Dwight Fletcher | God is working it out

HAPPY MOTHER’S Day! As I was praying for the mothers, grandmothers, aunts and mother figures, God gave me a word for today. It comes from James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

One of the recurring thoughts that has been on my mind is how God is solving problems in our future by the problems we overcome today. Nothing that we experience is a waste to God. Even when our trials feel insurmountable and never-ending, God is working it out for our good.

Trials are always preparatory experiences. If you look at the passage above, James is saying that we should treat trials as a necessary part of life. God is not punishing you; God is preparing you. There is a reason for the trials. Every trial that finds its way into your life comes with intentional purpose. There is something coming in the future that you can only overcome if you develop the ability and the character now. Enduring today’s trial makes you into the person you need to be for what tomorrow will bring.

When you look at the “greats” in the scripture, all of them became great because of their trials. Consider David when he was facing Goliath. Goliath was challenging the Israelite army, but no one was willing to face him. David stepped up. 1 Samuel 17:34-37 (ERV) says, “But David said to Saul, “There were times when I was taking care of my father’s sheep that wild animals came to take some sheep from the flock. Once there was a lion and another time, a bear. I chased that wild animal, attacked it, and took the sheep from its mouth. The wild animal jumped on me, but I caught it by the fur under its mouth. And I hit it and killed it. I killed both a lion and a bear like that! And I will kill that foreigner, Goliath, just like them. Goliath will die because he made fun of the army of the living God. The Lord saved me from the lion and the bear. He will also save me from this Philistine.”

David is about 16 years old at this time and God has already been preparing him for the future. Various wild animals have attacked his flock; he has been exposed to danger, and there is an inherent hardship to his life as a shepherd isolated on the plains. But David does not complain. He does not lament. Instead, he takes these trials as part of life.

I want us to look at this through God’s lens. David is destined to be king, and Goliath is in David’s future as a stepping stone for David to walk into destiny. This was a turning point in his life, and God used previous trials to prepare him for this moment. David needed to grow in faith, and courage, so the Lord brought about trials that helped him mature. And because David submitted to this teaching from God, he was able to defeat Goliath and later become king of Israel. God was working it out for David, and He is working it out for you.

I may not know the trial you’re experiencing today, but be encouraged. This is preparation. Not only will you be blessed when you overcome, but your heritage – your children, your community – will be blessed because of you. So, don’t run from the trials. Allow God to expand your future when you face the trial today.