“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Ten thousand enemies cannot stop a Christian, cannot even slow him down, if he meets them in an attitude of complete trust in God.  They will become to him like the atmosphere that resists the airplane, but which because the plane’s designer knew how to take advantage of that resistance, actually lifts the plane aloft and holds it there for a journey of 2,000 miles.  What would have been an enemy to the plane becomes a helpful servant to aid it on its way …If this should seem like a bit of theorizing, remember that always the greatest Christians have come out of hard times and tough situations. 

Tribulations actually worked for their spiritual perfection in that they taught them to trust not in themselves but in the Lord who raised the dead.  They learned that the enemy could not block their progress unless they surrendered to the urgings of the flesh and begin to complain.  And slowly, they learned to stop complaining and start praising.  It is that simple — and it works. 

Lord, I pray for Your grace to work within me that I might allow the trials to lift me aloft rather than press me down.  Amen.

Tozer on Christian Leadership: A 366-Day Devotional, Complied by Ron Eggert, Christian Publications, Inc., 2001; December 9