(By Charles P. Mawungwa)  

 Introduction 

Is it God’s will for us his children to go through poverty, trials, tribulations, sicknesses and different forms of suffering on earth, and if so, why? This is the main question that we shall answer in this teaching.

In the most absolute sense God does not want for any of us to go through any pain at all, but as we go through the scriptures, you will see that there are times when God will bring and allow different forms of suffering in our lives in order to save our souls and grow our spirits; in order to build us, to protect us and to perfect us.

We are going look at 5 reasons why God allows his children to go through suffering: 1) To save your Soul, 2) To build your character 3) To Destroy the refuge of lies 4) To discipline those he loves and 5) To reveal himself to you.

I believe fully in the goodness of God. I believe God heals the sick, and brings spiritual, emotional financial and material prosperity. I believe when someone is sick, we must lay hands and pray for them, believing for their healing. I believe when we face spiritual attacks we must exercise authority in Christ and drive away demons.

However, there are circumstances that God brings which require faithfulness, patience, endurance and perseverance, which are virtues that are revealed through times of suffering.

It is part of the package that will build us into being like of Father, God, into the perfection of his love, and as we go through this teaching, you will see exactly how.

 Is there Virtue in Suffering? 

Imagine that a group of terrorists come and start staying in your town. They burn down your church and they take you hostage and put you into a prison. These terrorists announce that they will be killing one church member a day, until their demands are met. Your wife and children are out there, and struggling to make ends meet. So you start praying in this prison for God to deliver you and show himself strong on your behalf.

A prophet then comes to visit you in prison and says, Jesus has said to me, I know your poverty, I know the things that you are about to suffer, they are going to do terrible things to you. Just don’t lose your faith. Be faithful until they kill you, and I will give you a reward in heaven.

Would you believe that prophet, or will you say, ‘Get behind me Satan’. Or maybe you will say, “He doesn’t have faith”

A similar thing happened with the church in Smyrna and the prophet John was sent to give them this message:

 Revelation 2:9-10 (NIV)   

  9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.   

  10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.  

In this message Jesus is in effect saying, I know Satan is casting you into prison, giving you affliction and poverty, but I have given him permission to do it, so that your faith can be tested. What I expect from you, is to value your faith in me, above anything else that Satan will take away. 

There is a unique virtue that is reflected in remaining faithful to Christ in spite of affliction, poverty, persecution or even death. And there is an eternal reward that comes with it. 

 Revelation 12:11 (NIV)    11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.  

When we face problems, we should pray to God for deliverance, we should exercise our authority over the devil. However, there are times when we will face a devil, that just won’t go away, a prison that we can’t escape despite all the fasting, casting and begging. In those times, you must turn to the Lord and hear what he is saying concerning the situation.

And there are times when he will clearly say, “I know your poverty, I know your suffering, I know your struggles, I know what the devil is doing, but remain faithful to me, even to the point of death, and I will give you something of greater value than all these things: a crown of LIFE.”

 James 1:12 (NIV) 

  12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.  

 Romans 8:18 (NIV)    18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  

There are times when our FAITH must be revealed through endurance.

 His Ways are Higher Than Ours 

Before getting into reasons why God allows us to go through struggles and how different struggles help us, it is necessary to appreciate the  fact that God’s ways are higher than our own. And he uses things that seem evil, for our benefit.

When we don’t understand the ways of God, and how his love works, we will find ourselves fighting against God instead of fighting with him. And in fighting against him, we fall into the traps of the devil.

 Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV) 

  8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.  

  9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.  

A good example of this is seen in Jeremiah Chapter 29. There is a scripture that is quoted a lot in our churches:

 Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) 

  11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  

When you read the whole chapter you get a very interesting picture of what it means when God says, my ways are not your ways. God is telling Israel that he has plans for their welfare, to give them a future and a hope.

But when you hear that plan, it almost looks like God hates Israel. God’s plan was that he was going to bring a cruel king from Babylon who was going to destroy Jerusalem and the temple, burn it to the ground and take the Israelites as slaves into Babylon. God then tells the people in exile, that they should not resist the king of Babylon, but should rather build houses and plant vineyards in that exile.

 Jeremiah 29:4-6 (ESV) 

   4 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.  

The challenge is that there were prophets in Israel who were now prophesying out of their own hearts, and saying, that God would never allow his own people, his own nation, his own inheritance, to be destroyed and to serve a foreign king. Here is what God says of them:

 Jeremiah 29:7-11 (ESV) 

  7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the LORD.  

  10 “For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.  

