TRIALS

One of the most challenging questions Christians face is: "Why do God's people face trials?" The goal of this study is, through God's word, sort out and try to answer this difficult question.


WHY GOD ALLOWS TRIALS
It is impossible to always know the exact circumstances that cause the trials we face. When Job was suffering through all his trials, his friends were convinced that it was because of some sin in his life. They later found out that this wasn't the case at all but that God had a greater purpose behind his suffering. The same is true with us today. We can't say, "I'm going through this trial because I lied to Aunt Edna when I was seven years old," we need to understand that there is a God in heaven that can see the beginning as clearly as He sees the end and that He has a plan for our lives that we can't always see.
As I said, we can't always tell WHAT causes the trials we face but there are a number of reasons WHY God allows us to go through them. Some of those reasons are:

TO STRENGTHEN US
"And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." The Apostle Paul { 2 Corinthians 12:7-9}

In these verses, Paul is telling us about some inflection that has come upon him. He prayed that it would go away but God said no. Here is an example of God having a greater plan. Because of this trial, Paul was totaly dependent on God. And through his trial what he discovered was that God was able to carry him through life.

There is a danger in thinking that we are self-sufficent. We have money, health, friends, no major problems and soon we forget about God. So sometimes he needs to allow some trouble in our lives to remind us who is really providing for us. And it's in these times when we are weak that He reveals to us how strong He is.

Trials are a constant in life -- that never changes. What changes is our ability to deal with these trials. By allowing trials and then revealing His ability to help us through them, we learn that our strength is in Him. If God is with us, who can be against us? No one.

AS A RESULT OF SIN
"But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; And be sure your sin will find you out." {Numbers 32:23}

The Bible wasn't written so that God could take away all our fun. He wrote the Bible to protect us against the things that could harm us. For example, when He said, "don't give in to drunkenness," He said that because He knows the danger of alcoholism. And so, when we do what we are told not to do, trials arise in our lives as a result. Thankfully, if we confess our sins then the Lord is faithful and just to forgive them.

FOR CHASTISEMENT
"My, son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives."

"Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have trained by it." {Hebrews 12:5-6,11}

The two words you may have trouble with here are "chastening" and "scourges". "Chastening" means a disiciplinary action and "scrourges" means a spanking (the way a parent would spank a child who was bad).

As much as we may hate this, God sometimes has to "spank" us. He tells us not to do something, we do it anyway, and we are punished just like parents punish their children. The important thing to remember here is, like any good parent, God is doing this to teach us right from wrong. And there is a penalty for doing what is wrong. The end result of this is a peaceful life because you are able to recognize what is good for you and what will lead to trouble.

REVEALING GOD'S GRACE AND COMFORT
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort others who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." {2 Corinthians 1:3-4}

"The God of all comfort". What a wonderful description of our Lord! I guess "comfort" is the word I would use to describe the feeling I get when I have a problem and pray about it and God answers that prayer. Or when I read His Word and I discover that, "all things work together for the good of those who love God". I realize that I belong to Him and nothing can ever change that. I realize that there is a plan in progress designed to make me more like Him. I realize that everything will be alright.

Not even death can defeat us because to die is gain. Because when we die Jesus will be in heaven waiting for us to wipe away every tear from our eyes. There truly is nothing in this world that can defeat us. We can get hit hard sometimes but we can't be defeated because our future is in heaven with God.

HEAVENLY REASONS
"Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him." {John 9:1-3}

There is a guy at my church that is being treated for cancer. He tells people that this has taught him about God's strength and ability to deliver him and his family through any crises. He tells about how God's grace and comfort is being revealed -- everything that I talked about above -- this man is living. Through this man people are seeing God's work in action. They are seeing that knowing God isn't just some talk but a relationship that doesn't end when things get rough. Here is a man who sins like you or I but through him God is being glorified. Amazing.

A TESTING OF OUR FAITH
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." {James 1:2-3}

The word "testing" is better translated as "prove" and "patience" can be translated as "perseverance". So you can read this as "trials prove your perseverance".

In other words sometimes trials are sent to prove to us (proves to us because God already knows) that our relationship with God is real and that we aren't going to abandon Him at the first sign of trouble.

That doesn't mean we won't have doubt because we are human and there are times when we will. But what we are proving is that we trust Him. When this happens He reveals His strength, comfort, grace, and love, and we develop a peresrverance. With this perserverance we don't have to rely on drugs or alcohol or suicide to deal with our trials but we can turn to our Lord who takes bad situations and uses them to show His love. As I said before, when God is with us who can be against us.

HOW TO DEAL WITH TRIALS
When you face a trial make sure you are praying and ask that God will give you wisdom to make the right decisions so that you go where He is leading you. Remember that you can cast your cares upon Him and He will help you.

I want you to understand that I am not trying to make light of the trials you are facing. I myself have faced trials, am facing trails, and will continue to face trials. I am not trying to divide all your problems into simple catagories either.

What I am trying to do is show you that there is something bigger going on when you are facing trials. God isn't beating up on you, He has a plan. I can't say I always understand His plan.. why people I love suffer or die or why things are hard. I can't say that. I can say that I am learning the things I told you about above, however.

I think that when we get to heaven Jesus will sit down with each of us and explain every event that has happen in our lives and why He allowed it to happen and then -- finally -- everything will make sense to us.