Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Genesis 50:20 “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”
Hebrews 11:1-2 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.”
Last week the Washington Post published a great article on the Great Plague of London and its impact on Isaac Newton (see link below). The plague forced Newton to return home to study on his own as Cambridge University closed from August 1665 until April 1667 as a part of a public health quarantine that lasted almost two years. He saw the opportunity in this challenge and developed the foundation of his theories on calculus, optics, and gravity during this time away. Newton changed the world as a result of his extended period of social distancing.
Wise leaders talk about the opportunities that come with every challenge. The Bible is packed with figures who turned challenges into opportunities, with Jesus’ resurrection from a brutal death on the cross as the most powerful and striking. Joseph, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Daniel, Esther, Rahab, Peter, Paul and many others used the challenges of their days as opportunities to change the world – through faith.
None of this diminishes the struggles that we face in the midst of challenges – the COVID-19 challenge or a myriad of others that characterize a substantial part of our lives. Yet, each of these challenges offers an opportunity to change our world. May we seize these opportunities through faith, instead of squandering them, in a way that honors God and expands His kingdom.
PLEASE PRAY FOR CHRISTIANS WORLDWIDE TO TURN OUR MAJOR CHALLENGES INTO OPPORTUNITIES. May we obtain a good report for the time and the opportunity that God has given us in the midst of our challenges.
Link to the Washington Post Article:
