Today’s Thought “When NO Is the Answer” G. Ward James 1 2 Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. An age-old question of why the Almighty allows such afflictions can be confounding to mankind, until he realizes his grandmother, or aunt who lived in/for the love the Savior offered lent them endurance, never believing they would ever be exempt from great sufferings. Some of these reality, spiritual stars would die a tumultuous death; even suffering convalescence whereby cognizance of who you were was obscured by sickness. While many count on a “thief at the cross” kind of experience that found salvation upon his imminent death, confessing his sins after witnessing Jesus’ praying and witnessing the world go dark, certainly proves the Savior’s mercy is everlasting and those before us who exhibited faithfulness while trials flowed like a river are enjoying an eternal inheritance not because they’ve done anything correct, but knew of Christ Sufficiency (cf. Heb.11:13-16). Will your fervent prayers exist mostly when tragedy or calamity occurs, proving unfaithfulness (*Pr.1:24-29)? Will you keep living a life HE proposed through insisting your directives are sufficient? Are you listening to prognosticating from the unlearned regarding so much ahead (in earth), while the uncertainty of next moments lack guarantee? Slow down and embrace Truth (John 14:6).