The Blessings of Our Trials

Does everything at times seem to go awry? You can be sure it’s just the “old man”! There’s nothing you know you did intentionally wrong but for some reason the bottom has dropped out, and for now your left feeling empty, with no desire for anything—even eating; and this uneasiness is something that feels like nothing else!

For the believer, it’s just a test for exercising your faith in Christ, that all is still “well with your soul,” and so now you just have to ride it out until it passes. By riding it out I mean putting it all on the Father and continue trusting that He is still using everything for “our good” (Ro 8:28), and that He hasn’t changed His mind concerning anything!

Again, it’s just another trial that you’re going through, which is part of all our trials that God uses to teach and guide us as to how bad the severity of our old man (sin nature) can be, which reveals the purity and holiness of how God’s nature is. One of many promises is certain, and that is that “God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1Co 10:13).

God’s means of “making a way” in order to endure it is wrapped up in 1Peter 5:7, which says “Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.” “All our care,” not cares, but as in a single package—the good and the bad. This is exactly what our trials are for, always entrusting God with everything. He knows all we want is to please Him and He makes certain of that (Phl 2:13). Thus three is nothing which we are to be “troubled” over (Jn 14:1, 27).

We can take our trials as tokens of glorifying God, showing Him that as nothing changes with His love for us, neither does ours when encountering the hardness we must endure for Him!

“Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh” (Pro 3:25).




With Much Love and Exhortation

NC
 
Hello netchaplain;

What a wonderful thread, The Blessings of Our Trials. I'm copying and sending to my wife tonight.

On January 1, 2023 I have been reading the Bible to her and then we discuss the passage read. I feel what you wrote is God's timing.


A lot has gone on in our lives since I got back from an overseas mission in Romania and Ukraine. We were hoping to rest during Thanksgiving and Christmas. But there were illnesses, family visiting for Christmas from Canada who experienced horrible flight cancellations, rebooked flight losing precious vacation time and luggage getting lost. Two church families had deaths in their families. I officiated a funeral early January and we lost a loved one in our home last Friday the 20th and this week a CFS member and close friend died yesterday.

It's like we got hit from all sides. As we were reading the Bible last night my wife is struggling with her sister's death. She was saved and a long time church member and trusted God. My wife cannot explain it but she wonders if His promises of salvation cover her sister who died last Friday. I don't know what to say to her. All I can do is listen but I feel it's not enough.

Since yesterday I began to feel weird and the Scriptures were falling short with us. Is this coming from God? No. I believe everything combined these last 7 or 8 weeks has taken us through a weary time along with grieving and mourning. Though we are trusting that God will get us through it, we cannot help but feel the "old man."

Right now there is so much to do. We're tired and even wake up tired. I tried to encourage my wife that we'll get through it, but we cannot do everything ourselves.

Your thread was definitely God's timing and I agree,
Bob.

Your thoughts?
Please keep us in prayer.

God bless
you, brother, and your family.
 
trial the testing of our faith think it not strange of the trials .. Job come forth like gold in the end got double for his trouble.

there is not a person that is not going through trials . our house has them job that is sloww trying to pastor a church and stay out of the way. let God build it . you pray often times through the day and night. you go over scriptures in your mind. you read study pray.

when Jesus said in me you will have peace . in this word you will have tribulation its tough i been doing battle since sept with my job.. a bro in the Lord owner operator of a big truck.. break downs comes off the road, gets truck fixed then cant get a load out for several days.

they attend the Church i pastor they are faithful in giving to the Church.. i think we all should be honest sometimes we just sit back and scratch our head this world we live in is turbulent and we all just have just enough OIL to take care of us. Job said he got by the skin of his teeth . i think we all can relate


Since yesterday I began to feel weird and the Scriptures were falling short with us. Is this coming from God? No. I believe everything combined these last 7 or 8 weeks has taken us through a weary time along with grieving and mourning. Though we are trusting that God will get us through it, we cannot help but feel the "old man."

glad to read i am not the only one brother. i dipped into my 4o1k pay our car off to lighten the Lord . uncle same got his part also. it never ends . i keep looking up looking for victory . i am sure glad God grades on Grace instead of a actual grade .. i would be in bad shape His grace is sufficient.. but have we full allowed this to digest into our spirit man..
 
trial the testing of our faith think it not strange of the trials .. Job come forth like gold in the end got double for his trouble. there is not a person that is not going through trials . trying to pastor a church and stay out of the way. let God build it . you pray often times through the day and night. you go over scriptures in your mind. you read study pray. when Jesus said in me you will have peace . in this word you will have tribulation its tough i been doing battle since sept with my job.. it never ends . i keep looking up looking for victory . i am sure glad God grades on Grace instead of a actual grade .. i would be in bad shape His grace is sufficient.. but have we full allowed this to digest into our spirit man..
i can relate

Hey brother forgiven;

What you shared, perseverance and resilience comes to mind. It is from the Lord but it doesn't come easy. I tend to want it all to smooth out at the same time but it doesn't work that way either. There also has to be lessons learned (God building us up no matter who we are in Christ.)

