Trials come to all of us. Rarely are they desired or invited, but since we live in a fallen world, these trials come.
When you are in a time of trials you are given some choices of how to endure them. You can focus on the pain and hardship, which is very real, or you can ask the Lord what He desires to do in you as you walk through it.
I was recently talking with someone who was going through a difficult time, and the trial that they were facing had gone on for close to two years. They were tired, confused, frustrated, and nearing a place of despair. Yet, as we talked together, we began to identify many deep-rooted issues that this trial had exposed. These issues were not recognized in their seasons of prosperity and peace. The trial exposed them because there was nothing to bring comfort or hiddenness to the wrong beliefs or attitudes. God was more concerned about their eternal health than their temporary relief from pain. In His infinite wisdom, He was allowing the pressure to extract the worthless areas as He preserved the precious.
…we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hhope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5
We are imperfect parents, but God is a perfect Father. As a mother of four, I remember many times shielding my children from pain and suffering. Sometimes, that was the right thing to do, but as they grew into their teens (and older), I had to learn to allow them to face and walk through trials so that they could grow in their endurance and character. It was hard and painful to watch, but I had to surrender them to the perfect parent — their Father in Heaven.
Trials will reveal the lies we believe, they reveal the compromises made, they reveal heart motives and attitudes, and they reveal unbelief and even sin.
We all have areas that we may not be conscious of until a trial comes. But our choice is to either give way to the wrong beliefs or to allow our faith and our lives to be transformed. Enduring hardship with absolute certainty that God sees, knows, and understands what you are facing (and what He intends to do about it) produces spiritual and emotional endurance. To recognize the areas of weaknesses and to then allow ourselves to overcome them produces character. But it is our choice— will we choose resentment or refinement?
If we choose refinement during times of trials then the end result will be HOPE! And hope in God does not disappoint.
Therefore, thus says the Lord [to Jeremiah], “If you repent [and give up this mistaken attitude of despair and self-pity], then I will restore you [to a state of inner peace] So that you may stand before Me [as My obedient representative]; And if you separate the precious from the worthless [examining yourself and cleansing your heart from unwarranted doubt concerning My faithfulness], You will become My spokesman.” Jeremiah 15:19AMP
In my trials, I have learned to ask God to extract the precious from the worthless. I am not perfect at this by any means because each new trial brings up new areas of revelation— such as fears or burdens that I am carrying that I need to surrender to God. But ask the Holy Spirit to search you and to do a good work in you when you face tribulations.
God is going deep into the hearts and lives of His sons and daughters in this hour. I personally believe that we are about to see a pouring out of His Spirit like never before seen— but I also know that we will need to know how to walk in His glory. I also know that we are in times of global tribulations— wars, rumors of war, extreme natural disasters, and exposures in leaders (church and governments). We live in a time when evil no longer hides but has become the new normal. This alone brings about tribulations for every believer in Yeshua. We must have endurance, proven character, and hope amid such things.
The trials that many of you are facing feel like having surgery without anesthesia. But God needs you to be awake and aware to do the deep work within you. He also gives great grace, mercy, and compassion as you go through the process. It is not to harm you but to strengthen you.
So, as young Mary said when being visited by the angel of the Lord, “Be it unto me according to your word (will).”
I will end this with the words of Paul,
Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with undying and incorruptible love.” Ephesians 6:24 AMP
Amen!
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This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Inscribe Ministries
Featured Image by Javier Allegue Barros on Unsplash
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