  11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  

During his time, Jeremiah was considered by many in his nation to be a false prophet. This is because he was the only prophet telling the people that the problems they were suffering, the invasion and destruction was part of God’s plan for their welfare, and to give the nation a future and hope.

How many people today would receive a prophet that says, ‘the problems you are suffering today, is part of God’s plan to give you a future and a hope.’ Would you not believe one who says, ‘God will never allow you to go through suffering.’

 Jeremiah 14:14-15 (NKJV) 

  14 And the LORD said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.  

  15 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in My name, whom I did not send, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not be in this land’—‘By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed!  

Let’s get into some of the reasons God allows you to go through tribulations, poverty and suffering. 

 1.) To Save Your Soul 

The greatest revelation of God’s love was given to us through the death of Jesus Christ.

 John 3:16 (NKJV)   16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  

 John 15:13 (NKJV)   13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.  

If we understand why God felt it necessary for his Son to come from heaven and endure death on the cross, as an expression of his love to us, we can understand how he can allow suffering, persecutions and calamities to fall on us because of that same love.

Jesus didn’t die so that people can make a lot of money. God is not opposed to wealth, but people were wealthy before Jesus died. Many unbelievers, witches and atheist are already wealthy.

Jesus didn’t die so we could be healed from sicknesses. God wants us to be healthy, yes. God heals the sick, Yes. But God was doing all that before Jesus died on the cross. There are even many wicked people, who have lived long healthy lives, with a lot of money through the grace of God.

The reason why Jesus left heaven, became a baby, and endured suffering to the point of death was to save your soul from eternal destruction. 

 Hebrews 10:39 (NKJV)    39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.  

Human beings can make money through many means, they can build hospitals and practice medicine to keep healthy, but they can’t save themselves from sin.

 Matthew 1:21 (ESV)  21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  

And the penalty of sin is death of your soul in the lake of fire.

Your soul is more valuable than anything else that is on earth. It is more valuable than all the wealth in the world.

 Mark 8:36-37 (ESV)    36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 

In fact Jesus said, we should not fear anyone or anything that destroys the body, as long and it can’t destroy the soul.

 Matthew 10:28 (NKJV)   28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  

So your soul is so important, that Jesus was willing to lose everything, to give up heaven, to endure humility in order to save it. So Jesus tells us that it is better to lose your eyes, or you hands, or your feet, if it means you will enter into life.

 Matthew 5:29 (NIV)    29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  

And God promises us that there is no amount of suffering, pain, persecution and problems on earth that can be compared to the riches of heaven that await us there. When we get there, we shall see and say, IT WAS WORTH IT.

So as a result, if God knows that taking away these things which are perishing, will save your soul, he will gladly do it. Your soul is worth more than all things in the world. It’s worth more than all the money in the world, and it’s worth even more than your body.

 2.) To Build Our Character 

There are certain problems that God will bring into our lives in order to exercise and grow the fruit of the spirit within us.

 Romans 5:3-4 (NIV)   3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.  

When the bible speaks of character, it’s referring to the fruit of the spirit.

 Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)   22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  

 James 1:2-4 (ESV) 

   2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.  

The bible says that even Jesus himself, learnt obedience through the things that he suffered.

 Hebrews 5:7-8 (ESV)  

   7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.  

Let me explain this a little bit. The fruit of the spirit is the nature of God inside you. We know God’s love is unconditional and endures all things. (1 Cor 13:4-7). However, there are some people that you think are unlovable. Sometimes God will bring those people into your life, so that the fruit of love in you may manifest towards them.

That person that God sends, may be an occultist, a hateful boss, a disappointing son, an unbelieving workmate. God knows you and your weaknesses, and he will bring the very person you think you can not love into your life. And that person may be a big problem for you. But the day that you allow yourself to love them, that challenge will be removed from your life, because the fruit has manifested.

Let’s look at Joy. It’s a fruit of the spirit, which means it’s not dependent on circumstances but on the presence of the spirit. However, there are circumstances that you have said to yourself, If this happens, I can never be happy.  There are times when God will allow that exact circumstance to happen, so that you may learn to manifest the Joy of the spirit. So your joy is not sourced from the world but in him.

 John 17:13 (ESV)  

  3 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.  

 This goes for patience. There are two forms of patience. Patience with circumstances and patience with people. There are certain things that you pray for, which will come in their season, and you just have to be patient and hold on until the time. There are people God will bring in your life that have weaknesses that annoy you and you have to be patient with them.

 James 5:10-11 (ESV)    10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.  

 3.) To destroy the Refuge of Lies 

 Jeremiah 16:19 (ESV)    19 O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in the day of trouble, to you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth and say:  

  “Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit. 

