To live is to experience trouble. There is no path through this life that does not lead through at least some kind of difficulty, sorrow, or trial—and often through a cornucopia of them. This being the case, we rightly wonder: What does trouble do? Though we may not see an answer in the immediate circumstances of our lives, we can begin to put one together as we look at the lives of other believers.
What did trouble do for Joseph? It raised him to the highest of positions—the very position from which he could provide for his family and save his nation.
What did trouble do for David? It gave him words that for thousands of years have expressed the laments, praises, and confidence of God’s people.
What did trouble do for Paul? It made him the greatest of the apostles and drew him ever-closer to Christ.
What did trouble do for Martin Luther? It caused him to cry out to God for salvation—a salvation that could come by faith alone.
What did trouble do for Richard Baxter? It gave him the capacity to write The Saint’s Everlasting Rest.
What did trouble do for John Bunyan? It gave him the vision of a brave pilgrim journeying toward a celestial city.
What did trouble do for Horatio Spafford? It led him to proclaim that even when sorrows like sea billows roll, it was well with his soul.
What did trouble do for Joni Eareckson Tada? It caused her to commit her life to writing, singing, and proclaiming the sweet love of God.
In light of these many witnesses we ask: What has trouble done for you?
The loss of your spouse has caused you to grow in your friendship with Jesus. The loss of your property has caused you to store up treasures in the one place they are fully secure. The loss of your mobility has given you a new ministry of prayerful intercession. Not one of your troubles has been wasted and not one has been for nothing. Each has had a blessing in it, a calling in it, and an invitation from the Lord to know him deeper and serve him better. Each one has loosened your grip on this world and tightened your grip on the next. Each one has been sanctified by the Lord to his good and sacred purposes.
What has trouble done? It has made your faith stronger. It has made your spirit humbler. It has made your character purer. It has given you treasures you could never have had without it and equipped you for service you could otherwise not fulfill. That is what trouble has done for you and what it has done for the Kingdom.
This article was inspired in part by the works of De Witt Talmage.
