Is my trial a loaf or a stone?

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11)

Recently, I was praying and during my prayer I asked the Lord to remove my problem with seizures. The above verses came to mind. My prayer was, "Lord, I'm just tired of dealing with this. I don't doubt your sovereignty, but I'm still tired of it." And I felt that God said, "Do you think this is a stone? Well, you've asked me for bread. I will not give you a stone, however if you do continue to have seizures, it's not that I don't hear prayer. But that they are bread for you."

What comfort we can draw in adversity when we realize that our Father cares enough to be concerned not only for our short term well being, but for our long term (eternal) well being. These things that we know as "trials" in this life are in fact "a light momentary affliction [that] is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." (2 Cor. 4:17)

Psalm 23

Psalm 23 is one of those oft quoted Psalms as it is a comfort Psalm. That is, the pictures given in Psalm 23 are of the Lord as our shepherd caring for us. This can give comfort in hard times. I've recently been using this Psalm as a fall back when I get nervous about my seizures. I'll quote the whole Psalm quickly in my mind, and God rarely fails to bring some different point of emphasis out of the Psalm. I want to write down a couple of thoughts from Psalm 23:1-3.

1. He is the restorer of my soul, no other thing on earth will bring me comfort. It is God alone who restores the soul.
2. He leads me in "paths of righteousness, for His name's sake". The paths we walk are ordained by our Father. They are not meaningless paths, but by our walking them, His name is glorified.