How do you respond when someone challenges your faith? Is it okay to ask God to extract us from the test, or do we lean in and say, "I trust you, Lord." God, with His infinite wisdom, never leaves us, even when we feel like the world is closing in on us. Deuteronomy 31:6 tells us this, "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you."
Sometimes, we don't understand why God allows us to go through hard times, and yet when we do, we've been transformed! This is called sanctification, and it helps us stretch and grow in our faith. There's a refining that happens when we have to walk through challenges that test us. Psalm 66:10 says, "For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried."
How often do we forget that God walks with us, even in the midst of our challenges? Our faith in Jesus can be pure and indestructible, but we have to walk through fire over and over, much like working with precious metals. We often become discouraged and want to give up because refining is a hard process to go through. We begin to think God has deserted us and take matters into our own hands.
However, 1st Peter 4:12-13 reminds us to "Not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is reveled." In the trials, if there isn't a cost to our faith, then we believe that it isn't worth anything.
To stay strong and move forward, we must pick up our cross, deny ourselves, and remember that even in the face of challenges, Christ and our faith are worth the suffering. The challenges we go through are designed to cause our flesh to die so that we can learn to live by the Holy Spirit.
Don’t fear the tests and the trials. The wins we have over them will become a testimony for others.
Don't fear the tests and the trials. The wins we have over them will become a testimony for others. The challenges we face won't necessarily get easier, but we do grow stronger, wiser, and more reliant on Christ as we walk them out.
Let me leave you with this encouraging word. James 1:2-4, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." As you face new trials, lean into the Lord, trust in Him, and let your faith be refined so that you can fully know how much He cares for you.
