Trails

Trials…. We all go through them…

What has been a big trial in your life? Has someone close passed away? Have your parent’s gotten a divorce or you yourself? Have you physically gone through hardships? Have you lost someone you love to another or felt betrayed by a friend? Have you experienced financial struggles? We’ve all gone through trials. . .  How do you feel when you’re going through them? Not good… Right? Do you feel lonely, sad, lost, emotionless, angry, confused, hurt? Do you blame others? Do you blame God? We ask, “WHY?”

“Why God?”

Why do we have to feel this pain? To feel this hurt? I’ve been there. . . Why did my parents have to get a divorce? Why couldn’t I have a Christian dad who wasn’t an alcoholic and loved me more than the alcohol? Why did my dad get sick? Why is he such a mess? Why do I have to take care of him when he should take care of me? . . . Why God?

I’m sure many of you ask, “Why?” It’s a question we ask often, because we don’t understand. We say it doesn’t’ make sense that if God loves us why would allow this pain to come into our lives. But God does love us and does allow the pain and the trials. He allows them so He can test our faith and so that we can grow in him. . .

1 Peter 1:3-9- “³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

Romans 5:1-5 (Another good verse, you may want to look up )

It hurts to go through these trials God allows, but it really is for our own good. We just need to remember that God is with us through them all. He wants us to draw closer to Him through our trials and he will protect us and hold us through our pain.

Isaiah 41: 13
¹³ For I am the LORD your God   who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear;
   I will help you.

Joshua 1:9 - ⁹Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

            Christ will be with us through everything! He’s with us when we lose that loved one. He holds us when we feel all alone. He’s our greatest friend when we feel like we have none. He can give us a peace in anything we go through that will transcend all understanding of this world. Others can look at us and wonder why we are still strong through the darkness that is in our life and we can tell them about God through our actions when trials come and how we let the peace of God flow through us. Remember we see just the page or the chapter in the story we call life, but God sees the whole thing and He won’t give us more than we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13) and He knows the ending to our story!

Philippians 4:4-7- ⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.