Not one of your troubles has been wasted and not one has been for nothing. Each has had a blessing in it, a calling in it, and an invitation from the Lord to know him deeper and serve him better. Each one has loosened your grip on this world and tightened your grip on the next.

To live is to experience trouble. There is no path through this life that does not lead through at least some kind of difficulty, sorrow, or trial—and often through a cornucopia of them. This being the case, we rightly wonder: What does trouble do? Though we may not see an answer in the immediate circumstances of our lives, we can begin to put one together as we look at the lives of other believers.

What did trouble do for Joseph? It raised him to the highest of positions—the very position from which he could provide for his family and save his nation.

What did trouble do for David? It gave him words that for thousands of years have expressed the laments, praises, and confidence of God’s people.

What did trouble do for Paul? It made him the greatest of the apostles and drew him ever-closer to Christ.

What did trouble do for Martin Luther? It caused him to cry out to God for salvation—a salvation that could come by faith alone.

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