I have been in danger from rivers, from thieves, from my own people, the Jews, and from those who are not Jews. I have been in danger in cities, in places where no one lives, and on the sea. - 2 Corinthians 11:26 ICB

A program on the History channel showed the world’s most extreme airports. The program mentioned one airport I had landed in before. That Asian airport was a thrill ride for passengers and a challenge for pilots. If you came in from one direction, you had to fly over skyscrapers and then hope the plane stopped before it plunged into the sea. If you came in the other way, it seemed as if you were going to smack into a mountain.

One pilot who used to take planeloads of people into that airport before it was shut down and replaced said, “I miss flying into that airport.” As a pilot, he looked forward to the challenge.

Sometimes we run from challenges, don’t we? But think about this: The people we love to read about in the Bible are impressive because they faced challenges. Think about Paul. With the confidence of God’s help, he faced troubles head-on. Jesus’s promise to Paul—and to us—is this: “My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, then my power is made perfect in you” (2 Corinthians 12:9 ICB). Because of Jesus, when you have a tough test or some other challenge, you can say: Bring it on!