Coping & Growing with Adversity

Mr. Cosmaltzen gave me one more announcement here to read just quickly. The Bible-based children's activity will be held today shortly after services in the back room there. So that will take place shortly after services. Today I want to give a kind of a special sermon from notes that I took, a lecture that I attended, well, over 30 years ago.

And I actually have... I found those lectures... I was going through sermons, and I found those lectures in my sermon notes, and it was dated... the notes were dated March 24, 1986. So it was quite a while ago. But I had about two or three pages of notes that I took from a lecture.

It was a very, very fascinating lecture. Let's begin... I want to begin with two scriptures. Let's first go to 2 Timothy chapter 3, which is a scripture we're very familiar with. But let's read it. 2 Timothy 3 verses 1 through 5.

Where Paul said, What if you got in a situation where you couldn't turn away from such people? You're in the midst of them, and they're around you, and you hear these things, but you can't really turn away. One thing we can agree on... we can agree on... right now, you look at what's going on around the world, and here in the United States, we're living in very uncertain times, very dangerous, perilous times, as Paul said there.

The Living Bible paraphrases verse 1 this way. You may as well know this too, Timothy, that in the last days it's going to be difficult to be a Christian. You kind of see that happening too, isn't it? Living Bible also paraphrases verse 5 by saying, they will go to church, but they won't really believe what they hear. Hopefully we don't have any here like that in God's Church, or even in God's Church anywhere, but that might fit the descriptions of others at times.

I mean, I think about people, they read it and they hear it. What about the Beyond Today magazine? Or what about the Beyond Today telecast? A lot of people hear it, but do they really hear it? Do they hear it to the point of where they respond to it and start inculcating those things into their life and make a commitment to God?

Not too often. Very seldom. In addition to 2 Timothy 3.1, what is a second Scripture that may describe the times we're now living in? Let's go back to the Old Testament for this one. Let's go back to Jeremiah chapter 30. I think when you read this, here's another. There's a Scripture we've known. Those have been in the Church a long time. You remember this Scripture very well. But I think it applies, especially to the time we may be entrained just ahead of us.

We've thought about this for years, but I think now, if you see what's going on, we could see this could be a reality. Jeremiah 30, begin in verse 5. I'll begin there. Verse 5, For thus says the Lord, we have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, not of peace. Ask now and see whether a man is in labor. I mean, this isn't affecting women. This is causing pain for everybody, men and women.

Ask if a man is ever in labor with child. So why do I see every man with his hands on his lines struggling in pain because of the situation that's happening around the world where he is? Like a woman in labor, and all faces turn pale. I'll ask for that day that's going to come is great. So there is none like it, and it is the time of Jacob's trouble. But then it isn't a positive note, but he will be saved out of it.

So I have to wonder, are we about to enter that time right now? Are we about to enter the time of Jacob's trouble? You know, nearly 40 years ago, back on January 20, 1980, Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as the 40th president of the United States. Interesting question. You can just raise your hand. I'm not going to ask you to answer the question. I'm not going to put anybody on the spot.

But anybody remember what else happened on that very day that Ronald Reagan was inaugurated? Something very dramatic you do. Good. Dr. Shaffer may remember. Or not Dr. Shaffer, but Professor Shaffer. Excuse me. But he remembers. And I think you will too. We'll be at it.

As Reagan was delivering his inaugural address, 52 American hostages were released by the Iranian government in Tehran. They were afraid that Reagan meant business. He said, well, he took the overall... he was going to get those hostages released. Or he was going to blast them. I think I don't know what words he used, but they understood that Ronald Reagan meant business.

He became president. They better release the hostages. They've been held for over a year. They've been held for 444 days. Chief Justice Warren Burger administered the presidential oath of office to Reagan, who placed his hand upon a family bible. This is very interesting history. Even more people know about it. He placed his hand on... he wanted a family bible to take the oath of office.

So he had this family bible used for that purpose. And as he took the oath of office, he not only placed his hand on the family bible, but he had that bible purposely open to one particular scripture.

Why did he have his family bible open to that scripture? What scripture was it? He had it open to 2 Chronicles 7, verse 14. If you want to be turning there. 2 Chronicles 7, verse 14. Why that scripture? Because he knew what this scripture says was the only way America could prosper moving forward under his presidency.

