Sometimes we can mistake trials for punishments. In Acts 28, Paul had barely escaped a shipwreck when he again found himself in danger, this time because of a snake bite. The locals thought this was a sign of justice. Surely he had done something wrong to deserve all of this tragedy, right? But they were wrong. God was using these tragedies to reveal His power through Paul.

Don’t overanalyze your trials. God isn’t punishing you. He may be giving you an opportunity to show His grace and power to others. Think of the healing and witness that came to this island all because of a shipwreck and snake bite. It reminds us of what Paul said in 2 Corinthians when he wrote, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.’ Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

What trials in your life could become an opportunity to minister to others?