Trials are but opportunities to draw us closer to God. Why is it we shrink from them every single time? When we become uncomfortable with our circumstances we quickly need to find someone to blame and too often God gets the blame. We envision Him punishing us or allowing these difficulties just to wreak havoc on our lives. Then we begin to question our faith. Does God truly love us? After all, why would a loving God allow such pain, suffering, and hardships to come upon us?
In our humanness, we want security and comfort, and there is nothing wrong with that. But we often fail to realize that when things are relatively easy, we get a little too comfortable. “Happy” times do not have near the capacity to change us or draw us closer to God as do “unhappy” times. For reasons known only to God, it is primarily through the hardships and difficulties of life that our character is transformed. Think back on your own life. Although wonderful times may evoke a happy memory, have they really “changed” you for the better? Now think back at a hardship you have gone through. Maybe a difficult relationship tested you to the limit and caused you to seek after God as never before. Maybe you overcame a severe or debilitating illness that gave you a new perspective on life. These are the types of experiences that “grow” us into something larger. They cause us to leave our cozy comfort zones and go places we would not normally desire to go. Our human nature always wants the easy way, the best things, and the quickest routes. For example, we want great health yet often are unwilling to put forth the effort to exercise or eat healthfully. We want the best jobs earning the highest salaries, the newest technological gadgets and material possessions, and even the most satisfying relationships to make our lives relatively easy. We are living in an era of instant gratification. We also desire the quickest possible methods and steps to obtain the greatest results—30 minute meals, 30 minute workouts, 7 steps to a greater life. We frown at long lines in grocery stores and heaven forbid we get caught in a detour while in our vehicles. These little idiosyncrasies all add up to stressors that tip us over the edge!
While there is absolutely nothing wrong with desiring optimal health, nice things, and wonderful friendships, we must guard against becoming negative and faithless when things don’t seem to go the way we planned. The biggest tragedy could very well be allowing the unpleasant circumstances of our lives to cause us to lose our focus. Easier said than done, right? When things get out of balance in our lives we tend to obsess about what is not going right, and forget about all the things that are right. I myself am guilty! It usually takes several days of inward-centeredness before I realize that I am not doing myself any good whatsoever. In fact, inward focus only makes me feel worse. Not until I start to look outside of my little sphere and upward to God that I begin to feel any sense of peace. Then I wonder why it took me so long to focus on Him instead of myself.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1. This psalm tells us that God is with us in our troubles. He does not leave us to figure things out for ourselves. In Psalm 92, He promises to deliver us and honor us. But I do believe that He requires us to come to Him in childlike faith and stop being restless and fretful about all that concerns us. We must refuse to regard these trials as difficulties, but look at them as divine opportunities—opportunities to draw even closer to Jesus and grow into His likeness. It is only when God has deepened us, often through the struggles of life, that He can give us His deeper truths, His profoundest secrets, and His mightiest trusts. Jesus continually beckons us to come and rest in Him and He shall strengthen us. When we abandon ourselves to Him, we will receive the peace of Christ which surpasses all understanding.
I do believe that God uses our troubles to teach us valuable lessons. He teaches us about His faithfulness and goodness and asks us to trust that He will work all things for our good. A.B. Simpson said, “There are two ways of getting out of a trial. One is to simply try to get rid of it as quickly as possible and then be thankful when it is over. The other is to recognize the trial as a challenge from God to claim a larger blessing than we have ever had, and to hail it with delight as an opportunity of obtaining a larger measure of divine grace.” In other words, the very things that seem to be against us actually turn out to be for the furtherance of our way.
So, the next time you go through a testing of some kind, remember that now is the time for you to claim all of God’s promises and walk forward in faith and assurance that He is able to do immeasurably more than you can ever ask or imagine. Everything that concerns you concerns Him, and He promises to work all things out for your good.
Not always OUT of our troublous times,
And the struggles fierce and grim,
But IN—deeper IN—to our sure rest,
The place of our peace, In Him.
