Trials

Question: Do you believe this statement; “More success is accomplished through trials and struggles than through laughter and joy”?  I wish I could remember who said this.

You may not agree with this but the fastest growing and more vibrant churches are the ones that suffer heavy persecution, trials and testing.  I think the fastest growing church in the world today is in China where Emperor Mao Tse-tung said that he would destroy the church; but look what happened now, he is dead and the church is well and thriving and from what I understand there is a great revival taking place there, praise God!  I realize that there are many believers in the United States that don’t want to hear this kind of message but let’s face it and be honest about this, the Lord never promised us a rose garden but He did say that He would never leave us or forsake us, in fact He said this in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Even in our most fearsome struggles, the Lord will not abandon us and even in the midst of it all we can have His peace, love and joy because we are connected to Him, He is our Lord and Savior.  Read what it says in James 1:1-2, “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations..”

Here diverse temptations refer to trials and testing.  When we face hardships, we can turn them into times of learning and growing in our walk with the Lord depending on our perspectives when we face them.  God is always trying to teach us something and ultimately make us more like Him in the end.  Read what verses 3-4 say, “..for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

I write about this subject at times not to discourage anyone but quite the opposite, to encourage all true believers.  Let’s face it, all of us love what many call the mountaintop experiences where everything seems to go well and we have very minimal difficulties, or problems, where we experience God’s presence and our prayers seem to be answered much more frequently.  

This brings to mind a cloud all by itself not bumping into any other cloud and not pouring down rain, just floating through the air blissfully without a care in the world.  If this is what clouds did all the time, where would our water come from and how would the vegetation or animals exist, or, for that matter, how would we live and function?  There would be no life to inhabit the earth because every living thing needs water to exist.  Eventually clouds do what they were intended to do and we receive the water that is needed to sustain life.  

Sometimes we experience what many call valley experiences, or dry times.  I think these things happen to help us to see how dependent we are, and should be, on God.  If we never had any problems, how would we know that God could or would solve them?  Problems can even show us what is really going on in our hearts and what kind of faith we really have and whether we really trust God or not.  I have been known to say this, “When you can praise the Lord as much in the valley as you do on the mountaintop then there will never be any valleys.”  So remember trials and tests are there for our growth not just to hinder and hurt us, it all depends on our perspectives at the time we are facing them.  I have given you something to think about and I hope this message has encouraged you.  May the good Lord bless you and yours and may you have a super, super day!!