Tag Archives: Christian

September 6, 2012 · 7:48 AM

When God says “No”

I was letting my 19 month old son explore the front yard the other day. As he walked around, he pointed at different things, jibber jabbered about them, laughed and walked on. We did this for a while before he noticed the street. Once he saw it, he immediately headed for it. I told him “no”, but he kept going. I finally stood in his way to prevent him from going in the street as I told him “no”. He began to cry and try harder to get there. Ultimately, I was successful in preventing him from getting in the street.

Because I told him “no” and prevented him from going into the street, does that make me a bad dad? No. Because I did it to protect my son now and in the future. So why do we think God is being mean or bad when He tells us “no”? We are much like my son. We have an idea and we want to do it, but God sees the bigger picture. He says “no” in order to protect us. Does that mean He loves us less? Of course not. It probably means He loves you more.

When God tells you “no”, He is doing what any good parent would do. He is making sure you don’t walk into danger that you can’t see. My son is not old enough to understand the dangers of the street, but I am. I prevent him from going out there because I love him. In the same way, God will often tell you “n”o or prevent you from doing something you really want to do. He’s not saying you will never get to do it, but right now you aren’t ready.

My pastor used to say that God’s “no” is as good as His “yes”. Let that sink in for a second. When God says “no”, it is as good as Him saying “yes”. You see that even when God says “no”, His will for you is perfect. He knows your future and has a plan for you and your life. When you try to deviate from that plan, He often says “no” in order to keep you in His plan for your life. We end up crying and throwing a fit though because it’s not what we want.

I wonder if it’s as embarrassing for God when we throw a fit as it is for us when our kids throw a fit. That’s exactly what we are doing when we don’t get our way. We shake our fist at heave and tell God that He doesn’t love us or we try to make a deal with Him. “If you let me do this, I’ll do that,” we tell God. We’ll even promise to go to Africa and be a missionary if only He would grant this one thing!

God is a good father. He sees you, knows you and what is best for you. Like my son, we don’t know what’s best for us. We just know what we want. God will take care of you and your needs if you will trust Him. To complain and fight against Him when He says “no”, is to tell Him you know better than Him. In my life, I’ve learned that I don’t know better than Him. I’ll do what proverbs 3:5-6 says: Trust in the Lord with all of your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.

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September 5, 2012 · 7:46 AM

Surviving the Wilderness

When I was a teenager, I was involved in a scouting program that my denomination has. One of the merits that we had to earn was the Survival badge. There were several things we had to do to get it. The last thing we had to do was to go on a survival camp out. My commander Jamie took a group of us about 45 minutes away, explained to us that we had been in an airplane crash, what the rules were and that he’d be back the next day when we gave the distress signal.

When he left, I became the oldest person in the group of teenagers. We were out in the wilderness alone. Later I would find out that Jamie wasn’t too far off. He wasn’t just going to leave a bunch of boys out in the wilderness by themselves! Thinking we were alone until morning, I got to work. I knew that we only had a certain amount of daylight left. I built a shelter, gathered wood, started a fire, pulled some string and stink bait from my survival kit, made a hook out of wood and set a line in a pond nearby.

Jamie did what God does when we are in the wilderness of life. He prepared us for what was coming. He gave us the tools we needed to be successful in a time of survival. He taught us how to trap food in the wild, clean it, cook it and how to build a shelter. God prepares us as well. When you are in the wilderness, survival is key. You need to eat spiritually. Get into God’s Word and hear His voice through scripture. Surround yourself with others who can help you survive. They will be your shelter.

The next thing Jamie did was to take us to the wilderness to test us and to show we learned what he had taught us. God allows us time in the wilderness to put into action what we have learned. In Matthew 4:1, the Bible says that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted, tested and tried. God knows that when you put into practice the knowledge you have been given, it becomes skill. In those times, God proves to you that you can survive with Him.

While we were in the wilderness of East Texas, we felt alone out there. That’s true of us when we go through things in life. It can seem like God is no where near us and that we are left to survive without Him. That’s not the case though. Just like Jamie was for us, God is near by and is watching you, keeping you safe and making sure you are taken care of. It may not feel like it, but He is there. He sees you, He’s prepared you and now He’s watching over you.

The last thing Jamie said before he left was that when we had survived the night, we needed to send up a distress signal and he would come for us. God knows you can survive the night in the wilderness and is waiting for you to signal Him to come rescue you. In Psalm 91:14,15 the Lord says, “When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue them.” He made that promise to you.

