JOYFUL IN TRIALS
”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.“
Gold goes through fire to be purified. If the gold is low grade ore, it breaks into smaller chunks, and if it is a higher grade, it endures the high temperature.
God does the same with our faith, testing it through tribulations that we may see what it is made of, take a good look at our steadfastness and trust in what we saw, heard and handled in this Gospel ().
I often labor to emphasize that God is not an author of evil, satan is. He does however turn what the enemy means for evil, for good.
It becomes challenging to invite you higher when as a child of God, you sincerely believe God has inflicted sorrow upon you. That is not the nature of your Father. Jeremiah writes: He does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow.
Child of God, keeping a posture of joy in tribulations is not a call to disregard your emotions or go through life as one without feelings. On the contrary, it is an invitation to feel in the presence of the one who knows the beginning and the end. It is call to trust the one who bandages all wounds and holds your hand through trials and into victory.
Trials only consume those that go in them alone. This is not your story. Hallelujah!
Prayer: Father I thank you for this wisdom. I have exercised my spirit not to observe vanities, and trust instead in your word and guidance even when it seems to be most unpopular. I know that your plans for me are of good, not to harm me but to give me a future and hope. This is the truth I hold fast to now and forevermore, in Jesus name. Amen!
CI.
