Thursday, April 14, 2010
"Faith Through Trial"
"That the trial of your faith, being much more
precious than of gold
that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto
praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:"
I
Peter 1:7
The following devotional was written by Mr. J.
C. Penny in the Christian Herald, during the 1920’s:
I am frank to admit that it took the greatest
catastrophe of my life to make me realize the power of God, to learn
the meaning of faith and trust, and my duty to Him.
I was absorbed in business to the extent that
success to me meant the ceaseless accumulation of money. My
desire was to be a wealthy man so that I might some day enjoy the
things in life which I thought money could buy.
Finally, like a bolt out of a clear sky, I was
struck and awakened. In 1910, the mother of my two older boys
died after an illness of brief duration. So sudden and so severe
was the shock that it came near to overwhelming me.
Although I never drank liquor, even in moderate
amounts, for some reason I now was assailed by an intense desire to
drink—perhaps with the unconscious thought of drowning my sorrow.
Instinctively, I knew that I must not yield one iota—that if ever that
desire got one foot within the door it would come in bodily, and I
would come to utter defeat. The desire was persistent and
terrible, lasting not only through weeks and months, but even
years. Many a night I walked the streets battling with temptation
and the darkness that had settled upon me. It was the most
difficult time of my life.
If it had not been for the memory of my father’s faith in
me, I might have faltered and fallen by the wayside. Those are
times when inner strength is needed, and must come from
somewhere. If it is not forthcoming, then the result may be a
tragic one. By understanding the workings of the human mind and
spirit, a person is better prepared to face the exigencies of this
life. It is this personal understanding of one’s self and of the
aid God will always give, that help a person to stand alone, if need
be, for the things which he has decided count the most.
(The text verse and study verses have been added
to reinforce the truth
of this devotion.)
Study verses - James
1:3-8; I Corinthians 13:13; I Corinthians. 10:13; Proverbs 23:29-35
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Previous devotions
"We
Admire" - April 8, 2010
"Faith
Not Shaken" - March 31, 2010
"Take
The Stand"
- March 24, 2010
"Happiness
Versus Pleasure"
- March 17, 2010
"Singing"
- March 10, 2010
"Wisdom"
- March 3, 2010
More...
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