With regard to the proportion of spiritual consolation relative to spiritual desolation, no universal rule can be given. Each person’s experience is individual and lies within God’s loving providence in that person’s life. Our part is to dispose ourselves—through prayer and living the Word of Christ—to receive spiritual consolation and to accept it when God gives it, and likewise to resist and reject spiritual desolation when God permits the enemy to bring us this trial. When we do this with our imperfect but sincere best, we may leave the proportion of spiritual consolation and desolation to
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