John Newton, no stranger to trials and tribulations, wrote a hymn we have sung as a congregation on several occasions. We sing, ...

Though troubles assail us and dangers affright,
though friends should all fail us and foes all unite,
yet one thing secures us, whatever betide,
the promise assures us, "The Lord will provide."

Indeed, in our small congregation, we are facing troubles of various sorts. We have men without jobs. We have others who are facing genuine struggles in their places of employment. We have wives and mothers who are stricken with cancer. These troubles, though difficult, provide us with a great opportunity to strengthen our faith. The Bible clearly teaches that the troubles and trials which come upon believers, are intended to cause our faith to persevere and endure. Consider the following verses:

We also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance (Romans 5:3).

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter
various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance (James 1:2-3).

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, ... may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:6,7).

In each of the above verses, the apostles are calling us to look at our troubles as the very thing that is needed to help our faith and hope in God. Just as a muscle gets stronger when it is exercised, so our faith, if it is to grow, needs to be exercised. Many people want to avoid trials, not realizing that it is the troubles of life which increase our faith and hope in God. With these real trials upon us, each of us need to ask the question, "In my situation, am I going to trust God?"

The second stanza of John Newton's hymn reads, ...

The birds, without garner or storehouse, are fed;
from them let us learn to trust God for our bread.
His saints what is fitting shall ne'er be denied
so long as 'tis written, "The Lord will provide."

With each of these trials, we are anticipating how "the Lord will provide." At some point in the future, we will be able to tell each other how the Lord has provided! I have often reflected upon the trials and difficulties we faced in the planting of Kishwaukee Bible Church in DeKalb. I have always been reminded that the particular difficulties we faced in the process turned out to be the very blessings of God as we looked back upon them. Perhaps the Lord is bringing these difficulties at the outset of Rock Valley Bible Church to increase our trust in God's faithfulness to provide for us everything we need in the future.

The establishment of a church isn't easy. It requires much labor on our part and much trust in the faithfulness of God. Perhaps we are being strengthened for the task before us. In preparing to go to China, Hudson Taylor once wrote, "I felt that I could not go to China without having developed and tested my power to rest upon His faithfulness" (The Growth of a Soul, p. 154). Oh that God would strengthen our trust in Him alone to provide!

John Newton put it all in perspective when he wrote, "There is a time coming when our warfare shall be accomplished, our views enlarged, and our light increased. With what transports of adoration and love shall we look back upon the way by which the Lord led us! We shall then see and acknowledge that mercy and goodness directed every step; we shall see that what our ignorance once called adversities and evils, were in reality blessings which we could not have done well without. Nothing befell us without a cause; no trouble came upon us sooner or pressed on us more heavily, or continued longer than our case required. Our many afflictions were, each in their place, among the means employed by divine grace and wisdom to bring us to the possession of that exceeding and eternal weight of glory which the Lord has prepared for His people" (John Newton, Out of the Depths, p. 16).

No strength of our own and no goodness we claim;
yet, since we have known of the Savior's great name,
in this our strong tower for safety we hide:
the Lord is our power, "The Lord will provide."