Trials by Faith

1 Peter 1:7

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

It says in the Bible we will have trials, after all we are living in a world that doesn’t follow GOD. It doesn’t say that GOD gives us these trials, no these trials have either been brought on by our own foolish mistakes, other people, or the devil.  To believe that GOD gave us these trials, that’s a trick of the enemy, in the Amplified Bible in John 10:10 Jesus said, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].”  

Jesus told us we would have struggles and tribulations [Tribulations: thilipsis (Greek word used) means Pressure, oppression, stress, anguish, tribulation, adversity, affliction, crushing, squashing, squeezing, distress. My Bible refers to this word as spiritual bench-pressing and is also used in reference to crushing grapes or olives in a press]in this world, but HE also told us to “be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) It doesn’t seem natural to be of good cheer while going through a storm does it? But when you have GOD with you, the storm doesn’t seem so big, you have his peace, comfort and strength, so you feel a lot more like David standing against Goliath with just a sling shot in your hand, completely confident that you can take down that giant (trial, storm, tribulation) !!

When you’re going through a trial you have a choice, you can stop right there and stay in it or you can give it to GOD. Giving it to GOD is when you use your faith, it’s much easier to sit in the midst of your storm and feel sorry for yourself, wonder why this is happening to you or even point fingers at others and say you don’t deserve it. But that whole time you’re not getting anywhere, it’s like spinning your wheels.

BUT if you stand up and say, “God, I don’t know what’s going on, but I do know you GOD, and you didn’t do this to me, so even though I’m scared and unsure, I’m going to put my trust in you GOD, take this faith of mine and strengthen it Lord so I can make it through this and bring you glory”. If you take that first step of faith, God will lead you out of the storm. I’m not saying the storms going to stop right then and there, no, I’m just saying HE will be with you and when HE’s with you, though the wind may blow and howl and the walls fall down around you, you can have a peace and a joy that this world can never give you. 

When you get to the other side of the storm, you will have increased your faith and strength in GOD. Write down that experience (or even better, share it with someone, be an encourager to someone else going through their storm), write down how you were scared at first, but when you asked for GOD to help you, HE was there (HE was there with you the whole time, before you even asked, HE was just waiting on you) and how you got to the other side. By writing it down, you have a way to look back and see that GOD got you through and how much stronger you are now!