UNDER THE SHINING BANNER OF HOPE

Thought Adjuster: “How would you know that you have faith if it had never been tested? Indeed, challenges and tribulations act like lemon drops that reveal what is written in the invisible ink of faith. Just as the physical strength of a weight lifter is established by incrementally increasing the loads he challenges himself to lift, the power of your faith is assessed against the intensity of the challenging situations you are called to deal with.

“Does your faith flicker under the slightest trade winds of adversity? Or do you face misfortunes head-on, having built up resilience from victoriously handling previous tests of faith?

“Faith and hope are each other’s allies in that process. Indeed, your hope for better days fuels your faith, and your faith in the benevolence of the Divine Providence keeps you going undeterred by temporary setbacks. As maturing experiential creatures, you have undergone many challenges of faith, surviving many grueling predicaments that seemed to be ‘hope-less.’ Yet, when you persisted, sustained by the sheer power of your faith, new spiritual panorama emerged loosening up what seemed hopelessly entangled.

“Your most difficult experiences become your strongest hope-instilling testimonies to others and vice versa. There are many common denominators in the frequent tests that life pops on you. They are promoting character and soul growth, provided you respond in faith.

“Those who fail are those who sink into debilitating depressions and abandon all hope, thus becoming energetically drained. In spite of all the turpitudes heaped on Him, Jesus remained firmly anchored in His unwavering faith, and both His resurrection and ascension morphed the tragic episodes of His life into a shining banner of hope.”