“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10

In the 1995 film that dramatized the story of the near disaster during the Apollo 13 mission, a member of NASA’s Houston team said to Gene Kranz, the mission commander, “This could be the worst disaster NASA’s ever faced.” Kranz replied, “With all due respect, sir, I believe this is going to be our finest hour.” And it was.

We tend to think of victories as life’s finest hours, but the opposite is often true. Trials and tribulations often brings out the best in Christians. They bring out faith, perseverance, prayer, and creativity in ways that victory never will. When things are going well, we tend to relax and “rest” in the Lord. Down through history, the Church has grown amazingly well in the midst of persecution and hardships and distress. It’s at those times that we are “out of control” and mustdepend on Jesus.

Thankfully, the Church will not be on earth during the seven years of the Tribulation to come. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be increased persecution and a need for perseverance leading up to that hour. In any kind of tribulation we experience, the Christian can have their finest hour by God’s grace. The apostle Paul took pleasure in persecutions for Christ’s sake, knowing that when he was weakest was when God’s grace was strongest.

If you are experiencing trouble, ask God for the grace to make it your finest hour.
 
The weakness of man sets the stage for the display of God’s strength. – Janet Wise