What does that verse say? Let's turn there. I hope you're already there. 2 Chronicles 7, verse 14 says this, If my people were called by my name, if they will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land. Now Donald Trump is our 45th president. Of course, the slogan is, he wants to make America great again. I think he sincerely does in trying to do that. But the only way America can be made great again is given to us right here in 2 Chronicles 7, verse 14. If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, I will forgive their sins, and I will heal their land. Unfortunately, that's not likely to happen. But first perilous times will come, which will then lead to the time of Jacob's trouble. But again, on January 20, 1980, on the day Ronald Reagan became our 40th president, 52 American hostages were released. Now, that's where I get to something personal. This lecture I attended.

The lecture that I attended on that day, way back, I forget when it was. I had a mark, I just told you. But the day I attended that lecture, the man who gave that lecture was one of those 52 hostages who had been released. We were living in Bellevue, Washington. He was given a sermon, given a presentation there in Bellevue. And I saw it was advertised in the paper. I thought, well, that would be interesting lecture to attend. So I decided to attend it.

He was not only one of those 52 hostages. He was the highest ranking military officer taken captive.

He was a colonel in the Air Force, highest ranking officer taken captive with those hostages. His lecture was titled, Coping with Adversity, Growing with Change.

Of the 444 days spent as a captive in Iran, 150 of those days, five months, were spent in solitary confinement. His name was after my own. His name was Colonel Thomas E. Shaffer, only was spelled S-C-H-A-E-F-E-R. I want to quote from a Washington Post associated press release dated June 4, 2016. Thomas E. Shaffer, Air Force colonel, taken hostage in Iran, dies at the age of 85. This is June 4, 2016. Thomas E. Shaffer, a retired Air Force colonel, who was the ranking military officer among the 52 Americans, held hostage in Iran for 444 days before being released in 1981, died May 31st. In Scottsdale, Arizona, he was 85.

From the first day of his takeover, Colonel Shaffer was singled out for special attention, being the ranking officer. As a ranking U.S. military officer in the embassy, he was accused of running a nest of spies, because of the American embassy that was taken over in Iran. He was accused of running a nest of spies. His captors preyed him blindfold in front of the television cameras and repeatedly threatened to put him on trial and execute him. He spent 150 days in solitary confinement and began his captivity by enduring 14 days of relentless interrogation in a cold prison cell with damp floors and only a thin blanket for warmth. He said, I could see the breath the entire time, he said in a 2004 interview. They were breaking me down both physically and mentally. I could feel myself losing it.

He said he used a pen each day to punch a coal into his Bible. He was able to have a Bible to get through the hostage ordeal. I'm not sure what that entailed.

Colonel Shaffer was among the last hostages released on January 20, 1981.

Colonel Shaffer retired from the Air Force less than two years later and was a professional speaker for decades. His family said he spoke to more than 250,000 students and adults about facing adversity. I was lucky enough to hear one of those lectures.

Really, he was a positive guy, his son David Shaffer said. He tried to educate and help people deal with really bad situations in their life.

Again, like I said, he was given and did have access to a Bible.

He said there was one particular Psalm he read every single day. He read his Bible every day, but he said there's one Psalm I read every day that I was in captivity. It's a great Psalm to read when coping with adversity. Let's go there and read it. Psalm 13, a short Psalm, only six verses. Psalm 13, he said, I read this verse every day. When you read this, think of his situation and think how this could relate to Colonel Shaffer.

He believed in God and he had a Bible. Psalm 13, verse 1, How long, O Lord, will you forget me forever? Don't you know my situation? Don't you know I'm here in this prison cell in Turan? These men that hate me and want to kill me?

How long will you hide your face from me? How long shall I take counsel of my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? I wonder what my wife's doing, what my kids are doing. When will I ever see him again? Will I ever see him again?

How long will my enemy be exalted over me? You can imagine why he's wrestling with these questions.

Consider and hear me, O Lord, my God, and lighten my eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death, unless they execute me, unless my enemy's eye have prevailed against him.

Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

Then verse 5, But I have trusted in your mercy.

My heart shall rejoice with your salvation. And notice the last verse. And he did this. He actually practiced this every day, as you'll see in a minute.

I will sing to the Lord because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Now think of the situation he was in. How could Colonel Schaeffer say that?

How could he say, God has dealt bountifully with me, as I kept it facing the possibility of death at any moment? How could he say that?

When his lecture, he gave seven overall points, telling how he coped with his adversity, and how it changed him and helped him grow spiritually.

Today, I want to cover those seven points, plus the one thing that he gave at the end that we must all cling to at all costs under all circumstances. So my title of my sermon here this morning is, Coping with and Growing with Adversity. Coping and Growing with Adversity.

And in his lecture, I said he gave seven ways to cope with adversity. I want to go over those seven points. They're great points. And I've just taken those points and I've added scripture with them. The first point is always remember that you are never alone.

And he said there's two aspects of this that he gave to us. Keep in mind in his lecture, we're to be encouraged rather than becoming discouraged when we're facing that kind of situation. Remember, we're never alone. There's two aspects of that.

Number one, that shows us we're never alone, is that Christ is always with us.

And understands what we're going through.

Let's look at two scriptures that amplify that. First, let's go to Hebrews 13.

Hebrews 13 verse 5. Let your conduct be without covetousness.

Be content with such things as you have. Be content with your situation, no matter how bad it is for the time being, at least. Pre and self has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. No matter where you are in the Ohio State, no matter how dramatic your situation might be, I know where you are. I know what you're going through. I will never leave. I'm going to be there with you in spirit.

So when I boldly say, verse 6, The Lord is my helper. I will not fear what man can do to me. Let's go back to another verse that does that here in Hebrews. Hebrews 4.

Hebrews 4 verses 14 and 15. Hebrews 4, 14. Seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession, or let us hold fast to our profession as Christians who follow Jesus Christ.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Or as my old King James Version has it, for we have not a high priest who could not be touched by the feelings of our infirmities.

Now the second aspect he gave us to never being alone is this. Not only is Christ with us, but also have to remember there are other people in various places we don't even know about, in various places of the world.

There are others who are facing similar trials and adversity. They're sharing those same things. We're not alone in this trial. Others facing similar trials, maybe worse trials. In other words, our trials are not unique.

Many others are going through similar trials or worse trials. In 1 Peter 5, Verse 8 and 9, again Peter wrote, Be sober, be diligent, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him. Remain steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world, by your fellow human beings. They're going through these things too, sometimes worse. We may not know about them, but people all over the world are facing serious, serious trials and adversity and difficulties.

Why do we sometimes experience those same sufferings?

What does God want us to learn from these sufferings we go through, that we can then, knowing that others go through them as well? Well, I think for two reasons. One, so we can receive and experience God's comfort. When you go through a trial, it's very horrendous, and you see after you get through it, and God sees you through it, and he somehow gives you comfort ever. It's all over. You realize the miraculous comfort that God can give you, and you can go to others and look, don't get discouraged. Don't give up. God's going to see you through this. It's all going to be good in the end. He's going to give you comfort in the end.

And then also, so we can then in turn, just through, I just said, comfort others. Not only can we receive God's comfort and experience that, but we then can in turn, comfort others with the comfort that we received and experienced. In fact, you can read that in 2 Corinthians chapter 1, verses 3 and 4. Paul addresses that very thing.

So remember that while we may be experiencing trials and adversity, that number one, we are never alone. Christ is always with us. He knows and understands what we're going through, and he wants us to be strengthened by those trials, so we can then help strengthen and encourage others who are going through very similar trials and more difficult trials.

Now, the second overall point the colonel brought out was, there is no instant solution to success.

He knew there was no instant solution to his imprisonment. He could be released any moment, but he didn't know when it would come or if it would come. He knew there was no instant solution. He knew he would have to endure and persevere until a solution came.

He knew that was out of his control. He had no control over that.

He had no idea when or how that solution would come about, but he knew he wouldn't be released any time soon.

That being the case, what must we do if we ever find ourselves in a situation where we realize there is no real instant solution or maybe no solution that we can work out?

What must we do to be successful in that situation? Well, the scripture came to my mind in me. It was Matthew 24, 13. He who endures to the end should be saved. If you don't have an instant solution, you just have to endure and try to learn whatever God wants us to learn while we're enduring. Endure to the end. So, to be successful, you have to endure to the end.

Now, let me make another point. While we are enduring to the end, what else must we not do?

Because, I'm going to quote a scripture in Matthew 24, 12.

Because, lawless will abound, the love of many will grow cold. What must we not do? We must never let our love toward God or our love toward our fellow man or our brethren grow cold. You can't let that kind of situation cause you to have bitterness or lose your love for God or your love for your fellow man. Never let your love go cold toward God or toward our fellow man. In fact, you know, we have got to go beyond that, don't we? This is the hardest thing any of us have to face. But, we all have had to face this in our calling, in our walk with God. What did Christ say? He said we must even love our enemies, who may be in Colonel Shaver's place keeping him captive.

Matthew 5, 44, love your enemies. Do good to those who persecute you.

Why? Two reasons. Number one, it says in 1 Corinthians 13a, love never fails.

And the other reason is, if you have love toward your enemies and you love those who are persecuted, what does it do to your thinking? It keeps you in a positive frame of mind so you'll never become bitter or resentful, which can destroy us if that ever happens.

So remember, there may be no instant solution, in which case we must then endure to the end, to the end of the situation we're in, or maybe to the end of our life, whichever comes first.

Now, the third overall point Colonel Shaver brought out was, take one day at a time.

His goal, as he said, was to make it through the next 24 hours, as he knew he could be put to death at any time. What did Christ teach us in that regard? Let's go to Matthew 6.

Matthew 6, verses 33 and 34. Matthew 6, 33. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all your other needs shall be added to you and taken care of. In verse 34, therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.

Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Or, as the Living Bible paraphrases, verse 34, don't be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow. Live one day at a time.

In other words, don't worry about the future before it comes.

Put God in His righteousness first and live one day at a time.

The fourth overall point Colonel Shafer brought out was, accept the fact that there will be events in our life we can do little or nothing about.

Accept the fact there will be events in our life that we can do little or nothing about. There are some things that only God can work out. Only God has a solution. And it'll be a righteous solution. It'll be the right solution.

But there are things that only God can work out.

Colonel Shafer realized he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and that there was nothing he could have done to prevent what happened to him from happening.

He happened to be in Tehran, the American embassy, at the time that they decided to overtake it.

Here's the thing. He told me, he said, this was not the first time. When he was taken captive in Iran, that was not the first time he'd been taken captive.

He said it was the third time he'd been taken captive.

He was first taken captive, very, very young man, just as he had entered the Air Force at the very end of World War II. Right there, he was taken captive as an extremely young man, only about 16 years old, barely 16.

Then he was taken captive again in Korea. He was a queer military man.

And when he was taken captive in Iran the third time, he was 50 years old. When he was taken captive in Iran for the third time, being taken captive.

He told us, as you might imagine when that happened, when he was taken captive in Iran at age 50, he asked himself after being taken captive, he said, Why me? Why me? Not again. Why me?

You know, Job, in his severe trial, asked himself the same question. Let's turn there just real quickly and read it. Job chapter 3, just two verses, Job chapter 3 verses 11 and 12.

First, he was doing pretty good, and then after he got to thinking about it, and he had this severe trial that came upon him, and he said, as recorded here in Job 3 verse 11, Why didn't I die at birth? Why didn't I perish when I came from the womb?

Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breast that I should nurse?

Like Job's saying, I've always feared God and shunned evil. So, why is this happening to me? I've tried to do everything right, God.

Why God have you allowed this to happen to me? Why me?

But once Colonel Shafer analyzed the situation and realized there was nothing he could really have done to prevent it from happening, you know what he did? He reversed the question, and he said, instead of saying, Why me? He said, Why not me? After all, I've been through this twice before. I've survived twice before. I understand it. And there's 51 other men here who are asking the question, Why is this happening? There's no one better than me to help them through this. I've been through it. I understand it. I know they can make it. I made it. I know God can see them through. He's seen me through. Why not me? I'm the best person who could possibly be here to help these others in this situation.

There's no one better than me to help others make it through.

After all, I've been through it and made it twice before. So by asking the question, Why not me? He accepted his situation so he could then effectively help others, and it became a positive thing so he could cope much better and make it positive. So except the fact that there are a few situations in our life that we can do a little or nothing about, when those things happen, instead of asking, Why me? He asks, Why not me? I've been in God's church for 10 years, 20 years, 30 years, 40 years. I've been through all kinds of trials and situations and pain and hurt, and I can help that person over there who's not going through this trial. They're going through what I've already gone through. I know God can see him through it. I can help them. So instead of asking, Why me? He asks, Why not me? What was the fifth point that Colonel Schaeffer brought out when it comes to coping with adversity? Fifth point he brought out in his lecture was, Don't take life too seriously. He analyzed the situation, included there were two things that actually threatened his life. One was a court trial, which would convict him as a spy and probably lead to death by a firing squad. But then he realized there was really nothing he could do about that one way or another. So what good would it do him to worry about it? It's either going to happen or it isn't.

And all he could do is pray about it, pray to God about it.

You know, it's similar to what Chad Ragnechek and the Bendy go face with Nebuchadnezzar.

Let's turn to Daniel chapter 3. Daniel chapter 3, beginning verse 14.

Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, Is it true, Chad Ragnechek and a Bendy go, that you're not going to serve my gods? Is it true that you're not going to worship the gold image of myself that I've set up?

He says, I want to tell you something, Chad Ragnechek and a Bendy go. You're going to hear some music.

And if you're ready at the time you hear this music of all these instruments, and if you then fall down and worship the image which I have made of myself, well, good. But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the God who can save you or deliver you out of my hands? You don't have any God who can deliver you out of my hands.

Notice that response, verse 16.

Chad Ragnechek and a Bendy go answered and said to the king, Oh Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. We don't have to think about it. We don't have to think about how we're going to answer you. We already know how we're going to answer you. It doesn't matter what you do. We already know our answer because we have absolute faith in our God. So he said this verse 17, that is the case.

Our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace.

And He is going to deliver us one way or another. He can deliver us in the midst of that furnace if He wants to, or if He doesn't deliver us in the midst of that furnace, He'll deliver us afterwards after we will die and He'll deliver us through a resurrection. But our God is that powerful. He will deliver us from the dead. So there's nothing you can do, Nebuchadnezzar can scare us or change our mind. We have a God who can deliver even a deliver us from death. And He will deliver us from your hand one way or another. But if He doesn't deliver us from the fiery furnace, let it be known to you, O King, that we do not serve your gods nor we worship the golden image which you have set up. See, they knew the outcome was out of their hands, other than to depend on God to deliver them. That's not something for them to worry about. All they could do is just leave it in God's hands and not take it too seriously, even though they face certain death. The second thing the Colonel Shave said that threatened his life was to be accidentally shot by a guard because he saw them out there carrying their rifles. They weren't too good carrying their rifles. They weren't very well trained. And every once in a while people would mess around with them and they'd pull a trigger and a shot would go off.

So he's realizing that. Colonel Shafer said he kept his distance from them and he kept his eye on them. He always tried to stay far away from them so they wouldn't accidentally shoot him. But the bottom line was that he had to learn not to take his situation too seriously to where it could wear him down mentally and emotionally. Also, he realized that time and chance happened to us all. Let's read Ecclesiastes chapter 9. No matter who we are, no matter how strong our faith is in God, no matter how closely we follow God, sometimes time and chance happen to us all. As wise King Solomon said, his wisdom came from God, of course. Ecclesiastes 9 verses 11 and 12, I returned and saw unto the sun, Solomon said, the race is not always to the swift, nor is the battle always won by the strong, nor bred to the wise. It's not always to riches, riches are not always to men of understanding and nor favor to men of skill. Time and chance happen to us all at times. Verse 12, for man also does not know his time. You don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. What's going to take place in the future? Like fish taken in a cool net, like birds caught in a snare, so the sons of men, even righteous men, sometimes are snared in evil times, just like Colonel Schafer was. Sons of men are snared in evil time when it's suddenly and unexpectedly falls upon them, just like it did for Colonel Schafer. We also have to realize this, and I thought of a scripture that ties in here, that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8, verse 28. But don't take life too seriously. The sixth point that Colonel Schafer brought out was always remain positive. He made this statement in his lecture that I wrote down word for word. I had in my notes word for word. I thought it was so important that I actually stopped thinking just for a minute. I wrote down what he said. He said, there is a two-position switch in our mind, positive and negative. Only you control that switch. He said, hotwire it in the positive position.

I got to thinking that's exactly what the Apostle Paul tells us.

And also remember, the Apostle Paul was also taken prisoner three times on three occasions, just like Colonel Schafer was. Let's read that one scripture. Philippians 4, verse 8, when we're all familiar with it. Let's read it. Philippians 4, verse 8, where Paul said, Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever good things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of a good report, if there's any virtue, if there's anything praise worthy, meditate and keep your mind on these things. Hotwire your mind in a positive position.

Now, the seventh point Colonel Schafer brought out was, and you can imagine it's got to be pretty difficult for him, but he said, keep your life productive, even in a very limiting situation and circumstance. As our people say, he was in solitary confinement for 150 days or five months.

For those five months, he was locked in a very small room by himself. The room was only six feet by six feet, barely big enough for him to lie down in. He told us that he developed a routine in order to keep his life productive. Five different things he would do, and he'd do each of these things for one hour, and he'd repeat it throughout the day. First thing he did was, he would read and study for one hour. Like I say, he had access to a Bible, and he also had access to other books from the American Embassy. There were high school books there in the embassy that they let him read. He actually said in his lecture, he read over 200 books during his captivity, over 200 books. They let him have the books that were there in the embassy, including, he said, they gave me some German language books.

While on captivity during that time, when he was reading those books, he read a lot of German books in the German language, and he taught himself how to read and speak German. He later gave him a copy of Der Spiegel in German, and he was able to read it, and he read an article about how they were attempting to rescue them, and that gave him encouragement. Number two, the second thing he did for an hour was, he then exercised for an hour.

He told us he eventually worked up to being able to do 1,000 push-ups a day, and he was 50 years old.

The third thing he said he did, the third hour, he said he spent the next hour walking around the room and singing and meditating. I think of the Apostle Paul in prison, they were singing.

But he would try to keep his mind positive, so he'd just think about things he could sing. Songs came to his mind, he would sing and meditate. Then he said he spent an hour doing mind games, exercise his mind, keep his mind active. He was a bridge player, so he would imagine the cards in four hands and play all four hands in his mind. He said he did the same thing with poker hands, just to keep his mind active, play these games, to keep his mind sharp. Then finally, five, he said he spent one hour relaxing and daydreaming. About his family, about his friends, what are my kids doing? I wonder how they're doing in school? I wonder what's happening in the home front? How's my wife coping and keeping up the house? Think about his friends, give me about his hopes for the future.

He repeated those five one-hour routines throughout the day in order to keep his life productive and to keep his situation from getting the best of them.

Colonel Shaver then concluded his lecture with one overall point by telling us this. He told us the one thing that we must always cling to at all costs and under all circumstances.

He said there was one thing he always kept at the uppermost of his mind, which enabled him to make it through his 444 days of captivity.

It's also the one thing we have to always keep in the uppermost forefront of our minds when we are faced with severe trials and adversity. Colonel Shaver summed this up with one word. That one word is hope. He says, no matter how severe your trial, no matter how difficult or impossible the situation seems to be, never lose hope. You know, along with faith and love, hope is one of the three greatest attributes we can possess and cling to, as expressed by the apostle Paul in his first letter to the church of Corinth, where he wrote 1 Corinthians 13, 13, Now abide faith, hope, and love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.

And one of the reasons why love is the greatest of these is because hope is incorporated in love. As Paul himself expressed in 1 Corinthians 7, 7, where he wrote that love bears all things, believes all things, endures all things, and hopes all things. Hope is incorporated in love, which makes love the greatest. How can we cling to hope in a seemingly hopeless situation?

Because with men there are things that maybe seem impossible.

But with God, before with God, all things are possible.

Mark 10, 27, with God all things are possible, which is why the one thing we must cling to at all costs under all circumstances is hope, because it is possible with God, no matter how desperate the situation might be. So in conclusion then, let's learn from Colonel Shafer's experience as the captive in Iran for 444 days and from what we read in God's Word today. Apply these lessons in our life when we experience trials and adversity. Number one, just to recap, number one, remember we are never alone. Two, that there is no instant solution to success. Three, take one day at a time. Four, accept the fact there will be events in our life that we can do little or nothing about. Five, don't take life too seriously.

Six, always remain positive. Seven, keep your life productive. And remember that the one thing we spring to at all costs under all circumstances is hope. Never lose hope. See, if we do all these things and someday in the not-too-distant future, the fulfillment of our hope is going to be realized when God's kingdom is established on the earth. So never lose hope, because that is how we can cope and grow with adversity.