--God in Control
Chapter 14—God is in Control
The Bible reads in I Samuel chapter 16, verse 14:

“But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a
distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him.” I’m sure
scholars argue over the meaning of “a distressing spirit
from the LORD troubled him,” but one thing is clear to
me: whether the “distressing spirit” emanated from
God or was simply allowed by Him, it happened under
God’s superintendence! Saul saw some troubling days
after this incidence. God was getting ready to replace
Saul with David as king over Israel. The passage
reminds me that we always must be careful to do God’s
desires in God’s way even if it doesn’t stand to our
reasoning.
Sometimes, we just have to give in to God’s
control even if we don’t understand it. Don't be
impatient to get all what you expect in the first few
years. It’ll come according to His timetable. Colossians
1:11 says that we will be “strengthened with all might
according to His glorious power, unto all patience and
longsuffering with joyfulness.” The part that makes me
tingle is when it says “according to His glorious power”
because what other power even comes close to His?
It takes time to achieve peace, love, respect,
understanding, and comfort! Sometimes you think you
have it all (that's some kind of feeling, then you wake
up!) Other times you think you've got nothing (that's
when you rely on your commitment.) I’ve also learned
that you can’t live vicariously through your children. As
we allow them to become “themselves” with a little
input from mom & dad, they are going to be lead
through experiences that are designed with their future
in focus, not ours.
We will face some uncertainty and our faith in His
control will be tested. When Abraham was called out of
Chaldea to head for the Promised Land in Genesis 12 he
wasn’t given any specifics! We read in verses 1 and 2
that “the LORD had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your

country, from your family and from your father’s house,
to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great
nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and
you shall be a blessing.’” Paul (then called Saul) had a
similar call in Acts chapter 9. All God revealed to him
was “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told
what you must do.” Paul, blinded, got up and headed to
Damascus where he met Ananias who, apparently,
instructed Paul in the “Way” but there was no indication
that Paul was going to meet with opposition from his
own people and that later he would have to face some
serious trials.
We are not giving control to someone who has
limited knowledge but to Someone with infinite
understanding of our situation. After all, Anyone Who
can make something out of nothing, surely has enough
power to figure out what we need to do in any
circumstance. I think Solomon had some inside
information but also some personal experience when he
wrote in Proverbs, “The LORD by wisdom founded the
earth; by understanding He established the heavens; by
His knowledge the depths were broken up, and clouds
drop down the dew. My son, let them not depart from
your eyes--...When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet...For
the LORD will be your confidence, and will keep your
foot from being caught.” (Proverbs 3:19-26)
There are times when we turn to human council
because we think a particular person has had personal
experience in the area we are facing, but when the
person suggests that something positive will develop
out of our adversity, we are offended by the well-
meaning effort to get us to trust God’s promises.
The children of Israel experienced something
positive when God was delivering them from Pharaoh
(though, at the time, they couldn’t dream that God had
something better planned). Pharaoh increased the
Hebrews' workload by forcing them to gather the straw

they needed to make bricks (Exodus 5:10-11). They
became so discouraged at first that they couldn't accept
Moses' assurance that God had heard their cries
(Exodus 6:9).
There are times when our hurts can cause us to
ignore the hopeful words of God. On the other hand,
sometimes there’s a problem we need to correct
ourselves. In 1989, a major fire broke out under an
elevated section of a New Jersey Interstate. It was said it
was the worst transportation crisis in years. The fire
broke out in a dumpsite in which construction debris
had been collecting for many years. Apparently, there
was a long-standing problem that was ignored.
That fire tells a basic story of life. Most of our
problems don't just happen. They can be God trying to
mold us but they can also be the result of a long series
of bad decisions. Second Chronicles 36 illustrates this
and reminds us that God will not allow His children to
continue in sin. Even though He is longsuffering, His
patience has a limit. Whether God is using a “disaster”
to make us into a beautiful vessel for His glory or tying
to clean up the one that’s already been consecrated to
Him, our response needs to be the same: “the LORD
will be your confidence…”
Some lessons are completed right away. For
example, once we trust Jesus Christ as our Savior, our
salvation is accomplished. Other lessons take longer to
learn. Just when we think we have it down, something
comes along to test our understanding. One of those
lessons involves being content in all circumstances
Originally, a song, the following poem expresses
God's sovereignty over our lives to make us into
someone He can use:
He Is Able
He is able, more than able
To accomplish what concerns me today.
To handle anything that comes my way.

