Tested and Tried

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord.

Primary Text

“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.” 2 Thessalonians 1v3-4 (NIV)

As believers we often face difficult and trying situations, for a number of reasons – as a result of our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus (John 15v18-20) or for righteousness sake (as we see in Joseph who was wrongfully accused after he refused to sleep with his master’s wife); sometimes for bad decisions we have made (like with David after he had an adulterous affair and killed a man); or for the mere fact that we are in world (the Lord Jesus haven said that in the world we would have tribulation – John 16v33). So indeed we know that we would have afflictions, Psalm 34v19 (AMP) says “Many evils confront the [consistently] righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Also 1 Peter 4v12-13,15 (AMP) says “Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange (unusual and alien to you and your position) were befalling you. But insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, rejoice, so that when His glory [full of radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may also rejoice with triumph [exultantly]. … But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or any sort of criminal, or as a mischief-maker (a meddler) in the affairs of others [infringing on their rights].” So we see that trials and afflictions would come, but the important thing is how we hold up during the afflictions and trials we go through. Do we begin to murmur and complain, as we the Israelites do a lot of times on their way to the promise land? Do we take the approach of Job’s wife and say curse God and die? Or can we be boasted of like the church of Thessalonica whose patience and faith grew in spite of the afflictions that they were going through? 1 Peter 1v7 (TLB) says “These trials are only to test your faith, to see whether or not it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests gold and purifies it – and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold; so if your faith remains strong after being tried in the test tube of fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day of His return.”

Prayer

Father we thank You and we bless Your holy name for the trying of our faith. We pray from 1 Peter 5v10-11 (AMP) that “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the dominion, (power, authority, rule) forever and ever. Amen (so be it).”