I was reading the following with one of my children this week and felt like it could be of encouragement to the wider church. The devotion is taken from ‘Indescribable: 100 devotions for God and Science’ by Louie Giglio.

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed.
2 Corinthians 4:8 NLT

Nothing sparkles like a diamond. but they aren’t just pretty to look at; diamonds are also the hardest natural substance known to man. in fact, the word diamond comes from a Greek word that means “unbreakable”. Only another diamond can make a scratch on a diamond… In order for a diamond to form, extreme pressures and incredible hot temperatures are needed over a long period of time. This usually happens at about 100 miles below the Earth’s crust – so volcanoes make good diamond ‘factories’. When the volcanoes erupt, the diamonds “shoot” up towards the Earth’s surface.

So… in a very dark place, under a lot of pressure and stress and heat… something beautiful and unbreakable forms. Have you ever been in a dark place? Under a lot of pressure and stress? Could it be that God is using that time to make something beautiful and unbreakable? When you feel as if you’re being pressed on every side by trouble, don’t give up. God won’t let you be crushed. He’ll use those hard times to make you stronger and to teach you to depend on Him. Trust Him, especially when it’s hard. He’s making something beautiful and unbreakable – your faith in Him.