Trials come. Not they might, not they could; trials do come. Trials hurt. But without a breaking, there will be no mending. We are weak and wretched, and like the gold the goldsmith works with, without the fire, there will be no purging, no cleansing, no strengthening, no shining. We would be kidding ourselves if we said we were not in need of sanctification. Many of us have prayed and asked God to reveal our sins to us and to set our hearts ablaze for Him alone, and the most likely way for Him to do this is to put us through the fire. My sinful heart leans on too many other things and people to help me "make it" in this world and I need Him to strip me of them so that I may clearly see that all my strength and supply is in Him alone. He does what is best for His children; He does what is neccesary to turn our hearts back to Him.
If you, like myself, have prayed for more faith, more trust in Him, and to be purged of your sins, I do believe He is answering our prayers. It would be easy on the flesh if we could just ask for those things, click our heels together and be perfected, sinless people, but that is not the way it works with God. I have seen that in my life over and over. Like my sweet friend told me once, "If God would have told me just how things were going to turn out, I suppose I would be happy, but I'd be no closer to Him." I think she hit the nail on the head. He's giving us a longing for home. Our true home- because He is there. If I were comfortable here, would I actually long for heaven as I do when I experience sinfulness and heartache in myself, my friends and family, and this world? He gives us trials for many reasons, and He clearly gives us the reasons in scripture.
1 Peter 1:6-9 states:
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (emphasis mine)
Well, it is necessary to be sanctified or we'll never be fit for heaven. So we can understand, these trials must come.
So, how then saints, can we rejoice in these afflictions? Well, they are making us more like Christ:
Romans 8:28-29 says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." (emphasis mine)
How else can we rejoice in these afflictions? Well, they are helping us to grasp the fact that God is all we have and all we need:
Habakkuk 3:17-18 says, "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord ; I will take joy in the God of my salvation." (emphasis mine)
We are afflicted, I am sure of it, but there are those who have lost even their very lives for the sake of Christ's name and His Kingdom. We do endure momentary afflictions and pains, but have we given our very breath, yet? We can call on God to execute justice on the unjust, but can we cry with the martyrs about the Lord avenging our blood?
Revelation 6:9-10 states, "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (emphasis mine)
No, I have not suffered to the point of shedding my blood. I mustn't forget that Christ promised afflictions, persecutions, trials, death to self...
Hebrews 12:3-8 says, "Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons." (emphasis mine)
But He also gives me hope in my discipline, I am a "son" and I am being treated as such! Praise the Lord, Thy Rod and Thy Staff-- they DO comfort me! (Psalm 23:4)
How else can we rejoice in discipline? I will close with the most glorious... Christ!
He is coming, He will return, He will avenge His children, He will scoop us up and take us home. Striving will cease, emnity will end, sin will be defeated along with death and our eyes will remain forever on Him and not on ourselves. Our hearts will rejoice in doing what they were made to do! Worship will be sweet and unending. Hold on Church, your King is Coming!
1 Peter 1:6-9 states:
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (emphasis mine)
Well, it is necessary to be sanctified or we'll never be fit for heaven. So we can understand, these trials must come.
So, how then saints, can we rejoice in these afflictions? Well, they are making us more like Christ:
Romans 8:28-29 says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." (emphasis mine)
How else can we rejoice in these afflictions? Well, they are helping us to grasp the fact that God is all we have and all we need:
Habakkuk 3:17-18 says, "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord ; I will take joy in the God of my salvation." (emphasis mine)
We are afflicted, I am sure of it, but there are those who have lost even their very lives for the sake of Christ's name and His Kingdom. We do endure momentary afflictions and pains, but have we given our very breath, yet? We can call on God to execute justice on the unjust, but can we cry with the martyrs about the Lord avenging our blood?
Revelation 6:9-10 states, "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (emphasis mine)
No, I have not suffered to the point of shedding my blood. I mustn't forget that Christ promised afflictions, persecutions, trials, death to self...
Hebrews 12:3-8 says, "Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons." (emphasis mine)
But He also gives me hope in my discipline, I am a "son" and I am being treated as such! Praise the Lord, Thy Rod and Thy Staff-- they DO comfort me! (Psalm 23:4)
How else can we rejoice in discipline? I will close with the most glorious... Christ!
He is coming, He will return, He will avenge His children, He will scoop us up and take us home. Striving will cease, emnity will end, sin will be defeated along with death and our eyes will remain forever on Him and not on ourselves. Our hearts will rejoice in doing what they were made to do! Worship will be sweet and unending. Hold on Church, your King is Coming!