God bless you, Pastor, and thank you for your insight and experience.
 
Hello netchaplain;

What a wonderful thread, The Blessings of Our Trials. I'm copying and sending to my wife tonight.

On January 1, 2023 I have been reading the Bible to her and then we discuss the passage read. I feel what you wrote is God's timing.


A lot has gone on in our lives since I got back from an overseas mission in Romania and Ukraine. We were hoping to rest during Thanksgiving and Christmas. But there were illnesses, family visiting for Christmas from Canada who experienced horrible flight cancellations, rebooked flight losing precious vacation time and luggage getting lost. Two church families had deaths in their families. I officiated a funeral early January and we lost a loved one in our home last Friday the 20th and this week a CFS member and close friend died yesterday.

It's like we got hit from all sides. As we were reading the Bible last night my wife is struggling with her sister's death. She was saved and a long time church member and trusted God. My wife cannot explain it but she wonders if His promises of salvation cover her sister who died last Friday. I don't know what to say to her. All I can do is listen but I feel it's not enough.

Since yesterday I began to feel weird and the Scriptures were falling short with us. Is this coming from God? No. I believe everything combined these last 7 or 8 weeks has taken us through a weary time along with grieving and mourning. Though we are trusting that God will get us through it, we cannot help but feel the "old man."

Right now there is so much to do. We're tired and even wake up tired. I tried to encourage my wife that we'll get through it, but we cannot do everything ourselves.

Your thread was definitely God's timing and I agree,
Bob.

Your thoughts?
Please keep us in prayer.

God bless
you, brother, and your family.
Hi Bob, and thank you for sharing your needs! You know, it isn't what we think we need but what God knows we need--and He is always providing, even if we think there are times He isn't. It's what He wants us to know and have while we are learning; and He always "makes a way of escape so we are able to bear it," and of course receive what we are to learn from the trials.

God bless Brother!
 
Sometimes I think instead of humans we are more like guinea pigs when we go through 'trials'.

Gods testing us that we are human and not robots...! The thing with humans is we feel emotions and pain and suffering and if you hurt us we cry and bleed. I bet Satan still has that wager going on with God seeing how much we humans can take. But if we are saved we can handle anything - it doesn't mean we never go through trials.

Didn't Jacob wrestle with the angel/the Lord and he dislocated his hipbone but he never would have got the blessing if he hadn't taken on God. Didn't he say I will not let you go until you bless me?

If we're already blessed and didn't know it, I suppose we wouldn't need God. It can be disconcerting to go from us being the centre of the universe (humanistic egotistical viewpoint) to humbling ourselves and acknowledging that God is in charge of it all. But if we love God it's all going to work together for our good anyway...even in the lowest moments, every valley must have a hill right?
 
James 1:2-4 (NASB)
2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces  endurance.
4 And let  endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be  perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.


Please Note:

The joy is not because we materially have a need fulfilled but that we are made complete and lacking nothing.

The result is that our need my be fulfilled by our endurance alone. I may still have those that oppose me, but the Lord has strengthened my heart to withstand their derision.

The same with other trials. He may or may not take the trial away, but we will be strengthened by the experience IF we submitt it (and its resolution) to the Lord.
 
James 1:2-4 (NASB) 2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces  endurance. 4 And let  endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be  perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Please Note: The joy is not because we materially have a need fulfilled but that we are made complete and lacking nothing. The result is that our need my be fulfilled by our endurance alone. I may still have those that oppose me, but the Lord has strengthened my heart to withstand their derision. The same with other trials. He may or may not take the trial away, but we will be strengthened by the experience IF we submitt it (and its resolution) to the Lord.

Hello Siloam;

Amen, I agree with your post. Unfortunately we define joy has being materially fulfilled. Throughout the Gospels God will supply all our needs but the receiver loses that happiness because of the responsibility of being a good steward that comes with receiving God's blessings.

In my own walk with Christ and witness of others, God grows and matures us spiritually. We cannot just order joy; it comes through endurance, perseverance through our trials that we attain joy. The light of our spiritual maturity makes us realize it isn't always a material blessing.

"Those that oppose me" is a good one. I also have my share. At first I wanted to be in accord with everyone but it always can't be that way. Again, God grows and matures us spiritually so we should not allow those to rob us of our joy.

God bless you, Siloam, and your whole family.
 
Sometimes I think instead of humans we are more like guinea pigs when we go through 'trials'.
Hi, and like all you commented! What the believer is going through is God's way of teaching getting us to go from growth to growth (glory to glory) in His Son (Eph 4:15). The testing isn't pass or fail but always an increase in Christ's image, for ever "works" this in us (Phl 2:13).

Thanks for the instructional reply, and God's blessings to your Family!
 
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