Facing Hardship

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.”

Psalms 34:19

“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 

2 Timothy  3:12

     With the consecrated worker for God, in whatever place he may be, the Holy Spirit abides. The words spoken to the disciples are spoken also to us. The Comforter is ours as well as theirs. The Spirit furnishes the strength that sustains striving, wrestling souls in every emergency, amidst the hatred of the world, and the realization of their own failures and mistakes. In sorrow and affliction, when the outlook seems dark and the future perplexing, and we feel helpless and alone,--these are the times when, in answer to the prayer of faith, the Holy Spirit brings comfort to the heart. 

AA 51 

    “I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 

     Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 

      Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 

     In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 

     In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 

      Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. 

      Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? 

     If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. 

      The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. 

     In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: 

     And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands. 

2 Corinthians 11:23-33

      “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

      “But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. 

     But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.”  Mark 10:30, 31

      “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 

      Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 

      Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 

      And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 

       They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 

     (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

 Hebrews 11:33-38