Don’t let your troubles determine how you see God.
Let God help you see your troubles through His eyes.
There is something about trials that strip away unwanted elements and reveal our underlying character and abilities. More importantly, trials speak evidence to God’s work in us. We speak of the ‘trial by fire’ that destroys all that is merely temporal and leaves that which is everlasting, the mark God places on the faithful. There is the heat of the furnace that removes the impurities and leaves only that which is pure. Shadrach and his buddies experienced the fiery furnace first hand. In the face of what appeared to be certain death, they stood firm in their faith. Daniel’s trial of trusting God when surrounded by hungry lions speaks to God’s role in the dangerous times of our lives.
Most of us don’t have to face real lions or a literal furnace of fire in our lives. But we are no strangers to trials, are we? Trials beset everyone. Some trials, like an upcoming exam or handling an audit well, are relatively easy for the well-prepared. Other trials spring upon us with little or no notice. Some trials rank at the level of inconvenient nuisances; others threaten our families, our finances, and even our physical well-being.
Like the metal that is refined by fire, trials reveal our true inner character. While preparation can’t prevent trials from coming our way, we can prepare ourselves to withstand the fire.
Like the musician who practices diligently, the athlete who pushes their physical limits, or the supervisor who builds and coaches teams committed to quality, when the test comes they’re prepared. But what prepares us for those trials that test our very soul? How do we stand firm when our livelihood and even our life is threatened?
We build faith, day by day. Jesus said that even as the tiny mustard seed grows into a large tree that provides shade for the birds, so our faith grows. Our small faith grows when we acknowledge God when all is well. It grows more when we acknowledge Him in the small trials we face throughout the week. Day by day, year by year, as we write the story of our lives, we have opportunity to grow the seed of faith into something that withstands the most severe storms.
God helps us see our trials differently, by seeing Him in the midst of it. Every problem is an opportunity to trust God and exercise your faith. Today is your preparation for tomorrow’s storms. Let your faith guide you through any difficulty you face, big or small.
Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind.
Psalm 26:2