John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (NIV)
Many Christians have the mistaken idea that once they make a commitment to Jesus Christ, life will be smooth sailing from that day forward. This certainly not the case. While it is true that walking with Christ will help us avoid many of the problems we used to face, we are still going to experience what the bible calls “trials.”
Trials may come in the form of a crisis, a sudden illness, the loss of loved one, or some drastic change in your life. You may go through a difficult time when you don’t feel God’s presence, WHEN CHURCH MAY NOT EXCITING AS IT ONCE WAS FOR YOU, or your prayers seem to go no higher than the ceiling. This make cause you to wonder if you have angered God or if He has left you. But God allows these difficulties into our lives to help us grow spiritually – to learn to live by faith not by feelings.
1. Trials Sharpen Our Faith. Hardships develop our character and purify our faith.
1 Peter 1:3-7
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, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, 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. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (NIV)
God has selected you for a choice work. But before he can use you, he must toughen the grain of your life. He does this by allowing you to go through difficulties so that your faith can be tested and purified.
We need to remember…
a. Remember Who You Are. You are God’s child
1 Peter 1:3
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, (NIV)
b. Remember What God has Promised You. God promise the priceless gift of eternal life.
1 Peter 1:4
And into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, (NIV)
c. Remember Who Will See You Through. God will protect you until you reach your final destination.
1 Peter 1:5-6
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. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. (NIV)
d. Remember Why God Lets You Go Through Trials. God Wants to test the genuineness of your faith so that your life will result in praise and glory when Jesus returns.
1 Peter 1:7
These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (NIV)
2. Trials Help Us Comfort Others. Experiencing suffering deepens our compassion for others who suffer.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7
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(una-una lang yan, best foot forward sabi nga ng iba, our experience hopefully will be a great blessing and learning to others). For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. (NIV)
3. Trials are Survivable. We must keep our eternal perspective through the tough times. Its proven, our daily existence is a living proof that trials can be a thing in the past as long as we have the drive to wake, to rise and to continue. Parang laro lang yan, kapag nag GAMEOVER you still have the option to continue. So, ikaw yun… TRABAHO MO AT RESPONSIBLIDAD NATIN.
4. Trials Test Our Foundation. When we ground our lives in Christ, we can survive any storm.
Luke 6:47-49
I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."(NIV)
5. Jesus is With Us in Life’s Storm. We are never outside of God’s watchful eye and his abiding presence
a. Jesus is aware of your situation.
b. Jesus will answer your call for help.
c. You can make it through.
6. God Gives Hope to Our Troubled Hearts. We can have peace of mind in the middle of our greatest trials.
John 14:1-7
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."(NIV)
a. We can take God at his word.
b. Jesus is coming back to us (hope)
more verses:
Isaiah 64:8
Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.(NIV)
James 1:2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.(NIV)
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.(NIV)
A higher calling
1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.(NIV)
Malachi 3:3
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,(NIV)
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