Preparing for Rough Roads: A 3-Day Parenting PlanSample

Hold On to Faith

"We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22)

We talked yesterday about several benefits to facing adversity. One, however, rises above the rest: Trials strengthen our faith and bring us closer to the Lord.

A steadfast faith ranks at the top of God’s system of priorities. Without it, He says, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). I (Dr. Dobson) am reminded of a woman named Marian Benedict Manwell, whose brain was damaged permanently by a broken spring that penetrated her head as a baby. She was crippled for life. Other kids taunted her and mocked her deformity. When Marian was ten, her mother died of cancer. Despite—or more likely because of—these difficulties, Marian developed a deep faith in Christ. She eventually married a wonderful Christian husband and was blessed with eight children, all of whom grew up serving the Lord.

I’m not suggesting it’s easy to welcome misfortune into your life. I grieve for those who are confronting the loss of a loved one or some other terrible situation tonight. I can only say that it is God’s will for us to be thankful in all circumstances and that He understands our pain: “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh” (Luke 6:21). Hold on to your faith, teach your children to do the same, and He will sustain you and your family.

Questions for Today . . .

• Is your faith strong enough to endure adversity?
• Are your children developing an unshakable dependence on God?

Prayer . . .

Lord, how can we teach faith to our children if we don’t show it when troubles or hardships crash into our world? Help us to cling to You every day—with all our hearts—so that our kids will learn what it means to grow in faith. Amen.

(Excerpted from Dr. James and Shirley Dobson’s book, Night Light for Parents . Used with permission.)

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