"Consider it pure joy, my
brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the
testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work
so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4 NIV)
In the Northeast part of the town called Whangarei in
New Zealand, the Hatea River drops over a 85 foot (26 meter) basalt flow,
forming the majestic Whangarei Falls.
We had arrived in the evening and were taking pictures
from the top when someone approached me from behind: "The view is better from
the bottom," she said.
I turned around to face the one who was speaking to
me.
"The view of the Whangarei Falls is truly better at
the bottom," she repeated.
It dawned on me then that there must be a way down the
cliff to the river below. My wife and I set out on a path that led us through
a
forest of tree ferns, and eventually we arrived at a picnic area with a
spectacular view of the falls. We now had a better grasp of the splendour of
these falls. The view truly was better from the bottom!
Isn't it so in life as well?
When we are walking on air, do we even think of our
Forever Friend? Or do we tend to forget about Him completely? Do we realize who
He truly is?
Only one thing is for certain: When we are facing
trials, we learn to admire how majestic God truly is, especially when we are
waiting for Him to come through for us. It doesn't mean we will have an easy
time. Far from that! Even Jesus confirmed this: "In this world you will have
trouble." (John 16:33 NIV). However He will never leave us orphans, and if we
are attuned to His voice, we will discover who He truly is.
Why worry when we know we can anticipate that God will
come to our aid! "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my
name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in
trouble." (Psalm 91:14, 15 NIV).
Although none of us like the valleys of life, they
offer us an opportunity to discover how faithful our God truly is.
The view is truly more awesome from the bottom.
Contemplate the splendors of our Maker amidst our trials, and we can't help but
rejoice amidst our afflictions.
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.