Probably the most difficult on going issue to deal with in life is that of adversity — the stress of adverse circumstances or events affecting our lot in life. How the stress is manifested is irrelevant to the real issue of how we deal with it and how we develop from it. For we know, from the examples in Scripture, that all who came to God did so only through adversity, by overcoming adversity through their trust in God and by great personal effort. This principle is seen in all of the prophets and most graphically, of course, in Christ.

We see clearly through these examples, that it is only by the exercise of adversity that we too can develop and increase our faith in God, but it still remains difficult, in the midst of adversity, to appreciate that it is actually a blessing from God. So it behooves us to frequently remind ourselves of the virtue of adversity in our lives and the need we have to confront it with the right attitude, if we are to grow in the spirit of Christ and increase our faith in God.

It is not the adversity which befalls us that develops us, but rather the manner in which we deal with it. For us not to place our trust in God in the face of adversity, or, alternatively, to pray to God to save us, without putting forth any personal effort — are equally the wrong approach. In examining any example in Scripture, it is clearly evident that both trust in God and personal effort are required. Consider how David, when being persecuted by Saul, not only placed his faith and confidence in the LORD, but equally, put forth great personal effort to resist resenting Saul even to the point of grieving for him at his death (II Samuel 1:12).

In his book The Ways of Providence, Robert Roberts expands on this thought as follows: 

There is a sense which everyone will readily recognize in which the work of God is independent of all human action: but when God works with and by means of man, human agency is far from superfluous. Israel were made to realize that while they could do nothing if God were not with them, He could not in a sense do His part unless they did theirs. God requires men humbly and