TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL PASSAGE

DEVOTIONAL

by Elder Chris Beltran

A popular saying states, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Life is a mixture of trophies and tragedies. It is never smooth sailing every day. The fact is that behind the seemingly overwhelming circumstance lies an opportunity waiting to be explored.

Below is an article I kept in my notes:

When Alton Bell was a freshman at Southern Illinois University, he enrolled in a math course that proved to be tougher than he expected. Two days before a major exam on “plane trigonometry,” he faced another pressure point. On the same day of the math exam, he also had a 2,000-word original essay due for English Composition 101.

      Alton had a flash of inspiration. He immediately began to write the English paper on the topic: “Plane Trigonometry Made Plain.” In the simplest language possible, he explained how astronomers, navigators, and surveyors use ratios to compute the relations between the sides of a right triangle. Even Alton could understand it! He got an “A” on the theme and a “B” on the test. His dilemma in math became his answer for writing. Even better, it was his solution for math, too. Yes, the problem may be your solution!

     Don’t despair when you are faced with a question that seems to have no answer. Our passage today reminds us that “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” If we are in Christ, he promised that there’s always a way out. Often, the solution is actually in the problem.

         We’ve all failed many times! We all fell down when we first walked. We panicked and almost drowned when we first tried to swim. We all have fallen off the bike the first time out without training wheels. We have all mispronounced words that we were learning for the first time—and sometimes we still do.  

The game is not over. What may seem to be a failure now might just be a victory in disguise. Claim God’s promise that He will never give us challenges that is beyond our ability, and will always provide a way out. But You will never know if you give up.

REFLECTION

Jesus Christ, betrayed and denied by his own disciples, arrested, was severely flogged, and died a criminal’s death by crucifixion. In the eyes of the world, including his disciples, he was a failure. Their hope had died with his death. Yet three days later, the greatest event that happened that authenticated Christianity; the resurrection proved that Jesus’ word is true, and if we place our trust in Christ alone, we will never lose our hope.

PRAYER

Thank You, Lord, for this reminder that although my life has many challenges and concerns, Your promise that You will never leave us remains. Your promise that these challenges that we are facing is never beyond our ability to overcome, if our eyes our focused on You, the Author and Perfector of our faith. Be patient with me Lord in my time of weakness, strengthen me further to trust in You in all circumstances. In Jesus’ name, Amen.