Samuel Rutherford Quotes

Temptation and testing (or a trial) are two sides of the same coin. Satan uses an occasion or a person to tempt us to fall; God uses the same to try us and make us stronger.

Men are not born saints with special gifts and privileges. They fight against the world, the flesh and the devil, and as they conquer, the spirit of Jesus begins to shine through with more clarity.

Problems patiently endured will work for our spiritual perfecting.

God delights in our temptations and yet hates them. He delights in them when they drive us to prayer; he hates them when they drive us to despair.

As in nature, as in the arts, so in grace; it is rough treatment that gives souls as well as stones their lustre; the more the diamond is cut the brighter it sparkles; and in what seems hard dealing, their God has no end in view but to perfect His people's graces. Our Father, and and kindest of fathers, He afflicts not willingly; He sends tribulations, but hear St Paul tell their purpose, - "Tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope."

Trials are the soil in which faith flourishes.

Prayer and love are really learned in the hour when prayer becomes impossible and your heart turns to stone.

Satan, the Hinderer, may build a barrier about us, but he can never roof us in, so that we cannot look up.

God show me the way because the Devil trying to break me down

When you go through difficult times...recognize that God is refining you, knocking off some of your rough edges.

I feel the problems I have are meant to purify me.

Grace grows best in winter.

No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God . . . and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven.

Suffering provides the gym equipment on which my faith can be exercised.

God already knows what we're made of, but perhaps He wants us to learn what we're made of. I think we would all agree that we learn more from our tough times than from our easy times.

Karma is not just about the troubles, but also about surmounting them.

Some people who suffer run away from God, and I know the tendency, but instead I just run to Him.

You must never tire fighting Satan.

People have to realize that just because you're a Christian, it doesn't mean that you're perfect, because every once in a while everyone stumbles.

Why comes temptation but for man to meet And master and make crouch beneath his foot, And so be pedestaled in triumph?

It's easy to lose sight of God when life is sweet and easy, but there is something awesome about despair, and it is the closeness of God when we are at our weakest.

The devil ain't got no power over me. The devil come, and me shake hands with the devil. Devil have his part to play. Devil's a good friend, too... because when you don't know him, that's the time he can mosh you down.

The difficulties we face originate from one of three sources. Some are sent to us by the Lord to test our faith, others are the result of Satan's attacks, and still others are due to our own sinful choices.

The devil put before me that I could not endure the trials of the religious life, because of my delicate nurture. I defended myself against him by alleging the trials which Christ endured, and that it was not much for me to suffer something for His sake; besides, He would help me to bear it.

He knows not his own strength that hath not met adversity.