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The
Purpose of TroubleBy Paul Chappell
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Tuesday, May 22, 2012
"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into
divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of
your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her
perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting
nothing."
James 1:2-4
I have never forgotten a saying I heard some years
ago, "Every adversity carries with it the seed of an
equivalent or greater benefit." We will all go through
hard times, but if we respond properly, those troubles
can be the tool God uses to make us more effective for
His kingdom. For example, some of the greatest preachers
I have ever heard had to grow up without a father in the
home. Some of the sweetest Christian kids in our school
are dealing with huge family troubles.
The difference between people who benefit from their
troubles and those who do not is found in their
response, not in their troubles. One ancient philosopher
said that if everyone in the world could see all the
problems of all the people in the world and could choose
which ones to have, everyone would go home with their
own. The difference is not that some people have trouble
while others don’t; the difference is that some people
respond properly while others don’t.
If we realize the purpose and meaning of our
troubles—God’s plan is that they will make us mature
believers—then we can truly rejoice even during hard
times. Of course we’re not happy about having trouble,
but by keeping our eyes focused on the end result of our
trials, we find the patience and strength to endure them
and reach the other side. The real tragedy is not when
things go wrong in our lives. The real tragedy is when
we don’t let God work through the things that go wrong
to make us what He wants us to be.
Today's Rooted Principle:
Resolve today to take
advantage of the opportunities for growth presented by
your troubles.
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Old Testament
Reading
1
Chronicles 16
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CHAPTER 16
1 So they brought the ark of God, and set
it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for
it: and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace
offerings before God. 2 And when David had
made an end of offering the burnt offerings and the
peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of
the LORD. 3 And he dealt to every one of
Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of
bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of
wine. 4 And he appointed
certain of the Levites to minister before the ark
of the LORD, and to record, and to thank and praise the
LORD God of Israel: 5 Asaph the chief, and
next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and
Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and
Obededom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but
Asaph made a sound with cymbals; 6 Benaiah
also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually
before the ark of the covenant of God.
7 Then on that day David delivered first
this psalm to thank the LORD into the hand
of Asaph and his brethren. 8 Give thanks unto
the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among
the people. 9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto
him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. 10
Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice
that seek the LORD. 11 Seek the LORD and his
strength, seek his face continually. 12
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his
wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; 13 O
ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his
chosen ones. 14 He is the LORD our
God; his judgments are in all the earth.
15 Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the
word which he commanded to a thousand
generations; 16 Even of
the covenant which he made with Abraham,
and of his oath unto Isaac; 17 And hath
confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to
Israel for an everlasting covenant, 18
Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the
lot of your inheritance; 19 When ye were but
few, even a few, and strangers in it. 20 And
when they went from nation to nation, and from
one kingdom to another people; 21 He
suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings
for their sakes, 22 Saying, Touch not
mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. 23
Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew forth from day
to day his salvation. 24 Declare his glory
among the heathen; his marvellous works among all
nations. 25 For great is the LORD, and
greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared
above all gods. 26 For all the gods of the
people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
27 Glory and honour are in his
presence; strength and gladness are in his place.
28 Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the
people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
29 Give unto the LORD the glory due
unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him:
worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
30 Fear before him, all the earth: the world
also shall be stable, that it be not moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth
rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The
LORD reigneth. 32 Let the sea roar, and the
fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that
is therein. 33 Then shall the trees of
the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because
he cometh to judge the earth. 34 O give
thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for
his mercy endureth for ever. 35 And
say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us
together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may
give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy
praise. 36 Blessed be the LORD God of
Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen,
and praised the LORD.
37 So he left there before the ark of the
covenant of the LORD Asaph and his brethren, to minister
before the ark continually, as every day's work
required: 38 And Obededom with their
brethren, threescore and eight; Obededom also the son of
Jeduthun and Hosah to be porters:
39 And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the
priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high
place that was at Gibeon, 40 To offer
burnt offerings unto the LORD upon the altar of the
burnt offering continually morning and evening, and
to do according to all that is written in
the law of the LORD, which he commanded Israel;
41 And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the
rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name, to
give thanks to the LORD, because his mercy
endureth for ever; 42 And with them
Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those
that should make a sound, and with musical instruments
of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters.
43 And all the people departed every man to
his house: and David returned to bless his house.
CHAPTER 17
1 Now it came to pass, as David sat in his
house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I
dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant
of the LORD remaineth under curtains.
2 Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that
is in thine heart; for God is with thee.
3 And it came to pass the same night, that
the word of God came to Nathan, saying, 4 Go
and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou
shalt not build me an house to dwell in: 5
For I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I
brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent
to tent, and from one tabernacle to
another. 6 Wheresoever I have walked
with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of
Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why
have ye not built me an house of cedars? 7
Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David,
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the
sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that
thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel:
8 And I have been with thee whithersoever
thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies
from before thee, and have made thee a name like the
name of the great men that are in the earth.
9 Also I will ordain a place for my people
Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in
their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall
the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at
the beginning, 10 And since the time that I
commanded judges to be over my people
Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies.
Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD will build thee an
house. 11 And it shall come to pass, when thy
days be expired that thou must go to be
with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after
thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish
his kingdom. 12 He shall build me an house,
and I will stablish his throne for ever. 13 I
will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will
not take my mercy away from him, as I took it
from him that was before thee: 14 But
I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for
ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.
15 According to all these words, and
according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto
David.
