In the Midst of Trials

 

Many people at this moment are going through personal trials, and our country is definitely going through trials that are affecting us all in one way or another.  I never dreamed I would see all the anger, lying, and hate that seems to permeate the very air we breathe.  This past Sunday I taught a Sunday School lesson that touched me (and hopefully those in my class), and I thought I would share a condensed version here in my little piece of Blogland in case it might offer some comfort to someone who needs it.

 

(Note:  I used various sources & commentaries but the writing is my own.)

 

I think if we are honest, most (if not all) of us can look back on our lives and remember at least one trial, one very difficult time, when maybe our “trust” in God wasn’t at the level it had been or we wanted it to be.  I don’t mean we didn’t have faith that God was real, but perhaps we didn’t “trust” that He was there in the trial with us or that we didn’t “trust” Him to take care of us and bring us out of the trial in the way we wanted.  Even when we love someone deeply and we usually trust them explicitly, there still maybe times of doubt. 

 

A few years ago my son sang a song in church…UP ON THE MOUNTAIN.  

The lyrics told how everything is beautiful and peaceful “up on the mountain” but most of us will at some point see ourselves tumbling down into the valley…and that’s when our faith may be put to the test.

 So what can we do?  What do we do to keep our faith strong so that when we find ourselves tumbling from the top of the mountain to the valley we find our faith and our trust still intact?  Well, there really are some things we can do to prepare for those valleys.  Unfortunately, many Christians (and non-Christians) wait until we find ourselves in those deep, dark places and then we cry out WHY ME, GOD?  WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?  We prepare for cold weather by stocking up on firewood; we prepare for hurricanes by stocking up on supplies; we prepare for future medical crises by buying insurance; but how do we prepare for the trials that threaten our faith and trust in God?

  

1.   Know the scriptures

Read the Bible, but don’t just read it.  Study it; ponder over it; memorize verses and carry them in your heart.  I wish I could say I was wonderful at memorizing more verses.  I was one of those students who could memorize all the facts before the test, but once the test was over…poof!  Many left my head!!!  But even if we can only memorize a few verses, verses that can really speak to our hearts in times of trouble, they can be so helpful.  Another good thing to have is one of those lists that many of you have seen before…read this when you are fearful, read this when you are stressed, etc.  (HERE is a good reference.)

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.  Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”   John 16:33

“I am leaving you with this gift—peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.  So don’t be troubled or afraid.”  John 14:27

 

2.   Pray

(No surprise!)  But!!!  We need to do more than just pray, more than just asking for God to take away our trial or even to walk through the trial with us.  We need to also LISTEN…we need to MEDITATE.  Now sometimes in today’s world when we hear the words “meditate” or “meditation” we get this negative idea of some guru lighting up incense, conjuring up and communicating with “spirits” that have nothing to do with God.  When we pray and meditate it means “devout spiritual contemplation.”  It means we aren’t just running through a laundry list of what we want God to do; we are sitting with Him, talking to Him, and opening our minds and our hearts to what He might have to say to us.  Have you ever had a conversation with someone where it all seemed to be one-sided?  The person you are with talks only about themselves, their ideas, their needs, their opinions, etc.?  I have and definitely didn’t enjoy it.  God listens to our prayers, our supplications, but I think He probably prefers to have a part in the conversation too.  We miss the most meaningful part of prayer if we don’t “meditate” also.

…when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.     Jeremiah 29:12

Never stop praying.  1 Thessalonians 5:17

 

3.    Know who God Is

I have been in Sunday School and church since I was an infant, just as many of you have been.  Through the years we have gained a lot of knowledge about God, about Jesus.  But do we use that knowledge?  I have been married for 50 years and have known my husband even longer.  I know a lot about my husband!  And the longer I have known him, the more intimate and loving our relationship has become.  I use my knowledge of his favorite foods, his likes & dislikes, his personal feelings about things, etc. to deepen our relationship.  I put him ahead of myself (well, at least in most things😊)    And it should be the same way with my relationship with God.  I need to know God through His word and I need to use that knowledge to deepen my relationship with Him.  Just as a marriage takes time and effort to build a relationship, it takes time and effort to build and daily strengthen our relationship with God, to come to truly know Him.

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope; the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.”  Lamentations 3:21-23

  

4.    Take Ourselves Out of the Center of the Trial 

All too often when we are overwhelmed, burdened, battered by life’s circumstances, we are all too eager to put ourselves in the middle of the storm, crying out WHY ME?  We have our own pity parties or we feel we are alone and God has hung us out to dry.  Or…we jump in feet first immediately thinking WHAT CAN I DO TO FIX THIS?  Self-sufficiency is a good trait to have, but sometimes we take it too far and we leave God out of the equation. 

Often we spend much too much time on figuring things out on our own and we spend our energy trying to find ways to tackle the difficult situations we face.  We end up leaning on everything and everyone but God.  However, the scripture tells us: 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”          Proverbs 3:5-6

 

“We must consistently, constantly pray that God would enable us to trust Him.  That God would help us believe His promises and trust Him even when life doesn’t make sense.  The simple reality is that most of the time we have only a very small grasp of what God is truly doing in our life.  And yet, because we know that he’s good and faithful and steadfast and ready to give us His grace, we can trust Him with our whole heart.”

 

 I think all of us are going through a very difficult time…the virus, the unrest in our country, the pending election whose outcome could completely change the course of our country…on top of any personal trials some of us may be dealing with.  Some days I feel the deep, dark valley crowding in around me.  But we’ve got to believe that even if things don’t turn out the way we want them to, God is still in control.  We need to put our faith and our “trust” in Him that in the end God will make it all right.  (That’s a lesson I’m still teaching myself.)

 

Life is easy when you’re up on the mountain, and you’ve got peace of mind like you’ve never known.  But then things change when you’re down in the valley, don’t lose faith for you’re never alone.  For the God on the mountain is still God in the valley; when things go wrong He’ll make them right.  And the God in the good times is still God in the bad times; the God of the day is still God in the night.