The pastor preached a good sermon today on Immanuel: God With Us. There are many passages that speak of God being with us in trials and struggles, but it was a great word of encouragement that God does not abandon believers to their struggles of any sort, not just persecution. He is involved and he cares about our struggles at work and at home.

It is so easy to panic when disaster or difficulty appear. I am pretty good about asking God for help in difficulties. Where I would like to get is where my initial reaction to a difficulty is to calmly turn it over to the Lord and trust him to help me. Sometimes my head is saying "trust and relax", while my stomach is still tying itself up in knots.

Maybe my trials are for this very purpose: God raising my trust level and my faith in his ability and desire to take care of me.