This too shall pass
Trials and difficult circumstances are difficult to bear and one comfort that many have come to share with friends assailed by trouble is the saying: “This too shall pass.” Though the possible origins of this saying are too many and varied to review in depth, one early reference comes from the Old English poem, Deor (c. a.d. 10th century).
In the poem, the ex-minstrel Deor laments recently losing his position of poet to the king. In his lament, he compares himself to a number of heroes from Anglo-Saxon folklore who experiences some trouble or other, always ending with the saying that Deor was hopeful would apply as well to his own present difficulty: “Þæs ofereode, þisses swa mæg!”—which paraphrases as something like “that was overcome, this may also be” or “that passed, so too may this.”
An adequate question for the believer to ask, though, is how biblical is the comfort found in the reminder that “This too shall pass.” Really we should be focusing on the promise of what awaits us who believe. Romans 5 reminds the believer that suffering produces hope for the kingdom of God; if we simply take heart in the temporary end of a given earthly trial, we are finding comfort in the wrong thing.
Sayings Not Found in Scripture
We often get questions by people asking us to locate various sayings in the Bible which do not exist. Many sayings have developed throughout the years by a variety of means. Scripture supports the purposes of some of the sayings while contradicting others.
Sayings
- Moderation in all things.
- Once saved, always saved.
- Better to cast your seed…
- Spare the rod, spoil the child.
- To thine ownself be true.
- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
- God helps those who help themselves.
- Money is the root of all evil.
- Cleanliness is next to godliness.
- This too shall pass.
- God works in mysterious ways.
- The eye is the window to the soul.
- The lion shall lay down with the lamb.
- Pride comes before the fall.
