Can Trials Be Good?
DECEMBER 13
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. James 1:3
One day a man felt sorry for his grandfather clock because it had a weight on it. The weight was always pulling on the clock. He said, “Oh, Mr. Clock, you’ve held this weight so long, I’m going to remove it and let you rest.”
The clock protested, saying, “Don’t take that weight from me. That’s what keeps me going.”
In the same way, the trials and tests of life are there for your endurance. Trials are there to keep you going, keep you trusting, keep you praying, and keep you depending upon God.
I don't care who you are, there will be trials. There will be oppression, misunderstanding and rejection. In fact, being a Christian today and staying true to the clear teaching of the Word of God in your convictions will bring on trials and persecution. These are a part of life, unavoidable, universal, inevitable. We all face them.
What we forget (or perhaps never understood) is that trials and temptation are necessary for us to grow. Faith, trust, obedience—they are all like a muscle that must be used or it will atrophy. Endurance increases when we go through our trials with faith in a loving God whose plan is at work to build your strength and endurance. The clouds you dread so much are big with mercy. But God wants to bless you. And somewhere, standing in those shadows, you will find Jesus.
How have your trials strengthened you and drawn you closer to God? Share that with someone who is experiencing a trial today.
For more from Love Worth Finding and Pastor Adrian Rogers, please visit www.lwf.org.
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