Recently, I came across a simple illustration that brings some insight.
“A young boy made a toy boat and then went to sail it on a pond. While he was playing with it along the water’s edge, the boat floated out of his reach. In his distress, he asked an older boy to help him. Without saying a word, the older child picked up some stones and started to throw them toward the boat.
The little boy became upset, for he thought the older boy - the one he had turned to for help - was being mean. Soon enough, though, he noticed that, instead of hitting the boat, each stone was directed beyond it, making a small ripple that moved the vessel a little nearer to the shore. Every throw of the stone was planned, and at last, the treasured toy was brought back to his waiting hands.”
Sometimes it can seem to us that God allows circumstances within our lives that bring harm to us, and that they are without sense or plan. We can be sure, though, that these ripples or waves of trial are intended to bring us closer to our God, to encourage and help us to “set our minds on things above, not on the earth” (Colossians 3:2).
How do we respond to life’s difficulties? They are God’s loving way of drawing us closer to Him.
Roger Matthews