Sermon Illustrations

Andrew Murray was going through a personal trial. One morning while he was eating breakfast, his hostess told him there was a woman downstairs that was going through a great trial and wanted to know if he had any advice for her. Murray handed her a piece of paper he had been writing on and said, “Give her this advice I’m writing down for myself. It may be that she’ll find it helpful.”

“In time of trouble say,

‘First, He brought me here. It is by His will I am in this strait place; in that I will rest.’

Next, ‘He will keep me here in His live, and give me grace in this trial to behave as His child.’ Then say, ‘He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He means to bestow.’

And last, say, ‘In His good time He can bring me out again. How and when, He knows.’ Therefore I say, ‘I am here (1) by God’s appointment, (2) in His keeping, (3) under His training, (4) for His time.’”