Blessed is the man who perseveres under trials, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
James 1: 12 (NIV)
Scripture: 1 Peter 1: 3
Even though we would rather take a pass, trials are a fact of life. God uses trials to shape our character and grow our relationship with Him. This devotion looks at why we experience trials and what we can do when we do.
There are two things that we can be certain of in life – taxes and trials. Jesus clearly told us we would have trials: “Do not be afraid of anything you are about to suffer…” (Rev. 2: 10 TEV). Isn’t it comforting that He foretold our troubles?
Jesus knows exactly what we will be going through. He will be there right beside us. Not only that, Jesus knows what we will be going through. He has been through it Himself.
These trials can take many different forms. They can be health-related, job-related, relationship-related … [insert the type of trial you are going though now.]
Trials can last hours, days, months or even years. They aren’t fun when they happen. But we will experience them, and we have to hang in there.
Sometimes, these trials are the Lord’s way of chastising us. Let’s face it, folks. Sometimes we screw up. It’s second nature for us to sin.
Trials are one of God’s ways of shaping us up. But even though God is getting us in line, He still loves us: “… don’t be angry when the Lord punishes you. Don’t be discouraged when he has to show you where you are wrong. For when he punishes you, it proves that he loves you. When he whips you it proves you are really his child” (Heb. 12: 5-6 LB). The Heavenly Father has to correct His children.
Other times, God may just be using the trials to strengthen our relationship with Him. Let’s face it, when things are going good, it is easy to forget about Him. We think we are in control of our lives and that we are the ones who are responsible for our successes.
God may just be using the trials to show how dependent we are on Him. When things get tough is when we turn to Him. Okay, we do, at times, expect Him to fix things right away, but He may have a better plan for us.
It bites, though, when we can’t determine why we are having these trials. If we did everything right, why are our worlds falling down around us?
We shouldn’t really worry about being able to figure out why we are having the trials. I know, I shuddered to type that sentence. I don’t know about you, but it helps me to process when I know the “why” behind things.
We tend to look at the I-did-this-so-this-is-the-consequence. That focuses the trials on us and this world.
We need to look at the heavenly application. I knew I was going through my spiritual tornado because I needed to face my fears. I had to KNOW that God would provide for me, especially when I couldn’t provide for myself. He was also proving to all three of us (God, Satan, and me) that I would not deny Him when things got rough.
Most trials, it seems, are our sinful nature against our spiritual nature. Again, the Bible says, “For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies – the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world” (Eph. 6: 12 LB).
Satan is trying to win all the battles that he can. In order to do that, he has to make life difficult for us. If we weren’t followers of Christ, we would already belong to Satan, and he wouldn’t have to work on us.
But as followers of Christ, we do not belong to Satan. In order to counteract that (and in an attempt to destroy our witness), here he comes, throwing troubles our way. It may just be an attempt to get us to deny God. Don’t give in!
Jesus also suffered trials. He was tempted like we are. But He overcame, and we can too. We just have to hang in there and look to Him for guidance. He will bring us through the trials and reward us. “And this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble” (II Cor. 4: 17 TEV). The Bible plainly says we have nothing on earth that will compare to what God is preparing for us in heaven (I Cor. 2: 9).
Remember, Jesus is waiting to help you through these rough spots. Keep your eyes on Him, and He will lead you along. Then you, too, will be able to say: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day …” (II Tim. 4: 7-8 NIV).
We are going to have trials. Process it to see if God is telling you the “why” behind them. If He does, work on fixing what needs fixed. If He doesn’t, let go and know He is control of the plan for your life. He has got you on this.
Loving Heavenly Father. Today the cares of life surround us. We feel like we are sinking under the load of worry, uncertainty and sorrow we are experiencing. We are constantly asking ourselves, “Why are these things happening to us?” Lord, they are happening to us because they are part of Your plan for our lives. We look to You, Lord, for stability and constancy in these troubling times. We know You will shelter us and draw us close to You. We know that You will use these trials to grow our relationship with You by showing us areas that must be addressed. We look forward to resting peacefully in Your arms again. Amen.
What do you think? In your experience, what is the main reason people experience trials? Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
If you have not signed up for the email providing the link to the daily devotion and the monthly newsletter, do so below.
If God has used this devotion to speak with you, consider sharing it on social media.