spirit of glory resting on one

firstly: it is relevant that God will never allow his disciples to be tested beyond what they are able to endure (we must trust him to know better than we do what our capacity is, like a good teacher can assess a child's potential for growth better than that child can), his strength is made perfect in our weakness, and he brings down the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Secondly: i am reminded of that beautiful song "Something Inside So Strong" which Labi Siffre wrote during the 1970s when he saw a tv news report of an incident in South Africa: a black people's event was being violently broken up by the police, and participants were escaping on the back of a truck driving them away. A little black boy frantically chased after the truck to jump onboard, and a white police officer shot at him as he ran. The boy did eventually climb onboard and survive. Labi Siffre decided to write a song that would be like a voice for that boy.
Thirdly: Watchman Nee described in one of his books the occasion when he visited his hometown after a time away serving God as an evangelist. He had become poor and his health was broken, but Nee had a sense of purpose and fulfilment which made the suffering worthwhile. He met a former teacher, who had entertained high hopes that Nee (an intelligent lad from a privelledged family) would achieve much educationally and become rich in a successful career (using a worldly measure of wealth and success). The teacher did not hide his contempt for what Nee had become (in his sight). At that moment Nee knew what it was like to feel the spirit of glory rest on him, he wrote years later. Nee was later imprisoned purely for being a Christian, but joy, hope, praise, reverence and trust in the Lord pervade his writings, some of which were smuggled out of jail.

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