God sometimes allows us to enter into discouraging situations for the primary purpose of testing our faith. At such times we must refuse to give up in despair. Like Jonah in the belly of the great fish, we must turn to the Lord when our soul is fainting within us, trusting Him completely. James H. McConkey wrote, "What can you do when you are about to faint physically? You can't DO anything! In your weakness you just fall upon the shoulders of some strong loved one, lean hard, and rest until your strength returns. The same is true when you are tempted to faint under adversity. The Lord's message to us is "Be still, and know that I am God? (Psalm 46:10). Hudson Taylor was so feeble in the closing months of his life that he said to a dear friend, "I'm so weak that I can't work or read my Bible, and I can hardly pray. I can only lie still in God's arms like a little child and trust.? And that is all the Heavenly Father asks of you when you grow weary in the fierce fires of affliction.'

Our Daily Bread, Monday, March 26.