God used my recent visit to Enid, Oklahoma, to remind me of a deep spiritual truth.

There is no authority except that which God has established. Romans 13:1

The age old question of “Why suffering?” cannot be adequately answered for anyone facing pain. However, the Bible and the Christian faith are full of the testament that as believers we can do more than just get through suffering, we can actually exploit evil for our benefit. Romans 8:28 says that “We are MORE than conquerors through him who loved us.” This is not an exhaustive list, but below are five ways that you can exploit evil in your own life:

How can Saul, one earthly creature armed only with a letter from another, be said to “persecute” Jesus of Nazereth who sits at the Father’s right hand? The Lord did not say, “Why do you persecute my people?” Instead he asked, “Why do you persecute me?” Christ was certainly in the glory, but the Christ whom Saul persecuted was somehow also on earth.

This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 2 Timothy 2:8-9

I recently read a deeply thought provoking blog written by Pastor Eric Foley, the CEO and Co-Founder of Seoul USA. As I read what he wrote, I was reminded of a chapter in Corrie Ten Boom’s book The Hiding Place. It is in this part of her story that she tells of a night when she and her family stayed up late into the evening to listen to a live radio address from the Prime Minister of Holland. Her family listened intently as the Dutch people were told they need not worry about war. He announced to the nation that both sides had agreed to accept the neutral stance of Holland. Upon hearing this, Casper Ten Boom rose to his feet, and abruptly turned off the radio. He knew that war was imminent, and he was deeply disturbed by the false hope being given to the people.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Acts 1:8

Each week VOM department directors meet to discuss the ongoing business of the ministry and update each other on various projects and priorities. Each meeting begins with a short devotional led by one of the directors. Last week that director was Jill from VOM's financial services area. She shared how God used a VOM donor and a well-timed phone call to answer her prayer and encourage her heart. Here is her devotional:

During a recent trip to train persecuted believers in the Southern part of Mindanao Island, one of the most difficult places to be a Christian in the Philippines, I started the morning by chatting with brother Jun before breakfast.

I’ll never forget the morning that Jim (VOM’s President) and I were driving a long-term associate of Richard Wurmbrand to the airport. “Brother T.” is a peppy, passionate 80-year-old Italian—the kind of person who deeply impacts everyone he meets! In a few hours, all three of us would be leaving on separate early-morning flights. As we drove together in the pre-dawn darkness, Brother T. energetically shared stories about Richard Wurmbrand.