Think of it as all delight, my brethren, when you experience different preliminaries, realizing that the testing of your confidence produces perseverance.
—James 1:2-3
Debbie and I get off the plane in Philadelphia on Wednesday night. We are planned to lead a three-day marriage meeting at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza in King of Prussia, PA. As we get together the baggage, we have two portable suitcases and three processed sacks, we adventure outside to get our ride. It takes us around 45 minutes to get to the inn. As we empty the sacks for inn check in, I notice something upsetting: my lightweight suitcase isn't in the van. My portable suitcase has my PC, my ipod, my PDA charger, and ALL MY SPEAKING NOTES FOR THE CONFERENCE!
Frenzy set in as I suspected, what am I going to do!? My companion and I drove back to the air terminal, trusting and imploring that somebody discovered my pack and handed it over to Lost and Found. To my dismay, Lost and Found had not seen the pack. In endless words, they disclosed to me the pack was likely a distant memory. By and by, I left them my name and Debbie's cell number - my phone was practically out of battery force, and I had no real way to energize it.
As I strolled through baggage carousel one final time, trusting I would see the sack against a divider some place, I stated, "God, I thank you that my pack is no more. I thank you that it contained my PC AND ALL MY NOTES [I expected to ensure the Lord knew that]. You instructed me to think of it as all satisfaction, and by confidence, I decide to do that. Utilize this for good by one way or another. Kindly convict the individual who took my sack and have them return it to me. In Jesus' name. Amen."
I returned to the lodging confronting a tremendous measure of work as I would need to reproduce an end of the week of talks. At whatever point I began to blow up or overpowered with the circumstance, I decided to continue expressing gratitude toward God for this preliminary. We called a few companions and approached them to appeal to God for the sack to be returned.
At supper, Debbie said to me, "Jeff, I am so pleased with the manner in which you are taking care of this. In the event that I had lost every one of my notes, I would need to be taking drugs." Within a couple of seconds of that diverting remark, her wireless rang. It was an abnormal zone code. The woman on the opposite stopping point requested Jeff Schreve. Lo and see, she had my sack! Debbie and I were euphoric. She was so upset for inadvertently taking it - by one way or another it got stirred up with their sacks - and drove it over to my inn inside the hour.
Tears went to my eyes as I suspected how great the Lord is to answer supplication and how dependably He functions when we acclaim Him and express gratitude toward Him, paying little heed to the somber conditions.
Shouldn't something be said about YOU?
Is it accurate to say that you are confronting some incredible preliminaries today? Has an unheard of and impromptu disaster struck your life? Do you can't help thinking about what to do?
Try not to blow up and let the demon utilize this preliminary to take your tranquility and satisfaction. Settle on the decision to cheer and express gratitude toward God. Think about this as a test to assist you with getting more grounded in your confidence. The most exceedingly awful of circumstances is the best of times for God to work a ground-breaking wonder. Continue asking and continue commending, it has a significant effect.