Bearing Up Under a Trial

I Corinthians 15:58; 2 Corinthians 1:3-5,8-11: "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain . . . . Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows . . . . We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."


In our Single Adult Bible Study, we have been working through a series by James MacDonald, entitled, "Turning to Trials into Gold." It has been a powerful discussion in which we have learned that trials are an inevitable reality for humanity. This is because we live in a fallen world, which is subject to calamities of all sorts. No one is immune from the painful ordeals that come our way, though we know that God allows such events in our lives in order that we might grow in our dependence on and intimacy with Him. No trial is permitted by the Lord, unless He desires to use the difficulty for the ultimate good . . . to demonstrate the all-sufficiency of a life lived in surrender to God and His purposes.


The above mentioned passage reminds us that we are called to "stand firm, letting nothing move us as we give ourselves fully to the work of God." It is SO easy to falter when calamity befalls us. We want to fold under the pressure, or escape it to better circumstances. God tells us instead that in the midst of trial, we are to stand firm. And God tells us that we are able to remain steadfast in our full work for the Lord by knowing that our efforts are not in vain. One can see that God has in view His eternal redemptive plan, that will reward those who are faithful to Him in this life. Even in those circumstances that seem to have no evidence of ever improving, we know that they ultimately will be transformed for the better in eternity. God will bring full restoration, and it is to this certainty that we are to put our trust. It's the only way to press on in life, especially when our circumstances look rather abysmal.


We too must remember that God has not left us alone in the midst of our difficulty. Rather, he is the "God of all comfort, who comforts us in ALL our troubles." Never can we say that God has overlooked us in a difficult situation. God has promised to provide us His loving comfort, no matter what the circumstance is. This of course suggests that if we are not experiencing His loving peace and presence, we need to look to see if we in fact have asked for it (see James 4:2). But what we are commanded to do with His peace and comfort is not to hoard it for ourselves; instead, we are to share this wonderful gift with others who are struggling through a painful trial. We are to be a conduit of blessing to others, showing the love and peace of Christ that we have received from Him.


The Apostle Paul in the above passage mentions that He struggled with some very difficult persecutions . . . even to the point of wanting to see an end to his life. In hindsight, Paul was later able to see that God was allowing such events so that Paul would become even more dependent upon God, the All-Powerful One. Clearly, if God can "raise the dead" as Paul exclaims, then God can take care of us in our difficulties. One can almost see the hope in Paul's words, knowing that His deliverance ultimately comes through the One True Lord of Hosts! Paul also recognized that God had permitted these painful circumstances to give opportunity for others to offer prayers to the Lord in his behalf. In effect, Paul's difficulty was being used by God to draw others into a greater dependence upon Him, and Paul noted that God's miraculous response in the matter would result in many giving thanks to the Lord for His "gracious favor granted in response to the prayers of many." It was because of the pain of one, that many were drawn closer in intimate fellowship with the Lord.


This is such a good word for us. We must see that our trials are opportunities for God to show us His great love even more, bringing us into a closer intimacy than ever before. He is using the trial to reorient our understanding of this life in view of eternity, and He is educating us to understand that our lives will only find satisfaction and fulfillment the more we understand our dependence upon Him.


God too wants to use our difficulty to impact the lives of others for His glory. As others see the way that we handle our trial and as they are blessed by our passing His comfort that we have received to others, then they will be drawn closer to Him.


Therefore, let us not see our trials only for the misery that they might bring; rather, let us see the opportunity that the Lord is using our difficulties to do some truly incredible works for His kingdom. This is not to belittle the pain that might be associated with the trial. Still, we as followers of Jesus Christ are able to have better perspective . . . that truly God is using our trials for an even greater good. Let us not give up on the hope that in the end, He will make all things new. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.