Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation,
be constant in prayer.
—Romans 12:12
On September 30, 1859, Abraham Lincoln ended a speech with a story about an Eastern monarch who charged his advisors to create a sentence that would be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They produced these words: “And this, too, shall pass away.” Lincoln said, “How much that expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!”
The most-quoted version has reduced the phrase to four words: “This too shall pass.”
History reveals that such has been the end-result of perceived disasters of every sort:
Demonic empires: Assyria. Babylon. Rome.
Corrupt people in positions of power: Sennacherib. Nebuchadnezzar. Nero. Hitler. Stalin.
Pandemics: Bubonic plague. Spanish flu. Polio. SARS. Ebola.
Economic chaos: Market crashes. Recessions. Depressions.
This too shall pass. “There is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl 1:9).
Neither people nor circumstances
are in control. God is.