I have read that some people do not believe that our trials are personal. I would say that every bit of tribulation I ever experienced was very personal to say the least. Some were short-lived, some seemed to last for an eternity; but they have all come to me as a very personal experience, impacting me in spirit, soul, and body.
The blessing of trials for the authentic Believer is that the Trinity of God within us walks with us, in us, and through us during each one of them. We can whine and complain about them, ask for prayer from our prayer warriors when we experience one, and/or hear from God about how to victoriously endure them all.
The key to endurance is to look for the seed for a miracle that God plants in each one of them. When we keep our focus on God and not on our circumstances, He is able to work in us and through us during each mishap and blessing in our life. Our testimony to the world around us is more authentic when they see us continually trusting God with our whole heart (Proverbs 3:5-6).
A man in Jesus’ day was born blind, and Jesus told His disciples that this man endured this trial so that the glory of God could be revealed through his circumstances and ultimate healing (John 9:1-3). I have lost count of the number of trials in my life through which God received similar glory.
When we change our focus about trials, they no longer devastate us. They may be life-changing, but our positive attitude is a real blessing to those around us, as well as it changes our perspective and our focus about these issues.
God allows trials in our life to draw us closer to Him, and He never, ever lets us go. He clings to us, matures our faith, and strengthens us though them all. They impact our emotional existence, mental maturity, and spiritual sensibilities. God is always in control.
Prayer:
Father God, thank You for Your intimate presence in us, which enables us to live as victors over, rather than victims of our issues in life. Your sovereign control over these circumstances reminds us that You make all things beautiful in Your way and in Your time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
You often withhold blessings from us that we desire, because this teaches us to trust You with our whole heart, to allow patience to do her perfect work in us (James 1:4), and to be a testimony to others in our life, as well as to us. You call us to enter Your rest (Hebrews 4:3), so that we can peacefully and joyfully experience every negative issue that we encounter. We give You all the praise and glory for the outcome of every situation.
Thought for the Day:
God’s purposes in our life, even negative circumstances, are for our ultimate good, because God is love; our focus on the events in our life influence our thoughts and feelings, as well as our choices; trials come for our benefit or for our downfall depending on our attitude and the strength of our trust in God, and the choice is always ours to make.
- 1 John 4:8,16
