God helps us through life’s trials and is through life’s adversity that we are able to grow and give him glory.
Whether Christian or not, we face either temptations or trials. This was one of the curses of the Fall after Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were kicked out of the Garden (Gen. 3:18). Temptation and trial are a normal human experience. But the difference between the two is the source is different.
Temptation never comes from God because he never tempts anyone. God is full of loving kindness and is also patient and gracious. Temptation comes from Satan and our sinful nature. Temptation always leads us to sin.
However, trials do not lead to sin and lead us to glorify God (1 Pet. 4:16). God also uses trials to confirm if we will love and obey him (Deut. 8:2). This is not to say God does not know whether he loves him or not but he wants to grow our faith as we continue to obey him as we face many trials in this life. This is seen throughout Scripture as one after another faithful believer is put through trials to glorify God and increase their faith.
The character of a person ultimately manifests who we are. The Christian’s character reveals who Christ is. We grow in our character through various trials (Is. 48:10). Job exemplifies what it means to be a man of God. God was unsatisfied even though Job was blameless and upright because Job still had room to grow (Job 23:10).
“The only thing that walks back from the tomb with the mourners and refuses to be buried is the character. What a man is, survives him. It can never be buried” (J.C. Ryle).
God wants to prevent believers from being asleep but rather to grow passionate as we face trials. Often times Christians forget how we were saved and become ungrateful by taking God for granted. We tend to depart from our first love. We tend to go from loving to becoming mechanical. Even reading the Bible does not seem to stir excitement or passion for the Lord. In other words, the believer has lost their salt and flavor. So, God must act through love and discipline (Heb. 12:6). Discipline is done to restore the Christian through repentance.
God desires the Christian to experience victory through trials. God wants us to stand firm. When was the last time we overcame a trial by prayer and faith? Overcoming our trials is not easy (Hab. 1:2), but we are to still exalt in the Lord and rejoice in the God of our salvation for he is our strength (Hab. 3:17-19). Overcoming trials helps us to hate sin and grow in our love for Christ. God gives us a deeper understanding of our own sinfulness and the things which we need to be healed.
God’s trials provide us a chance to examine ourselves. Rather than dismissing trials that occur, we must seize the opportunity to gain insight into ourselves to grow. Instead of pointing the finger at others, we look at ourselves to lead us to repentance and maturity.
God’s trials lead us to be useful for his work and serve him faithfully. We all have different gifts that God gives to be used for his kingdom. Sometimes, we go through suffering to glorify God. Joseph went through suffering caused by his brothers when sold into slavery. But what his brothers meant for evil, God meant for good for his people.
God’s trials make heaven that much sweeter. God allows us to go through trials in this life to compare how much more sweet and glorious it is to be with God in heaven for eternity (Rom. 8:18).
More specifically, Christians suffer and go through trials because it is every believer’s calling. Jesus said we are called to suffer because it is our vocation. The Apostle Peter also wrote not to be surprised if we go through suffering as Christ did and overcame it. The Apostle Paul also wrote that he knows Christ through suffering (Phil. 3:10). Moreover, as Christians want to be more godly and holy in Christ, we will be persecuted (2 Tim. 3:12). Transformation of the heart by the gospel of Christ leads us to be more like our God and also inspired others to become like them. Therefore, when declaring the gospel of Christ to others we will face persecution and some coming to faith as we did by God’s grace.
Two important questions to ask ourselves:
- Can God really be trusted as we go through trials?
- God is hungry for his glory and thereby he does only what is righteous. We must see through the eyes of faith through trials, not emotion or circumstances. Trust in God leads us to put our faith at the forefront for he is good.
- Does God really love us in suffering?
- Romans 5:8. God never stops loving us.
- Romans 8:32. God did not even spare his own Son. There is no way we can doubt his love through our suffering.
How do we handle and go through our suffering well?
- Prayer.
- Prayer must not be ritualistic but communal. God is omniscient and omnipotent.
- Isaiah 37:15, 36
- Increase knowledge of God.
- We often fall in our trials because we depend on our own will rather than submitting to God’s will (Rom. 12:2).
- Reading, studying, and meditating on the Word will increase our knowledge of God and also lead to increased love and obedience.
Without the Bible, we cannot handle our temptations or overcome our trials.
“It’s not enough to have a Bible; it’s not enough to own a Bible; it’s not enough to have some general notions about what’s in the Bible. When Satan comes at you, you need to know the specific truth of Scripture that counters that temptation, or you will be a victim because he’ll strike you in your ignorance” (John MacArthur).
BIBLE COMMUNITY CHURCH 
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