in Oz we'd like nothing more than sun-and-surf weather 24/7, 365. Being burnt like overdone toast is what we Aussies do best! Yet the wheat in the fields, the cotton in the country and the spuds in the ground wouldn't be too glad of all sunshine and no rain. To get the best out of God's creation it's essential there are other seasons besides the sunny one.

The same is true of the seasons in your faith life. If everything you touched turned to sunshiny gold, it wouldn't be too long before head-swell set in. That's why God also allows us to go through rainy seasons and tough times to grow us. There's nothing quite as ugly as arrogance and God didn't build us to be self-sufficient but God-sufficient. The storms of life lead us to shelter under God's wings, and getting closer to Him can only be a good thing.

Today's verse can seem back-to-front because Paul is saying the misery he's facing works to his advantage. Paul is wise enough to recognise that his weakness is bringing out God's strength: with less of him there is more room for God. What a great way of thinking! Perhaps that's why he could write from experience, 'This foolish plan of God is far wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is far stronger than the greatest of human strength.' (1 Corinthians 1:25 NLT)