Many of Americas troubles occur because it bases it's choices on unreliable authorities.

Culture (“everyone is doing it”), tradition (“we’ve always done it”), reason (“it seemed logical”), or emotion (“it just felt right”) unacceptably flawed by the Fall has redundantly trickled down and back long enough!

What we need is a perfect standard that will never lead us in the wrong direction ever again.

The most important decision you can make today is to settle this issue of what will be the ultimate authority for your life.
Decide that regardless of culture, tradition, reason, or emotion, you choose the Bible as your final authority

Determine to first ask, “What does the Bible say?” when making decisions.
Resolve that when God says to do something, you will trust God’s Word and do it whether or not it makes sense or you feel like doing it.
Adopt Paul’s statement as your personal affirmation of faith: “I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets.” 12

Problems force us to look to God and depend on him instead of ourselves.

Paul testified to this benefit: “We felt we were doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us.” 9

You’ll never know that God is all you need until God is all you’ve got.

God can bring good out of the worst evil.
He did at Calvary. “to work together”: Not separately or independently.

Much of what happens in our world is evil and bad, but God specializes in bringing good out of it.

Every problem is a character-building opportunity, and the more difficult it is, the greater the potential for building spiritual muscle and moral fiber.

What happens outwardly in your life is not as important as what happens inside you. Your circumstances are temporary, but your character will last forever.

The Bible often compares trials to a metal refiner’s fire that burns away the impurities.

Peter said, “These troubles come to prove that your faith is pure. This purity of faith is worth more than gold.” 15



A silversmith was asked, “How do you know when the silver is pure?” He replied, “When I see my reflection in it.” When you’ve been refined by trials, people can see Jesus’ reflection in you.
James said, “Under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.” 16

 The Bible says Jesus “learned obedience through suffering” and “was made perfect through suffering.” 17 Why would God exempt us from what he allowed his own Son to experience?
Paul said, “We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!” 18

The secret of endurance is to remember that your pain is temporary but your reward will be eternal.

Moses endured a life of problems “because he was looking ahead to his reward.” 24

Paul endured hardship the same way.



He said, “Our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever!” 25

Don’t give in to short-term thinking. Stay focused on the end result: “If we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later.” 26

God doesn’t expect you to be thankful for evil, for sin, for suffering, or for their painful consequences in the world.

Instead, God wants you to thank him that he will use your problems to fulfill his purposes.

Refuse to give up. Be patient and persistent.

The Bible says, “Let the process go on until your endurance is fully developed, and you will find that you have become men of mature character . . . with no weak spots.” 30

Character building is a slow process.



Whenever we try to avoid or escape the difficulties in life, we short-circuit the process, delay our growth, and actually end up with a worse kind of pain—the worthless type that accompanies denial and avoidance.

When you grasp the eternal consequences of your character development, you’ll pray fewer “Comfort me” prayers (“Help me feel good”) and more “Conform me” prayers (“Use this to make me more like you”).

You know you are maturing when you begin to see the hand of God in the random, baffling, and seemingly pointless circumstances of life.

If you are facing trouble right now, don’t ask, “Why me?” 

Instead ask, “What do you want me to learn?” Then trust God and keep on doing what’s right. “You need to stick it out, staying with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the promised completion.” 31 

Don’t give up—grow up!

Thinking about My Purpose

 Point to Ponder: There is a purpose behind every problem. 

Verse to Remember: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NIV) 

Question to Consider: What problem in my life has caused the greatest growth in me? 

 Transformed by Truth 

People need more than bread for their life; 

they must feed on every word of God. Matthew 4:4 (NLT)

 God’s . . . gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be 

and give you everything you could possibly need. Acts 20:32 (Msg