[Manna - January 20]
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? Hebrews 12:7
CHARACTER cannot be developed wholly without
trial.
It is like a plant: at first it is very tender; it
needs an abundance of the sunshine of God's love;
frequent watering with the showers of His grace;
much cultivating through the applied knowledge of
His character as a good foundation for faith and inspiration
to obedience; and then when thus developed
under these favorable conditions, it is ready for the
pruning hand of discipline, and is also able to endure
some hardness.
And, little by little, as strength of
character is developed, the tests applied to it serve
only to develop more strength, beauty and grace,
until it is finally fixed, developed, established, perfected—through suffering. Z.'95-107 R1807:4