Isaiah 28:16-18 (ESV) 

  6 therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’  

  17 And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter.”  

  18 Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be beaten down by it.  

There are instances in which nations and individuals have created a refuge of lies. God is the provider, He is the healer, he is the saviour, He gives rain, He gives shelter and He brings healing to the whole earth.

But there are times when nations and individuals begin to place their faith and credit their blessings to false gods, to their own wisdom, to doctors, to preachers, to the land and to all sorts of things. As a result, their faith is no longer in the true God, but in a lie. God will sometimes take away all those things, through a problem, that their ‘saviours’ cannot solve, so they can know, that their faith is based on a lie.

A good example is the nation of Egypt, which in the ancient world was a world power. They attributed their wealth, and power to their leader, to wizards, and many gods. Even when told, about Yahweh, they felt they did not need him, because they felt, their gods were the ones blessing them.

So God tells Isaiah, his plan for the nation of Egypt. The only way to bring them to the knowledge of the truth, and to stop them from relying on false gods, was to destroy everything that that he had given them, which they believed was provided by other gods. He would give them a problem that their wise men and witchdoctors could not solve. Then they would know that these were just a refuge of lies.

 Isaiah 19:4-21 (ESV) 

  4 and I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them, declares the Lord GOD of hosts.  

  5 And the waters of the sea will be dried up, and the river will be dry and parched,  

  6 and its canals will become foul, and the branches of Egypt’s Nile will diminish and dry up, reeds and rushes will rot away.  

  13 The princes of Zoan have become fools, and the princes of Memphis are deluded; those who are the cornerstones of her tribes have made Egypt stagger.  

  15 And there will be nothing for Egypt that head or tail, palm branch or reed, may do.  

  19 In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border.  

   20 It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them.   

   21 And the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the LORD and perform them.  

The story of Egypt there is actually the story of many African countries. There are many instances when people fast and pray for their nation, and after that prayer, the economy starts to crash, and things look like they are getting worse. They think their prayer is not effective, yet they don’t understand that God knows he has to destroy the refuge of lies, that is hindering the nation from true faith. 

This can happen even at a family and individual level.

 4. To Discipline Those he Loves 

Jesus Christ tells us that he will most certainly discipline those that he loves.

 Revelation 3:19 (NIV)  

   19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.  

If we discipline our children out of love, then we must expect God to do the same. The writer of Hebrews shows us that God can use hardships, as discipline.

 Hebrews 12:7-11 (NIV) 

   7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline —then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!   

   10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.  

So what kind of hardships, can the Lord use as displine? The apostle Paul explains concerning people who were not practising the Lord’s supper appropriately. Getting drunk at the Lord’s supper. The apostle tells them that God was disciplining them in 3 ways: Weakness, Sickness, Death.

 1 Corinthians 11:28-30 (NIV)    28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.  

So why would God do that to believers. The apostle Paul explains that God uses these things as a form of judgment, so that you don’t have to be judged at the end of the world. He explains:

 1 Corinthians 11:32 (NIV)  

   32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.  

So, God is doing it for your benefit. However, it doesn’t mean that every time you get sick, that God is judging you. In such cases, God is dealing with a son, whom he has spoken to concerning this matter in many ways. It will be something you know is wrong from Scripture. You will have warnings from your conscience. You will even have warnings from other believers.

But if we don’t respond to these things, God will then use these preliminary judgments in order to save our souls from eternal judgment.

The apostle Paul explains:

 1 Corinthians 11:30-32 (NIV)  

   30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.  

We see an example of this kind of judgement to a believer who was practicing a life of sexual immorality with his Father’s wife.

 1 Corinthians 5:4-5 New English Translation (NET Bible) 
  4 When you gather together in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.  

The apostle Paul himself fell under a very similar judgment from God. He was allowing pride to creep in because of revelations that God was giving him. So God allowed him to be afflicted in the flesh, to keep him from getting into the error of pride.

 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 (ISV) 

   7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of the exceptional nature of these revelations, a thorn was given to me and placed in my body. It was Satan’s messenger to keep on tormenting me so that I would not become conceited.   

  8 I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me, 9 but he has told me,”My grace is all you need, because my power is perfected in weakness.”Therefore, I will most happily boast about my weaknesses, so that the Messiah’s power may rest on me.  

Paul does not explain in this chapter what this thorn in the flesh was, which was caused by a messenger of Satan. The word messenger, is angelos. So it literally means an angel of Satan. This thorn may have manifested in many ways, but in Galatians, he explains an unusual illness he had when he came to preach the gospel of Jesus. He had a sickness in his eyes.

