More Than Conquerors

Ran across this jewel from my favorite Amy Carmichael Devotional today and was so encouraged:

Rom. 8:37 - 'more than conquerors'

James 1:2 R.V. - 'Count it all joy...when ye fall into manifold temptations.'

Amy says, "Sometimes when we read the words of those who have been more than conquerors, we feel almost despondent. 'I shall never be like that,' we feel. But they won through, step by step, by little acts of will, little denials of self, little inward victories, by faithfulness in very little things they became what they are. No one sees these little hidden steps, they only see the accomplishment; but even so, those small steps were taken. There is no sudden triumph, no spiritual maturity that is the work of a moment. So let us all take courage; not one of us is too weak to be made more than a conqueror."

She goes on to compare God's sanctifying us through trials to the physical training of "lifting heavy burdens" -- weight training. To put it in a modern way: some of us grow by bench-pressing very heavy burdens slowly; others of us grow by lifting lighter weights, but over and over, day by day. Nevertheless, each of us grows. "There is something in trial which God uses to perfect strength. Let us leave God to do His own work. He will not allow us to suffer in vain."