Read Luke 13:6-9
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not
despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;…
Romans 8:35 Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or
persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
2 Corinthians 1:8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.
2 Corinthians 6:4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;
2 Corinthians 6:12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us.
2 Corinthians 7:5 For when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn--conflicts on the outside, fears within.
Galatians 4:20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!
2 Corinthians 1:8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.
2 Corinthians 6:4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;
2 Corinthians 6:12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us.
2 Corinthians 7:5 For when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn--conflicts on the outside, fears within.
Galatians 4:20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!
My wife finally planted a papaya tree after wanting one for
a very long time. We watched it grow and looked forward to the day we would eat
fruit from it. One afternoon she was watering the garden, and the hose lay on
the other side of the new papaya tree. She needed more hose, so she yanked.
Unfortunately, the hose snapped the trunk of the tree clean off. We couldn’t
reattach the pieces, and the severed top withered. Our hope for a juicy papaya
slipped away. But we continue to watch the stump to see whether it will grow a
new stem.
Just as the hose unexpectedly damaged the papaya tree, many
things can unexpectedly change or damage our lives. Debilitating diseases may
scar the body. Broken relationships can lead to broken hearts. Lost jobs and
foreclosed homes can wipe out years of hard work. Drugs, alcohol, and other
forms of abuse can devastate families for generations.
But God watches over each of us and cares about the
brokenness in our lives. The roots of the little papaya tree are still alive in
the ground, and the tree may still come back. And with God’s help, so can we
all.
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