The Bible speaks of '...Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel... who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong...' (vv. 32-34). Who were these people? Jephthah was a social outcast born to an unwed mother. Samuel was a great prophet but not a great parent. David wrote the Psalms but had an affair. '...Out of weakness were made strong...' Notice, they didn't start out strong, they became strong; and if they can make it, you can too! For reasons God never explains, He chooses to work through people like us. He places us in difficult situations then unlocks our faith, compassion and creativity. When we don't know which way to go, He connects us with those who can open the right door at the right moment. Does that mean we won't experience fear? No, progress has always been made by people who faced their fears and rose above them. They knew that opportunity and security were opposites. The truth is, if the challenge you're facing doesn't place a demand on your faith, it neither pleases God nor involves Him. Phillips Brooks said, 'Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger people. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle. Every day you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God.'