Without exception tests and
trials come into the lives of every born-again believer. Oftentimes, they come
when you least expect it, when everything seems to be going good for you. Still
they come and will continue to come until we all go home to be with the Lord.
Jesus said, “In the world you
will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John
16:33). We’re told in 1 Peter 4:12, “Beloved, do not think it strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing
happened to you.” Since tests and trials will always come our way, the attitude we have
when they do come and what we decide to do about them will be the deciding
factor as to whether or not we live a victorious Christian life.
Tests and trials are not easy and
were never meant to be. They do, however, serve a purpose. Jeremiah 9:7 (AMP)
says, “Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, I will melt them by the
process of affliction to remove the dross and test them; for how else should I
deal with the daughters of My people?”
Psalm 66:10-12 tells us, “For
You, O God, have proved us, You have refined us as silver is refined. You
brought us into the net, You laid affliction on our backs. You have caused men
to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water but You brought
us out to rich fulfillment.”
The Bible talks of God’s children
being refined as silver and gold. This metaphor is borrowed from the technology
of refining precious metals which included heating them in a crucible to see if
all impurities had been removed. These metals pass repeatedly through the
furnace until all the dross breaks away and floats to the top. The refiner then
removes all the impurities and disposes them.
It is said that the refiner knows
when the process is completed by seeing his image reflected in the precious
metal purified. God is compared to a refiner of silver and gold which means He
allows His people to be cast into the furnace of affliction (Isaiah 48:10)
until they are purified and clearly reflect His image in their lives. Daniel
12:10a says, “Many shall be purified, made spotless and white, and be tried,
smelted and refined.”
Job, a man who definitely passed
through the fire when Satan brought several tests and trials into his life,
tells us, “But He knows the way that I take. When He has tested me, I shall
come forth as gold, pure and luminous” (Job 23:10). Indeed, fire is a blessing
if you know how to use it.
From one point of view, times of
distress constitute a testing of God’s people as to their trust and loyalty to
God. Sometimes,
the best place to be is in a position where there is nothing else you can do
but step back and trust God. With the Red Sea before them and the
Egyptian army behind them, Moses told the people of Israel, “Do not be afraid.
Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you
today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see no more forever. The
Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace” (Exodus 14:13,14).
Passing through the fire is a
sign of your commitment to God. If you run away from every test and trial that comes
your way, “if you faint in the day of adversity, then your strength is small”
(Proverbs 24:10).
Many people run away from making
a commitment to God or anybody else for that matter because with it comes
responsibility. In the day and age in which we now live, people do not want to
be responsible for anything. They “don’t want to get involved.”
Tests and trials will bring about
change in their lives and many people don’t like or want to change. They run
away from change as if it were some incurable plaque. They run away from the
effort, work, and pain that the changes to become Christ-like require. Daily
they avoid the challenges of improving themselves with spiritual growth and are
content to lay back and live the easy life.
Tests and trials will require
work on their part and most people don’t like to work. They enjoy living in
their comfort zone and they crave the quiet life with as little detours and
distractions as possible. They like microwaves and remote control switches.
They wouldn't think of getting out of their easy-chair and walking across the
room to turn on the television set themselves.
These people are not workers,
they are floaters. They float through life and take whatever this world throws
at them. Whatever will be will be. It is these lazy people who will never gain
prominence in the kingdom of God. They are satisfied at being where they’re at,
wherever “that” might be, and will never rise above the level of being mediocre
believers.
These are the people who back
away from the heat of walking through the fire of growth. They pull back and
become only “half-baked.” The Bible calls these people “lukewarm” and says that
God will spew them out of His mouth (Revelations 3:16). This statement is hard
but true and the sooner the decision is made to face our trials and not run
away from them the better off we’ll be.
When a test or trial comes our
way the first thing we should do is determine the cause of the fire. God does
not ordain all fire and it’s not always the devil’s fault either. Many times we
bring fire into our own lives. We cannot blame God or the devil if we are
facing a financial crisis because we violated the proper use of credit cards at
Christmas time. We need to accept responsibility for our circumstances because
where we’re at today is a result of the decisions we've made throughout our
lives.
We need to be teachable and learn
from our mistakes because Satan will fight and attack you through your lack of
knowledge. If we refuse to panic when the tests and trials come, if we stay connected
to Jesus through the fire, then ultimately spiritual growth will come. Pain
always precedes promotion.
James 1:2-4 says, “My brethren,
count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of
your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you
may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
Many Christians fail to grow
because they never see the connection between their problems and their future
dreams and victories. A crisis is a signal for you to learn and grow, not lose.
You are not to shrivel up and fade away into oblivion just because times are
hard. No, you stand up and fight the good fight of faith! Understand that your
problem leads to your pro-motion.
A problem will introduce you to
yourself and cause you to find out what you’re made of. Every obstacle will
bring change into your life. You’ll either be stronger because of it or you’ll
be weaker. Great leaders are those who refuse to quit and rise above their
problems. All born-again believers should view the tests and trials that come
their way as opportunities for their lives to be built up and molded until they
become mature in the Lord.
This is how holiness comes and
God Himself said, “Be holy, for I am Holy” (1 Peter 1:16). Do not let your head
hang low and confess that you’re walking through the valley. In Christ there
are no valley experiences. Some mountains are just higher than others.
In the 1960’s, Petula Clark had a hit song called “Don’t Give Up” where she sang “Hold on
‘til you know that you’ve won.” In the kingdom of God it’s the “holding on”
that brings growth and maturity to the born-again believer. James says to “let
patience have its perfect work.”
This takes time and is therefore
a wrong and unprofitable expectation for one to believe their problems will
simply dry up and blow away just because they've prayed the perfect prayer. The
primary desire for believers should not be to live a trouble free life but
rather to develop inside themselves those qualities that will mold and shape
them into the very image of Christ. Surprisingly, this is the purpose
hardships serve. No pain, no gain. Maturity and strength of character always
comes to the believer when they respond to the tests and trials of life in the
proper way.
It is faith that causes one to
rise up in triumph over their troubles and to rejoice in the midst of their
sufferings. Pressure, hardship, and affliction produces patience inside of you
and as you put your hope in Jesus unwavering endurance will create in you the
character needed to stand tall as you walk through the pitfalls of life. This
in turn produces joy and the strength you receive from this spiritual fruit
will give you the confidence and hope to put your faith in God “Who always
leads us to triumph in Christ” (2 Cor. 2:14).
God never promised us an easy
life but He did say in Jesus we could have a victorious life. Life is what you
make it, whether good or bad, therefore, on the evil day when calamity strikes
go to Psalm 91 and meditate therein
day and night. As you do you will come to realize that like the three Hebrew
children in the book of Daniel (Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego) you can be in
the midst of the refiner’s fire and not be burned. And you won’t even smell
like smoke. When you exit the furnace of affliction you will come out smelling
like a rose.
*** Written by Randall J. Brewer
***
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