Did you know that oysters have problems? Those little creatures get a foreign substance inside their shell that causes irritation. So what do they do with this problem? They secrete a chemical to deal with the irritant, and the final result is a valuable, costly pearl. Now, no one likes to have problems, we all have them. And as with the oyster, God wants us to look at problems differently. The Bible says in James 1, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance” (James 1:2-3). God wants to turn your problems into pearls. You have to make a choice: Will you allow this problem to make you bitter or better? There are pearls in your problems. Stay focused on the pearls, and you will be amazed at what God will do in response. Now that’s REAL HOPE.