Annie Johnson Flint
In our humanness, we want security and comfort, and there is nothing wrong with that. But we often fail to realize that when things are relatively easy, we get a little too comfortable. “Happy” times do not have near the capacity to change us or draw us closer to God as do “unhappy” times. For reasons known only to God, it is primarily through the hardships and difficulties of life that our character is transformed. Think back on your own life. Although wonderful times may evoke a happy memory, have they really “changed” you for the better? Now think back at a hardship you have gone through. Maybe a difficult relationship tested you to the limit and caused you to seek after God as never before. Maybe you overcame a severe or debilitating illness that gave you a new perspective on life. These are the types of experiences that “grow” us into something larger. They cause us to leave our cozy comfort zones and go places we would not normally desire to go. Our human nature always wants the easy way, the best things, and the quickest routes. For example, we want great health yet often are unwilling to put forth the effort to exercise or eat healthfully. We want the best jobs earning the highest salaries, the newest technological gadgets and material possessions, and even the most satisfying relationships to make our lives relatively easy. We are living in an era of instant gratification. We also desire the quickest possible methods and steps to obtain the greatest results—30 minute meals, 30 minute workouts, 7 steps to a greater life. We frown at long lines in grocery stores and heaven forbid we get caught in a detour while in our vehicles. These little idiosyncrasies all add up to stressors that tip us over the edge!
While there is absolutely nothing wrong with desiring optimal health, nice things, and wonderful friendships, we must guard against becoming negative and faithless when things don’t seem to go the way we planned. The biggest tragedy could very well be allowing the unpleasant circumstances of our lives to cause us to lose our focus. Easier said than done, right? When things get out of balance in our lives we tend to obsess about what is not going right, and forget about all the things that are right. I myself am guilty! It usually takes several days of inward-centeredness before I realize that I am not doing myself any good whatsoever. In fact, inward focus only makes me feel worse. Not until I start to look outside of my little sphere and upward to God that I begin to feel any sense of peace. Then I wonder why it took me so long to focus on Him instead of myself.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1. This psalm tells us that God is with us in our troubles. He does not leave us to figure things out for ourselves. In Psalm 92, He promises to deliver us and honor us. But I do believe that He requires us to come to Him in childlike faith and stop being restless and fretful about all that concerns us. We must refuse to regard these trials as difficulties, but look at them as divine opportunities—opportunities to draw even closer to Jesus and grow into His likeness. It is only when God has deepened us, often through the struggles of life, that He can give us His deeper truths, His profoundest secrets, and His mightiest trusts. Jesus continually beckons us to come and rest in Him and He shall strengthen us. When we abandon ourselves to Him, we will receive the peace of Christ which surpasses all understanding.
I do believe that God uses our troubles to teach us valuable lessons. He teaches us about His faithfulness and goodness and asks us to trust that He will work all things for our good. A.B. Simpson said, “There are two ways of getting out of a trial. One is to simply try to get rid of it as quickly as possible and then be thankful when it is over. The other is to recognize the trial as a challenge from God to claim a larger blessing than we have ever had, and to hail it with delight as an opportunity of obtaining a larger measure of divine grace.” In other words, the very things that seem to be against us actually turn out to be for the furtherance of our way.
So, the next time you go through a testing of some kind, remember that now is the time for you to claim all of God’s promises and walk forward in faith and assurance that He is able to do immeasurably more than you can ever ask or imagine. Everything that concerns you concerns Him, and He promises to work all things out for your good.
Not always OUT of our troublous times,
And the struggles fierce and grim,
But IN—deeper IN—to our sure rest,
The place of our peace, In Him.
Annie Johnson Flint
My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in your weakness. 2 Cor 12:9
The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. Psalm 138:8
In repentance and rest is our salvation; in quietness and trust is our strength. Isaiah 30:15
Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall. Psalm 55:22
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3
The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. Psalm 138:8
In repentance and rest is our salvation; in quietness and trust is our strength. Isaiah 30:15
Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall. Psalm 55:22
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3
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