Life is a Grindstone.

"Life is a grindstone , and whether it grinds a man down or polishes him, depends on the stuff he is made of." Copied

I was thinking today of some of the people I have known through the years. Many of them have faced hardships that the majority of us could not endure yet, they have and are better people because of what they have gone through.

I often wonder how I might react if faced with some of the seemingly insurmountable things that life has to offer. John and I often talk about how we have been blessed with so few difficulties in our lives. We have families that are doing fine; our health is fine for a couple of people who are three quarters of a way to the century mark. We have always had jobs that kept us fed and clothed and a roof over our heads. So, I wonder just what kind of stuff I am made of should disaster come my way. Will it polish me or grind me down? What is the stuff you are made of? Have obstacles in life brought you to your knees or have you been able to stand through them?

John Piper says there are a number of lessons we can learn from Job.

1.Believe with all your heart in the absolute sovereignty of God. Pray that God would give you that conviction.

2.Believe with all your heart that everything He does is right and good. Pray that God will give you that assurance.

3.Repent of all the times you have questioned God or found fault with Him in the way He has treated you. Pray that God would humble you to see these murmurings as sinful.

4.Be satisfied with the holy will of God and do not murmur.

George Müller, a Christian evangelist and Director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England, cared for 10,024 orphans in his life. On the Lord's Day, February 6, 1870, his wife Mary died of rheumatic fever. They had been married 39 years and 4 months. The Lord gave him the strength to preach at her memorial service. He said,

"I miss her in numberless ways, and shall miss her yet more and more. But as a child of God, and as a servant of the Lord Jesus, I bow, I am satisfied with the will of my Heavenly Father, I seek by perfect submission to His holy will to glorify Him, I kiss continually the hand that has thus afflicted me."

As I watched the memorial service for Craig Strickland last night, I was in awe at the way this family's faith is carrying them through this most difficult time. His memorial was a celebration of his life and a rejoicing that he was at home with His Lord.

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." Romans 5:3-5 (TLB)