God's Word for Today: June 2014

First, let me say that I’ve had my share of trials and pain. I’m sure you’ve had your share, too.

In fact, I’ve endured plenty of trials and lots of pain, but they haven’t stopped me from living and gaining wisdom. In fact, wisdom is what God provides if we are open to Him and His Word (the Holy Bible).

As difficult as it was going through a divorce for me, even though I had not really started reading the Bible at the time, I recalled this scripture song and began singing it in the shower every morning, forcing myself to believe it: "This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice, let us rejoice, and be glad in it, and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made!" ~ Author of this hymn/song is unknown, but the words are based on Psalm 118:24.

I began to feel better as I knew that God was going to be there for me, and I began to read the Bible with open eyes. No longer were there contradictions when reading The Word. No longer was the enemy able to keep me from sticking with it. This was the day I could begin to rejoice through trials and pain.

There are several reasons why we must endure trials and pain in this life. One reason alone is that it can bring us to our knees so that we will call upon the Lord and seek Him. (Please see my first blog entry called “Are You a Christian?") — The evil that exists in this world causes pain. This is a lack of God in our lives, and it is the result of free will. Yet, God provides us with free will to choose Him or not, and to choose to reciprocate His love or not.

Trials come in all sizes and in all kinds of packages. We may find ourselves in deep pain when they occur. It’s what we do with the trials and the pain, and how we respond to them that is most important.

God watches us to see if we are open to His work through us in these times of brokenness. He sees all! How will we respond?

Escape is not the answer to pain. Facing it head on will get you through it, but you cannot do it alone. We were not meant to handle it all alone.

Trials are certainly not enjoyable, but if we are open to having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and if we allow Him to be our Savior, we can get through any trial here on this earth by leaning on Him through His strength. We don’t have to understand why at the moment. In fact, we may never know the reason for the trial, but most times we will discover the reason later on because it will help us in the future.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do and He will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

When problems come, and they will, who do we call on? Do we call on our friends first for answers? I used to do that. The better option, that I do now, is to reach out to God first. Who do you think is better equipped to handle your problems? Is it the Creator of all? Or do we possibly think that other frail humans like our self are better able to help us? Do we really think this? Who do you think can pull you up from out of the depths of pain the best?

It’s God! He really is the only One who can do this best. He knows best what we need, and we need Him! He will hear us and help us.

“… I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me.” (Psalm 77:1)

Problems that are difficult to solve cannot always be resolved by humanity. We must turn to God for resolutions, and one resolution may be to just get through it stronger. Then the enemy cannot prevail.

The Bible tells us that: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.” (Romans 5:3-5)

What an amazing God we have to help us. Wow! Why wouldn’t you want Him in your life? Because you think you can do it yourself? Because you think He is a crutch? What is the reason that we don’t come to God through Jesus Christ?

It’s really very simple. God does not make it hard to accept Him.

The Bible tells us that: “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:6-8)

Did you know that?

I finally called on God in a very different way than in the past. This time, I was willing to learn about Him through His Word (The Holy Bible) and follow Him, too.

So whether we are broken and finding God for the first time in our lives, or if we are coming to a better understanding of knowing Him, we are going to be tested. God will build our character until we come into the light of His love and go out and share that light and love with others.

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach [disapproval or rebuke], and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:1-9)

So, whenever we face a trial, we must remember that the test or the trial (that God allows into our life, and He does and will allow it), will cause us (if we are a Christian) to have to put our faith into action with God to get us through the trial. But while we’re in the trial, and while we are waiting, our faithfulness in God helps us gain endurance to get through it. We have to pray about the trial, put it in God’s hands, and leave it there. We have to have the faith that He will take care of it (whatever it is) and keep us strong while we wait. Then as we show that we have faith in God to handle the test/trial, we gain greater faith as we go through it until the trial is over. The hardest part of the trial is leaving it in God’s hands and not taking it back. The other difficult part of the trial is to have strong faith and not doubt that God is handling it on our behalf. However, we should be in obedience to God all the while that we are waiting to get through the trial.

God’s Word tells us to: “… patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind.” (2 Corinthians 6:4)

It’s inevitable for us to receive God’s truth. The result afterward: We can’t contain ourselves until we share God’s great love with others!

Do you really think God would leave us broken and in deep pain. No way! As long as we don’t reject Him, He will be there to help us.

All we simply have to do is call out to Him. In truth, it’s God that actually does the calling!

“By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One [God] who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence.” (2 Peter 1:3 — my addition in bold, too)

In living a godly life, we won’t concentrate on the temporary pain or trials in this life. No, we can concentrate on the hope of Heaven, knowing that once we have received Jesus Christ into our heart, we won’t be so consumed with this earthly life. Instead, we should be doing what God tells us to do in His Word:

“Set your mind on things above, not on the things on this earth.” (Colossians 3:2)

Even “the righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.” (Psalm 34:19)

I tell you the truth that Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father, unless it is through the Son of God [Jesus Christ].” (John 14:6)

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself. (Now maybe this statement I always end with makes more sense!)

God’s Word for Today: “In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So that after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.” (1 Peter 5:10)

God's Word for Today

Monday, June 16, 2014

Trials and Pain