16 And David the king came and sat before
the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and
what is mine house, that thou hast brought me
hitherto? 17 And yet this was a small
thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also
spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come,
and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of
high degree, O LORD God. 18 What can David
speak more to thee for the honour of thy servant?
for thou knowest thy servant. 19 O LORD, for
thy servant's sake, and according to thine own heart,
hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all
these great things. 20 O LORD,
there is none like thee, neither is
there any God beside thee, according to
all that we have heard with our ears. 21 And
what one nation in the earth is like thy people
Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his
own people, to make thee a name of greatness and
terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy
people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?
22 For thy people Israel didst thou make
thine own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest
their God. 23 Therefore now, LORD, let the
thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and
concerning his house be established for ever, and do as
thou hast said. 24 Let it even be
established, that thy name may be magnified for ever,
saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel,
even a God to Israel: and let the house of
David thy servant be established before thee.
25 For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant
that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant
hath found in his heart to pray
before thee. 26 And now, LORD, thou art God,
and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:
27 Now therefore let it please thee to bless
the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for
ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and it
shall be blessed for ever.
CHAPTER 18
1 Now after this it came to pass, that
David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took
Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.
2 And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became
David's servants, and brought gifts. 3
And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as
he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates.
4 And David took from him a thousand
chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty
thousand footmen: David also houghed all the chariot
horses, but reserved of them an hundred chariots.
5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to
help Hadarezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians
two and twenty thousand men. 6 Then David put
garrisons in Syriadamascus; and the Syrians
became David's servants, and brought gifts. Thus
the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.
7 And David took the shields of gold that
were on the servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to
Jerusalem. 8 Likewise from Tibhath, and from
Chun, cities of Hadarezer, brought David very much
brass, wherewith Solomon made the brasen sea, and the
pillars, and the vessels of brass.
9 Now when Tou king of Hamath heard how
David had smitten all the host of Hadarezer king of
Zobah; 10 He sent Hadoram his son to king
David, to enquire of his welfare, and to congratulate
him, because he had fought against Hadarezer, and
smitten him; (for Hadarezer had war with Tou;) and
with him all manner of vessels of gold and
silver and brass. 11 Them also king David
dedicated unto the LORD, with the silver and the gold
that he brought from all these nations; from
Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and
from the Philistines, and from Amalek. 12
Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah slew of the Edomites
in the valley of salt eighteen thousand. 13
And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites
became David's servants. Thus the LORD preserved David
whithersoever he went. 14 So David reigned
over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among
all his people. 15 And Joab the son of
Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the
son of Ahilud, recorder. 16 And Zadok the son
of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar,
were the priests; and Shavsha was scribe;
17 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was
over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of
David were chief about the king.
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New Testament
Reading
John
7:28 |
28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he
taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I
am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is
true, whom ye know not. 29 But I know him:
for I am from him, and he hath sent me. 30
Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on
him, because his hour was not yet come. 31
And many of the people believed on him, and said, When
Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which
this man hath done? 32 The Pharisees
heard that the people murmured such things concerning
him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent
officers to take him. 33 Then said Jesus unto
them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then
I go unto him that sent me. 34 Ye shall seek
me, and shall not find me: and where I am,
thither ye cannot come. 35 Then said
the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we
shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among
the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? 36 What
manner of saying is this that he said, Ye
shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I
am, thither ye cannot come?
37 In the last day, that great day
of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man
thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out
of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which
they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy
Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was
not yet glorified.) 40 Many of the people
therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth
this is the Prophet. 41 Others said, This is
the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of
Galilee? 42 Hath not the scripture said, That
Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town
of Bethlehem, where David was? 43 So there
was a division among the people because of him.
44 And some of them would have taken him; but
no man laid hands on him.
45 Then came the officers to the chief
priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have
ye not brought him? 46 The officers answered,
Never man spake like this man. 47 Then
answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?
48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees
believed on him? 49 But this people who
knoweth not the law are cursed. 50 Nicodemus
saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being
one of them,) 51 Doth our law judge
any man, before it hear him, and know what he
doeth? 52 They answered and said unto him,
Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of
Galilee ariseth no prophet. 53 And every man
went unto his own house.
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Proverb of the
Day
Proverbs
22 |
1 A good name is rather to
be chosen than great riches, and loving favour
rather than silver and gold. 2 The rich and
poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them
all. 3 A prudent man foreseeth the
evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and
are punished. 4 By humility and the
fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and
life. 5 Thorns and snares are
in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul
shall be far from them. 6 Train up a child in
the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not
depart from it. 7 The rich ruleth over the
poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity:
and the rod of his anger shall fail. 9 He
that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he
giveth of his bread to the poor. 10 Cast out
the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife
and reproach shall cease. 11 He that loveth
pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the
king shall be his friend. 12
The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he
overthroweth the words of the transgressor.
13 The slothful man saith,
There is a lion without, I shall be slain
in the streets. 14 The mouth of strange women
is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD
shall fall therein. 15 Foolishness is
bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of
correction shall drive it far from him. 16 He
that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches,
and he that giveth to the rich, shall
surely come to want. 17 Bow down thine
ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine
heart unto my knowledge. 18 For it
is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within
thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.
19 That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have
made known to thee this day, even to thee. 20
Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels
and knowledge, 21 That I might make thee know
the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest
answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?
22 Rob not the poor, because he is
poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:
23 For the LORD will plead their cause, and
spoil the soul of those that spoiled them. 24
Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious
man thou shalt not go: 25 Lest thou learn his
ways, and get a snare to thy soul. 26 Be not
thou one of them that strike hands, or of
them that are sureties for debts. 27 If thou
hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed
from under thee? 28 Remove not the ancient
landmark, which thy fathers have set. 29
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall
stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean
men.
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