Trials Teach Us What We Are

"Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of."  -Charles Spurgeon

The testing or trials we go through present themselves in different ways. For Christians, it will often require us to step out of our comfort zones and into uncertain territory.

In the Bible, James wrote, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds" (James 1:2). He was trying to stress that only by pressing through such tests brings us to spiritual maturity and completeness. After all, what normal person would look forward to going through life's adversities!

"Tests of faith" can arrive in the small economy size, or the extra-large, super-size. They vary in length of duration, as well. Some come in the form of affliction as mentioned in Isaiah 48:10, or attacks from Satan as in Job 2:7. No matter the origin of the trials, it is beneficial to us to experience whatever God allows.

Believe it, or not, there are "positive" results that occur because of our trials. It's true! The Psalmist compares our testing to being refined like silver (Psalm 66:10). Even Peter talks about our faith as "of greater worth than gold," and that's the reason we "suffer grief in all kinds of trials" (1 Peter 1:6-7).

You see, in testing our faith God causes us to grow into strong disciples who truly live by faith and not by what is seen (2 Corinthians 5:7). Undergoing the storms of life causes us to put down deeper roots into God's word. This in turn enables us to cling tightly to His promises so that we are able to weather any "storms of life" that may come our way.

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:10; Romans 12:12; John 16:33; Exodus 14:14; Proverbs 3:5-6

Prayer: O Lord, we call upon You in our time of sorrow, That You give us the strength and will to bear our heavy burdens, until we can again feel the warmth and love of Your divine compassion. Be mindful of us and have mercy on us while we struggle to comprehend life's hardships. Keep us ever in Your watch, til we can walk again with light hearts and renewed spirits. Amen

God bless you!

Tamara