 Galatians 4:13-15 (ESV) 

  13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.  

  15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me.  

Whilst I can’t say this for certain, It is possibly the reason why he says this to the church of Corinth:

 2 Corinthians 10:10 (ESV)    10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.”

Yet the grace of God, was sufficient to make him plant more churches than anyone in his time, in spite of this weakness. It was now more clear to him that these churches were not planted as a result of his ability, but it was God’s grace at work. This is why God says to him:

 2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)    9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  

Not every weakness is a problem. Some weaknesses allow the world to see God’s power and for you to experience his grace.

 5.) To Reveal Himself to You 

The  bible says that we have our life and being in God.

 Acts 17:28 (NIV)    28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’  

However, we can’t see him. So in our journey, God reveals himself to us, through various situations, which we might see as problems.

John 14:21-22 (ISV) 

   21 The person who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I, too, will love him and reveal myself to him.”  

  22 Judas (not Iscariot) asked him, “Lord, how is it that you are going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?”  

Different names and attributes of God were revealed, through different problems. Each of us as a child of God must have a unique and personal revelation of the attributes of God in our life.

 God reveals the power of his word 

God deliberately placed Israel in a desert, and allowed them to be hungry, so that they may know that his word and his promise is enough.

 Deuteronomy 8:3 (NIV) 

   3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.  

When Jesus is baptised, he receives the Holy Spirit and immediately the spirit leads him into the wilderness where there was no food.

 Matthew 3:16 – 4:2 (BBE)  

  16 And Jesus, having been given baptism, straight away went up from the water; and, the heavens opening, he saw the Spirit of God coming down on him as a dove; 17 And a voice came out of heaven, saying, This is my dearly loved Son, with whom I am well pleased.  

  1 Then Jesus was sent by the Spirit into the waste land to be tested by the Evil One. 2 And after going without food for forty days and forty nights, he was in need of it.  

How many times have you followed the leading of the spirit, only to find yourself struggling, hungry and in lack. 

 After 40 days, the devil came to Jesus to tempt him. Didn’t God say, you are my son. If that is so, why don’t you have these stones turned to bread. However Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8. 

 Matthew 4:3-4 (NIV)  

  3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”  

  4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”  

Jesus knew and understood that there are times when the Spirit of God will lead you into a desert place, where your source of income is blocked, you job is gone, and he does this so that you may know, that it is not your business, your job, your boss, your government that takes care of you and keeps you alive. It is his promise that he gave you when you began that journey. 

The Israelites arrived in Canaan, not because they had carried enough food, but because God said so.

 God reveals his power to deliver 

God raised an evil pharaoh into power, who hated God’s people, so that when he judges him, they may see that God is more powerful and greater than the gods of Egypt.

 Exodus 9:16 (ESV)   6 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.  

Just as God allowed Israelites to hunger so they may know that it is his word that gives life, he may do the same with you.

Just as he allowed Hagah to be abandoned with a baby by every pillar in her life, so she may encounter ElRoi, the God who sees you, so can he do with you. Gen 16:13

Just as he allowed Israel to witness the ten plagues in Egypt, so they see a revelation of Jehovah Rapha – The Lord who heals you. (Exodus 15:26)

Just as God asked Abraham to sacrifice the most important thing to him, so that he may know, Jehovah Jireh – The Lord Who Provides. (Gen 22:14)

 Conclusion 

In conclusion let me go back where I started; the church of Smyrna. Jesus knew what the devil was planning, yet Jesus had his own plan in that problem. Many times when we go through trials, we focus on what the devil is planning. We use the gift of prophecy to prophecy what the enemy is planning. 

What matters is, what is God planning, and what is he saying you must do. Some attacks are meant to bring out your faith, you rebuke and take authority and the devil flees. Some are meant to bring out your patience, you have to persevere for a long time, holding on to the promise of God, praying and believing until the season is over, and the victory comes.

And some situations are meant to bring out faithfulness, and you have to hold on to the faith of Jesus until you die. In such situations there will always be a solution to the problem that requires you to abandon the faith. It maybe as big as having to say, “I don’t believe in Jesus,” or maybe a quick solution like visiting a witch doctor, or paying a bribe so that the deal of your life can come through, or partnering with wickedness. 

Finally, I want to say, just because you’re struggling don’t assume you’re under judgment. When you face an attack of any kind, we must respond with faith, knowing that God delivers and God heals, but we must know that faith, sometimes requires perseverance in the face of adversity, and sometimes faith, requires faithfulness until death. Above all, let us hear and follow the leading of the Spirit, circumstance by circumstance.