James 1:12 (ESV)
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for
when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has
promised to those who love him.
A man found a cocoon of the emperor moth and took it home
to watch it emerge. One day a small opening appeared, and for several hours the
moth struggled but couldn't seem to force its body past a certain point.
Deciding something was wrong, the man took scissors and
snipped the remaining bit of cocoon. The moth emerged easily, its body large
and swollen, the wings small and shriveled.
He expected that in a few hours the wings would spread
out in their natural beauty, but they did not. Instead of developing into a
creature free to fly, the moth spent its life dragging around a swollen body
and shriveled wings.
The constricting cocoon and the struggle necessary to
pass through the tiny opening are God's way of forcing fluid from the body into
the wings. The "merciful" snip was, in reality, cruel. Sometimes the
struggle is exactly what we need.
Dear Lord, thank You for the struggles that come our way
that help make us strong. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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