There is no doubt that the greater the obstacles, the greater the story. That’s why we love stories about epic adventures and great courage. It’s another reason to be thankful for trouble. Would you ever have a great testimony if you never had any trouble at all? But when we have pain and suffering, and through it all are able to give God glory and praise, this produces the greatest stories.
The apostle Paul, who experienced much sorrow, said:
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
God is the source of all comfort. It tells us also that God comforts us in tribulation. If you didn’t have tribulation, you wouldn’t need comfort? If you didn’t have work, would you really enjoy a vacation? If you didn’t have to go out and chop wood in the cold, would you enjoy the warm fire as much? If you’d never been hungry, would you truly enjoy food? God is the source of all physical comforts. More importantly, He is the source of our spiritual comfort. When we experience the comfort of His presence, we can bring others alongside to enjoy Him as well. Because we’ve been there, we can walk others through their tribulation and into the fireside of God’s presence.
When we experience trouble, then we share God’s comfort—not in a theoretical way—but in a very real way. We share the comfort that we have received of the Lord.
You see, if we just sail through life with no difficulties, we will never have the powerful testimony of God’s comfort. The apostle Paul learned this lesson when he was in prison. Paul was in a dark, deep, dank, miserable prison, perhaps waiting to be executed, and here’s what he wrote:
“But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,” Philippians 1:12
Paul said, “I’m in prison! But I want you to know that the things that have happened to me have happened for the purpose of the Gospel.” Now, if you can praise God in trouble and heartache and pain and tears and sorrow and deprivation we shut the devil’s mouth.
Remember Job?
The devil said to God:
“Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” Job 1:9-11
But God knew something about Job that Satan couldn’t comprehend. God knew that Job loved Him because He knew God for Who He is—the I AM—not just because of what He does. Satan’s pride had blinded him to the true knowledge of God. As a result of Job’s testimony through the worst recorded losses by any one man in the history of mankind—many, many people, even thousands of years after his death—know about Job’s great testimony.
You see, friend, if trouble, if heartache, if pain can cause you to have a stronger testimony, your life will become a remarkable platform for the Gospel.
When God’s grace is fully on display through your story, you have a great reason to thank God!
