2 Kings 15:32-16:20; Jeremiah 50:21-46; Titus 2:9-3:15
Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. Ecclesiastes 7:3
Mountain-tops or valleys? Most of us want the mountain-tops but the most valuable lessons in life are in the valleys. True wisdom is not learned but earned when hammered out on the anvil of life’s trials. One of the paradoxes of life is that joy can coexist with sorrow. Sorrow and suffering are the means God uses to develop His people. They give us a fresh appreciation of the suffering Saviour and they enable us to draw near to others who are experiencing similar trials. —Sid Halsband
How oft in the conflict, when pressed by the foe,
I have fled to my Refuge and breathed out my woe;
How often, when trials like sea billows roll,
Have I hidden in Thee, O Thou Rock of my soul. —William O. Cushing