Lessons Learned in Trials

Some might think just because we’re born again and walk by faith that something must be wrong if we face confrontation or battles, or if things don’t go smooth in life. There are reasons why God allows trials in our lives. Even though there are trials, it is Gods will for us to win, regardless of what trials we face in life. Don’t think it’s strange when tribulation stops by, you just gotta know how to handle it and what to do and as a result of it you will find that the will of God is able to be perfected in your life because you don’t run away from trouble, you face it in faith, with the Word of God and allow Gods Word to really bring you to place of victory.

What are some things in the past that we didn’t want to face and deal with?

2 Timothy 3:12 ¹² Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 

AMP ¹² Indeed, all who delight in pursuing righteousness and are determined to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be hunted and persecuted [because of their faith].

When you take a stand on the Word, you are going to live right. We have the Word of God to provide guidance in what that is. When we make up our mind to live along the Word of God there will be persecutions. Since persecutions will come, we might as well and go ahead and not be a stranger to it so it won’t cause fear or anything when it shows up. The attitude should be, “Oh here you are, I know what to do with you.”  What you do with persecution is you use it as exercise equipment to help develop you.

For some reason, some Christians think it’s a strange thing when other Christians suffer persecution or go through trials. Why is that?

 1 Peter 4:12-19 (KJV) ¹² Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

If you are living Godly, this should not be a strange thing to you. It’s one thing to get persecution as a result of a life of Godliness and another to get persecution as a result of bad seeds you sowed to get a bad crop, but those who will live godly will suffer persecution.

To know that means you can prepare yourself to go through it the right way.

2 Corinthians 2: 14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads and makes evident everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him.

 As we go through persecutions, God will always cause (lead) us to triumph. Even though you face persecution, here’s the good news, go ahead and give God thanks for the victory. No matter what you face, God will LEAD us so don’t think you get to kick back and just watch the victory happen. He will lead us, and if we are obedient enough to follow his leadership, then his leadership will lead us into victory. The worse thing that could happen is that you find yourself in persecution and the Holy Spirit is trying to lead you into victory and you just ignore it and say “Well I don’t wanna do that”. The leadership of the Holy Spirit will help us find the path that leads us to victory and at the same time display the knowledge of God working and operating through our lives.

What has helped you take action and move in his leadership?

2 Corinthians 4 15 For all [these] things are for your sake, so that as [God’s remarkable, undeserved] grace reaches to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of [our great] God. ¹⁶ Therefore we do not become discouraged [spiritless, disappointed, or afraid]. Though our outer self is [progressively] wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all comparisons, a transcendent splendor and an endless blessedness]!

The development that you get as a result of standing in faith, you cannot compare that, the development that you get elsewhere. People kind of think that you are going to be developed without any pressure. There is going to be pressure. The pressure can develop you based on how you decide to go through it. The wrong way to do it by murmuring and complaining and going through unforgiveness, that’s the wrong way to handle it. The right way to go through it is to stand on the Word of God, thanking God, praising God, speaking the Word, and as you go through that you will find that you develop through that pass the test and most likely you won’t have to see that same test, if you see it again, it will be a piece of cake.  The pressure after the first time, you don’t feel it as much because you have perfected in that area.

Why does God allow trials in our lives? God will allow trials because he loves us. He wants us to be healed, to be whole and have an abundant life. He allows things to happen to bring us to that point. Now you can ask, well does God use something evil to bring us to a certain place? No, God would love to just be able to say something to you and you obey it, and that’s the end of that. But you know we aren’t like that!

Why is it so hard to just obey the Word of God? What area have you had trouble obeying in the past?

God loves you and he allows certain things to happen to you, not because he’s mad at you. If you wouldn’t listen to the conviction or prophetic message, there’s only one thing left and that is he will permit certain things to happen and the reason for this is because he loves you so much and he has to do something to turn you. He can’t just sit there and watch you self-destruct, he has to get your attention somehow.

God wants to allow/permit trials in our life to get our attention and get us to focus in on his will for our lives. Why does he want our attention?

1. So we might see our true selves – King David went through a trial in Psalms 38, he had self-realization. Sometimes you don’t examine yourself until hard times show up

2. To hear his voice – There are many voices out there today.

3. So we will choose his way instead of our way – The whole objective of being Christians is to empty out ourselves so we can be filled with Him.

4. He wants every hindrance removed that keeps us from fully yielding.

What are some things in people’s lives that keep them from being 100% yielding to God?

 This is what He is looking for. Our wills are always attached to something else. We don’t see the big picture.

 Psalm 51 ⁷ Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. ⁸  Make me hear joy and gladness and be satisfied; Let the bones which You have broken rejoice. ⁹  Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.

Look at what’s hindering from yielding to God. If I can get these things out of the way, then I can be what God wants me to be. It will be vital for us to not be deceived where these hindrances are concerned. Life should be joyful, righteousness, peace, ease, that’s something we have to learn to do.

John 15 (AMP) “I am the true Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, (The fruit of the Spirit: Joy, Love Peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He [repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit]. 

If you are bearing fruit, that’s cool, but it’s gonna be refined. We will be pruned. There are things in our lives that need to be pruned. A good pruning, a good self-realization, a good purging is good for Christians. It is good for us so it can bring more fruit. This lets us know that wherever we are now shouldn’t be the place we always desire to be always because as we judge our life we will find more things to be purged and take us to a greater level of joy, a greater level of love. It’s that self-examination that you know about you that nobody else knows and can judge yourself of that thing.

1 Corinthians 11:31 ³¹ For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.

We don’t always have to wait for someone to tell us we are being selfish for example, but if we examine ourselves and judge ourselves, of those secret things. Gods not trying to make you look bad. Whatever that secret is, repent from it, cut it off, deal with it now while it’s little instead of wait till it becomes something everyone can see. What’s gonna help expose these things? The Word of God.

³ You are already clean because of the word which I have given you [the teachings which I have discussed with you]. ⁴ Remain in Me, and I [will remain] in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, neither can you [bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith] unless you remain in Me. 5 I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken off] branch, and withers and dies; and they gather such branches and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.