To do much more than I could ever dream.
To make me what he wants me to be.
When we look closely at Philippians 4:10-13 we
can see two important principles. Firstly, contentment
does not depend upon circumstances. Some things we
just cannot control. But most people are discontent
because they do not understand this principle: “and the
peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will
guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:7)
The second principle is that our attitude is what
determines contentment. When we experience anxiety
we can respond with faith by “casting our cares upon
Him.” (I Peter 5:7) Then, our sense of contentment will
be unshakeable.
So why do we find it so difficult to trust Him?
Often, it's because we're afraid that things won't go as
we want them to unless we control them ourselves. Yet,
the more we are in control, the more anxious and
worried we become. Frightening circumstances are less
troublesome if we trust the hands that control them.
The hands that control the universe (God's hands) are
wise and compassionate. We can trust them in spite of
our circumstances and not be afraid. The sovereignty of
God negates any self-control.
Author Hannah Whitall Smith wrote, “It is not
hard, you find, to trust the management of the universe,
and of all the outward creation, to the Lord. Can your
case then be so much more complex and difficult than
these, which you need to be anxious or troubled about
His management of you?” David says in Psalm 44:8 says
“In God we boast all day long, and praise Your name
forever.” By giving control of our affairs over to God we
honor and glorify His power to use our meager strengths
for His designs. God enjoys our allowing Him to control
our outcomes when we are not able to meet His goals

our ways.
What happens when “bad” people seem to be
immune to the normal problems of life while “good”
people seem to have avalanches of problems? We get
frustrated and impatient. We begin to wonder if it really
matters to please God. Since our goal is to please God
in everything we do, it makes no difference in the “Big
Picture” what we think. But our trust in God can be
affected. We can believe a blessing awaits ahead, but,
eventual blessing doesn't satisfy an impatient heart.
We vent our anger at what we see as an unjust and
unfair God. Then, slowly, wisdom creeps in to dispel the
doubts. When we choose to trust Him in spite of our
circumstances, we then move forward. By admitting
that God is truly our only refuge and that He will restore
our soul we can find spiritual safety and renewal. Our
circumstances don't change, but we find new
perspective from God's point of view. Our self-
absorption gives way to God consciousness and our
attention is directed to the needs of others. We finally
see as God sees: the unsafe sanctuary of doubt and
fear. The remedy for despair is in knowing there is a
time and place for God to act. He controls the clock and
calendar.
When we get our focus off the unfairness of life
and onto the Giver of life, we are enabled to reap the
spiritual newness of the Holy Spirit. We are enabled to
understand how pain can produce greater faith just as a
newborn results from the pain of birth. The all-
sufficiency of God becomes our flagship leading away
from ourselves and our problems (“Not that we are
sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from
ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” [II
Corinthians. 3:5]) We learn from our “unfair”
experiences that God is greater than our problem, all
that we ultimately need, and draws near to us in times
of strain. We learn that God through His Person and

