Your Finest Hour

I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake.

2 Corinthians 12:10

In the 1995 film that dramatized the story of the near-disaster during the Apollo 13 mission, a member of NASA’s Houston team said to Gene Kranz, mission commander, “This could be the worst disaster NASA’s ever faced.” Kranz replied, “With all due respect, sir, I believe this is going to be our finest hour.” And it was.

We tend to think of victories as life’s finest hours, but the opposite is often true. Trials and tribulations call forth faith, perseverance, prayer, and creativity in ways that victory never will. As we move closer to Christ’s return, persecution of believers will increase. Whether during persecution for our faith, or in any kind of tribulation we experience, the Christian can have his or her finest hour by God’s grace. The apostle Paul took pleasure in being persecuted for Christ’s sake, knowing that when he was weakest was when God’s grace was strongest.

If you are experiencing trouble, ask God for the grace to make it your finest hour.

The weakness of man sets the stage for the display of God’s strength.

JANET WISE