Written in 1980 in  our first year in the Middle East

When all is going well and there isn’t a great deal of pressure, it’s easy to be positive—

but, when things get difficult, thinking on the Lord Jesus and all He is becomes significant.

As I read the other day, if we faint in the day of adversity, our strength is small (Pro. 24:10).

So before adversity comes, we need to strengthen our spiritual lives by willfully thinking on what is positively true.

Through this we can nurture our soul, grow strong, deepen our trust of God and will move to praising Him in all.

That will make us ready for the day of adversity.

These weeks past have given us a testing ground for our strength (which often proves to be too small).

Taking classes in the local language every day plus teaching English classes every night, along with the preparation for both,

plus my work with the foundation, and other activities have all allowed us to see just how much we must rely on the Lord for strength.

There is certainly always room for growth!  Growth which is nurtured by meditation on Scripture,

in worship, and remembering what God has done in the past,

and offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving.

Picture: building our spiritual muscles by offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving