It is in the day of trial and difficulty that the soul experiences something of the deep and untold blessedness of being able to count on God. It is not in gliding along the surface of a tranquil lake, that the reality of the Master's presence is felt, but actually when the tempest roars and the waves roll over the ship.
The Lord does not hold out to us the prospect of exemption from trial and tribulation—quite the opposite. He tells us we shall have to meet both the one and the other; but He promises to be with us in them, and this is infinitely better. God's presence in the trial is much better than exemption from the trial. The sympathy of His heart with us is sweeter far than the power of His hand for us. The Master's presence with His faithful servants while passing through the furnace was better far than the display of His power to keep them out of it (Dan. 3).