Dwight Fletcher | God is working it out - Pt 2

TRIALS ARE TOOLS IN GOD’S HANDS

Last week, we meditated on James 1:2-4, which starts with “ Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds…”. As I was thinking about it, it struck me that most people count it all joy when they escape trials, not when they face them.

Yet, James said to count it all joy in the midst of trials, because it is a good and progressive tool in God’s hands. This perspective makes the difference. We are not joyful for the trials; they can be painful, frightening, and distressing. Still, we find joy in the trials, because we know that on the other side, our character will be stronger. God is up to something good. He’s shaping us and leading us along the path to our destiny.

Look at what Hebrews 12:2 says about Jesus and one of His trials – the cross: “ Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” The joy set before Christ was our salvation and liberty from the penalty of sin. He knew that going to the cross would free those of us who believe in Him, and that He would return to heaven. Though it was hard, He did not focus on what was immediately before Him, but He, instead, looked to the future.

Be encouraged that every possible trial in the life of the believer is a masterpiece of strategy in the Lord’s hands. As Romans 8:28 says, “ And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” God is working it out.

Also, be encouraged that everyone experiences trials. James 1:2 did not say, “… if you face trials…” but “…whenever you face trials of many kinds…” No person and no generation is exempt. The Christian is not exempt any more than the unbeliever. The difference between the Christian and the non-Christian should be the perspective. When going through a time of trial, we can either face it with an attitude of faith or an attitude of fear.

Finally, be encouraged that trials vary, but are temporary. All kinds of experiences will come our way, but they are not here to stay. There will be the test of the sorrows and the disappointments, which seek to take our faith away. There will be the test of the seductions, which seek to lure us from the right way. There will be the tests of the dangers, the sacrifices, the unpopularity which are a part of the Christian walk. In them all, God is using it to build us up. Remember, when you go through trials God is not punishing you, failing you or abandoning you. In fact, Jesus has promised: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

So, when we face our trials, we must remember that they are not meant to make us fall; they are meant to make us soar. They are not meant to defeat us; they are meant to be defeated. They are not meant to make us weaker; they are meant to make us stronger.

Therefore, we should not bemoan them; we should rejoice in them. The Christian is like an athlete. The heavier the course of training he undergoes, the more he is glad, because he knows that it is making him all the better for a victorious result.