Paul told us to count trials as a joyous occasion, but he
did not say to be happy that we are suffering (James 1:2-8). When we patiently submit to
God’s will in our trials, however, and allow Him to replace our negative human
characteristics with the fruit of His Spirit, then we see His intended outcome
from our trials (1
Thessalonians 5:18). When we abide in the shelter of God’s wings, we
rejoice in the Lord’s perfecting work in our life (Psalm 91:4; Philippians 4:4).
As we rejoice in the Lord, we will not stress about the
problems, or strain over the issues we face. We will remain in the peace of
God, which transcends all human understanding (Philippians 4:7). Our absorption in the joy
of the Lord will eradicate much of the suffering of our trials. We actually
grow closer to God through each test, because He sustains us through them all
and increases our compassion for fellow sufferers.
Trials draw us closer to the triune God within us. We
count it all joy to be worthy to be included in the ranks of those who suffer
for the sake of the Gospel of Christ. Like Paul and Silas, we will sing God’s
praises through them (Acts
16:16-40). The God of creation, the God of salvation, the God of
eternity dwells within our spirit and affects our righteousness, peace and joy
as we abide in Him through our suffering (Romans 14:17; Galatians 5:25).
When we see God’s hand of salvation through our trials, we
gain more trust in His faithfulness and love. As we spend time alone with God,
we start to listen to His still, small voice and walk in His Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 1 Kings
19:11-13). This reduces the number of lessons, which we have to learn
the hard way. The more we learn from each particular trial, the fewer trials we
will have to endure in the future. We learn to abide in our tower of strength,
our Rock and our refuge, especially in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).
Prayer:
Father God, if we look anywhere but to You in times of
trouble, we will end up completely disappointed. If we trust in our own
resources in times of difficulty, we are doomed to discontentment and despair.
It often takes You longer to deliver us from the negative circumstances in our
life than we expect or desire; however, the closer we walk with You through
them, the quicker we learn our lessons, the sooner Your work is done in our soul
– our thoughts, choices and emotions – and the closer we grow in our union with
You. Thank You for being our God in the valleys, as well as on the mountaintop (Psalm 23).
Thought for the Day:
It is so much better to trust in the Lord than to put our
confidence in people, places and things. - Micah 7:5; Psalm 118:5,8
