What good can come from times of trouble?

Psalm 107:43Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.

Romans 8:28We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

God is always working in our lives. Although we may not see his plan or even his activity in the midst of our troubles, we can trust him to work on our behalf. We can look back through our life’s history and remember how God has faithfully shown his love, especially in times of trouble.

Jonah 1:14-16Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.” Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.

Acts 8:3-4Saul [the apostle Paul] was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison. But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.

Philippians 1:12-14I [the apostle Paul] want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.

God can use our difficult circumstances for his Kingdom’s growth and for the good of others.

Proverbs 24:10If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small.

Romans 5:3We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.

James 1:2-4, 12When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. . . . God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

1 Peter 1:6-7So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

Times of trouble, which often test our faith, can increase our endurance, prove our faith, and strengthen our character, preparing us to adapt to whatever the future holds. We can use times of trouble to grow rather than give in to defeat.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4, 6All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. . . . Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer.

Times of trouble can prepare us to minister comfort to others in their times of trouble.

Deuteronomy 8:2-3“Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

2 Chronicles 20:12“O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.”

2 Corinthians 1:8-10We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.

2 Corinthians 6:3-7We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us.

Troubles can help us learn to rely on God, because they teach us that we cannot always rely on ourselves to solve them. With God’s help we can resolve to live by his priorities, persevering through challenging difficulties.