I

Everyone who comes to believe in God is only ready to accept God's grace, blessings, and promises, and only willing to accept His kindness and mercy, and yet no one is waiting or preparing to accept God's chastisement and judgment, His trials and refinement, or His deprivation. Not a single person makes preparations to accept God's judgment and chastisement, His deprivation, or His curses. This relationship between people and God is abnormal. In particular, people only believe in God for the sake of being blessed. They only want to strike a deal with God, and demand things from Him, but do not pursue the truth. This is very dangerous. As soon as they encounter something that is at odds with their notions, they immediately develop notions, misunderstandings, and grievances with respect to God, and can even go so far as to betray Him.

II

If you are really willing at heart to pursue the truth, you should put some effort into accepting the judgment and chastisement of God's words, quickly reflect on and try to know yourself, and mentally prepare for the trials and refinement that are about to come to you. No matter how much you expend yourself for God, and how much of a price you pay in the performance of your duty, if you ultimately encounter trials like Job's, and God strips you of all your possessions, and your life is even about to end, how should you face this? How should you approach God's sovereignty and arrangements? How should you approach your duty? How should you approach what God has entrusted to you? Do you have the correct understanding and the right attitude?

III

You have believed in God for so many years, read so many of God's words, listened to so many sermons, and understood so many truths. Suppose that you are already prepared to let God orchestrate everything, whether that be gaining blessings or suffering adversity. And suppose that, despite your forsaking and expending yourself, the price you've paid and the lifetime of energy you've expended, all you ultimately get in return is God uttering a curse at you, or depriving you. If, even then, you have no words of complaint, no desires or demands of your own, but only seek to submit to God and to put yourself at the mercy of His orchestrations, and you feel that having even a little understanding of and a little submission to God's sovereignty makes your life worthwhile—if you have such a correct attitude, then when some difficulties arise, it is easy to resolve them.

from The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth. What It Means to Pursue the Truth (11)