Starting Over

When he was 67 years old, Thomas Edison experienced an event that would have caused most of us to give up. The building where he had conducted most of his scientific work burned to the ground.

Looking closely at his father observe the tragedy, his son said, “My heart ached for him as he stood watching his work go up in smoke.”

How did Edison respond? He said, “There’s a great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew!”

Paul said, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed, perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned, struck down, but not destroyed.”

Paul says we are pressured everywhere we look. He adds that we may be persecuted – but we will never be abandoned. He also says that when we are at our wit’s end we are never at hope’s end. And he concludes by saying that we may be knocked down, but never knocked out or destroyed.

Whatever we go through in life, we go through it with God. He will never leave us nor forsake us, and He will be with us and draw us closer to His Son, our Savior.

Prayer: Father, help us to recognize that You are always with us as we face life. May we sense Your presence, peace and power and look to You for victory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (NIV)