Continuing on God's Path...

I'm nearing the end of my study of Elizabeth George's book Finding God's Path Through Your Trials. It is simply an excellent study and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Because, even if you are not going through any kind of a trial at the moment, guess what? You will be. Trials are a fact of life. But the wonderful news is that God is with us in our trials and that He promises to bring something good out of them.

As with any study book that I recommend, I can't urge strongly enough that you do the actual study -- that you look up the Scriptures referred to and that you answer the questions in the growth and study guide. This will help you apply what you are learning to your own life.

I'm currently working through the final chapter in this book -- summing up what I've learned. As one of the exercises in this last chapter, I was to take some time to notice the growth in my life and to thank God for the work He is doing. I wrote out a prayer that sums it up:

"Lord,

"I do thank You for how You work in our lives through trials. I thank You for the lessons You are teaching me through my current trials. Thank You for helping me to understand that trials are a part of life and that I can count them as joy because You have a good purpose in them.

"Lord, I know that You allow trials to test the reality of our faith, and I praise You that my faith is passing the test. Help me, Lord, to develop greater staying power, as this is an area where I really need to grow. Help me to continue steadfast in my trials and to cooperate with Your good plan, no matter how long the trials last.

"I praise You, Lord, that Your strength is made perfect in my weakness. Help me to count on Your power and draw on Your strength through every moment of each trial.

"Lord, I pray that you will help me to stay in my trials, walking through them in Your strength while I wait for You to work.

"I praise You for all that You are doing in my life!

"In Jesus' name, Amen."