trials Archives - Page 6 of 7 - Daily Thoughts about God

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:12–13

I grieved for the hardship I faced, yet as I helped prepare the charity event, I was filled with peace. Some people who’d never normally step foot in a church would come to this event and be exposed to living testimonies of how God worked in people’s lives. That’s what I had to focus on. Slowly, joy returned — the supernatural kind since my circumstances had not changed. Tears flowed, but my heart was content.

Often times, scripture verses appear out of context on social media which portray the goodness of God. They can leave the impression that being blessed is all Jesus’ message boils down to. But the truth is, life is hard, and though God has a good plan for us, His word clearly lets us know it won’t be all roses and blue skies.

Yet, God has a provision prepared for us to help us endure through the hardships. He has supernatural joy for our souls. We can receive it by reminding ourselves of the cause we are standing for and the choice we have made.

If you are going through hardship, take heart. You are not alone my sister, my brother. There are faithful people around you that can relate and help you through it. All the while, God is working miracles in you and through you.

From ashes to beauty is what He promises.

*My Lord, my God. My heart aches and my soul is crushed. I want to keep on running this race of faith. Send me people to share this with, and help me to be aware of your goodness in the midst of trials. Help me recognize the joy and honor to participate in the sufferings of Christ. Amen. *

By Caroline Bellemare
Used by Permission

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“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,” 1 Peter 1:6-7

God is always at work in our lives. Even during seasons of adversity, He wants to accomplish something powerful and good. How should this knowledge affect our response? Today’s passage teaches us to choose to rejoice during difficult times. This doesn’t mean we have to be happy about the hardship itself. Instead, joy comes from drawing close to the Lord and believing steadfastly that through His redemptive power, He is growing and preparing us. If your usual response to trials is anxiety, anger, or depression, the idea of having joy in the midst of a negative situation might not seem logical. However, if you look beneath the surface, you will discover that this biblical directive makes sense for several reasons.

Often, our natural reaction to pain is to run in the opposite direction, and as fast as possible. However, God wants to teach us endurance–much like a long-distance runner builds up strength in training–so that we can fully benefit from what He is doing in our hearts. He uses trials as a refining fire to purify us like gold and bring us to greater spiritual maturity. As we realize that we are actually being made more complete through our adversities, we’ll begin to face challenging times with confidence that He always
has our best interest in mind.

While a worldly viewpoint sees hope and joy in the midst of dark times as naïve, a spiritual perspective discerns that we’re really progressing on a journey toward life at its fullest. We can be filled with supernatural joy, knowing that the Lord is making us into world-changing spiritual warriors.

By Dr. Charles Stanley
Used by Permission
http://www.intouch.org/