Power is in control.
Choices of the heart are the key. They determine
of our destiny, not our circumstances. Disappointments
of the heart brought on by circumstances do not
diminish the greatness of God. Sometimes it is only
through the valleys of hurt that God's greatness can be
clearly seen. As the song says, “Jesus doeth all things
well.” Regardless how the struggles of life are viewed,
God's faithfulness stands ready. We have to know God
deeply and personally, not just have a vague belief in
Him as He has revealed Himself to all. This comes only
through revelation that is bound in personal need—
sometimes through catastrophe, sometimes through
daily occurrences, but always through meditation.
God’s understanding of our needs may be different from
ours, but God stands ready to use our circumstances as
we are prepared by His Word and the Holy Spirit
interjecting eternity into our existence. We are
promised struggles of some sort so that we can cherish
our Companion Who's there with us. We don't have to
face heartache or disappointment alone.
Belief that God is in control of our existence
means God doesn’t ask our permission to carry out His
will! Daniel recorded a grim outlook for King
Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 4 but he ended his
vision by giving God His rightful place: “… till you know
that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and
gives it to whomever He chooses.” He added in verse
35, “All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as
nothing; He does according to His will in the army of
heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one
can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You
done?’”
Romans 9:15-21 is even more forceful: “For He
says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will
have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I
will have compassion.’ So then it is not of him who wills,
nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. For
the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose
I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you,
and that My name may be declared in all the earth.’
Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom
He wills He hardens. You will say to me then, ‘Why does
He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?’ But
indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will
the thing formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why have
you made me like this?’ Does not the potter have
power over the clay, from the same lump to make one
vessel for honor and another for dishonor?”
God doesn't make mistakes! Part of His all-
knowing attribute is His Sovereignty. A believing
physicist once defined sovereignty this way: “God can
do anything He wants, anytime He wants, anyway He
wants, anywhere He wants, to anyone He wants, for any
purpose He wants.” It is a simplistic but profound
definition.
“I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all

things…that you keep this commandment…blameless
until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing…He who is the
blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord
of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in
unapproachable light…to whom be honor and
everlasting power. Amen." (I Timothy 6:13-16)

How God Turns Adversity Into Opprtunity

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HowGodTurns

This book is dedicated to my wife, Patricia Ann, who has

Scripture taken from the New King James Version.

Copyright © 2005 by Ken Hennessey

Cover Art: Clickart (RELCOL82.JPG)

Requests for information should be addressed to:

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

Printed in the United States of America

"So Satan went out from the presence of the

him to wander from God’s grace so he lost his

of Thursday, July 17, 1997 and how it lead to a wisdom-

Is God all-powerful or not? Is He in control or just

been so many ways this experience has enabled me to

An elderly lady was well known for her faith

Today, Wednesday, December 31, 2003, as a

recording will be “spur-of-the-moment” thoughts. I tend

and has unlimited power, we can be assured that He is

The Christian life will sometimes be painful and

want is assurance that everything is under God’s

Just as Jonah eventually came to realize his

no physical manifestation of the disease in my body--no

we can find comfort knowing He cares for us when our

inspirational art with just her mouth, sings to the glory

Chapter 1—A Look Back

This day begins the month of January in 2004.

“Dear Lord, please give me a few friends

I should trace a little of my history so you can

“roaring 20’s” and wrote the autobiography “The

Sunday school class lead to an extended course of

eventually was promoted to a foreman. I tried to learn

what we have become today is partly due to influences

not captivate me as much as her inward beauty. She

case we didn’t have any boys: Kendra Leigh. She has

then. I believe I can appreciate the sentiments

concerning what they recalled, although, the witness

some in-home rehab with physical and occupational

After going home from the hospitals

very tired. One day he got in an accident and was in a

officers to qualify, creative financing, and, not to

Chapter 2—I Begin to See Purpose

We were meant to grow in both physical and

You may wonder why you receive this from

How we handle words is important. Do we

Was my accident and resulting disability a

its way into a pearl oyster. The oyster reacts by coating

tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”

about what God didn't do. Instead, I will rejoice in what

delivered through adversity: “He who dwells in the

into my spiritual world later in this book, but I want to

dependent rather than God-dependent. Unfortunately,

Courage, Brother, do not stumble,

Let the road be rough and dreary,

Perish policy and cunning,

Trust no party, sect or faction,

But in every word and action

Simple rule and safest guiding,

Some will hate you, some will love you,

I had to wait for God to give me a new starting

thank God for a “middle ground” that allows me to

God used the circumstances that I have alluded to

my own death, but the real question is, “Am I ready to

Chapter 3—Time for Some Physical