If you are in the wilderness today and are trying to survive, know that God has given you what you need to survive. He has given you shelter (Psalm 91:1). He has given you the tools to survive (Psalm 119:105). He is right there with you. He will not leave you nor forsake (abandon) you (Hebrews 13:5). When you have survived the night with His help, He will come to you and minister to you. You are not alone. You can and will survive this.

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September 4, 2012 · 10:32 AM

Raise someone to life

“You are not a failure.” Those were the words my brother spoke to me at one of the lowest points in my life. When my world came crashing down and everything I had done fell like a house of cards, I felt like a failure. His words to me changed what I thought about myself. He saw beyond the temporary circumstances that I was facing and spoke to who I was.

Proverbs 18:21 says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. You have an opportunity each day to kill someone or to resurrect their life just by the power of your words. What you say matters. Even your off the cuff comments that seem like jokes can cut someone to their core. I know because I’m guilty of it even though I’ve made an effort in my life to speak positively of and to others.

Making that change and effort in my life has started to show its fruit through my son. One of my his favorite words is “bravo.” He learned that word before he learned the word “no.” I get excited every time I hear him say it because I know that he is learning to praise others even at an early age. Bravo is such a simple word, but it speaks volumes to the person who hears it. Bravo. You did an amazing job. Bravo. You are an exceptional person. Bravo. You deserve praise and I’m giving it to you.

Words are powerful. We don’t really grasp how powerful they are until someone speaks something to or about us. When your parents, spouse, relative or boss says something good to you or about you, it lifts your spirits and your day. They may never know how they changed your life or perspective just by saying a simple phrase that told you how amazing you are.

In the same way, you may never know the lives you’ve changed or touched by the words you’ve said. Look for the good in others. Jesus did. He looked at Peter and said, “Upon this rock, I will build my church (Matthew 16:18).” Jesus knew that Peter would soon betray Him. He could have easily said, “This guy has wasted the last three years of listening to me. He is going to deny that he even knows me.” That would have been devastating, but Jesus doesn’t do that. He speaks life to us. He sees in us what we don’t see.

When we feel like a failure or life has us down, God looks beyond that. He sees you for who you are. You are His child, His creation, His masterpiece. Yes, you are God’s masterpiece! You were created by Him in His image. You were fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). When God sees you, He sees who He made you to be and calls it out in you just like He called out the rock that was in Peter.

Just as God has chosen to speak life to you, you can speak life into someone else today. People are often negative because thats what they hear from others. Maybe no one has ever spoken life into them and they are acting out the way that someone has spoken to them. People believe what others say about them. Bypass the negative in someone and see what God sees in them. Speak to that in them and tell them bravo!

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August 31, 2012 · 8:43 AM

Why bad things happen to good people

In my yard I have several crape myrtle trees. Every year I watch around town for when I’m supposed to prune them. It’s usually in the winter just before spring. When it’s time, I take my clippers and start cutting back on them. If there are dead branches, I cut them off at the tree. For all the others, I trim back to a few inches from where they split off. When the spring time comes, they blossom and bloom even more than the year before.

In John 15, Jesus said that God does the same to us. He said that the branches that don’t produce fruit are cut off and thrown away. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that the fruit we are to produce in our lives is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. When I read that, I began to think about the fruit in my life. Am I producing that fruit? How much of it am I producing? What do I need to do to produce it?

In the same passage in John, Jesus says that everyone who does produce fruit is then pruned so that they will produce more fruit. Ouch. So even if I am producing fruit, I am going to be pruned. Jesus wants us to produce more fruit all the time. He recognizes that the only way to produce more is to provide an opportunity for growth. That’s what pruning does. It trims us back so we can have a greater opportunity for growth.

Most of us don’t like or want to be pruned. When it happens, we ask God why are bad things happening to me when I’m doing everything right. We’ve all heard the question asked “Why do bad things happen to good people”. Well it happens to give you an opportunity to grow. If things aren’t happening in your life that are pruning you, that’s when you should be concerned.

If you aren’t being pruned throughout the seasons of your life, you need to find a way to start producing fruit. You need to take a hard look at your life and see what fruit you are producing. Chances are, it’s not the fruit listed above. If it were, you be getting pruned so that you would produce more. We all produce fruit in our lives. Our actions produce results. Our results show God, others and ourselves what’s important to us. There is a law of sowing and reaping.

If you sow time I to other’s lives, you will reap love. If you sow forgiveness, you will reap joy. If you sow understanding, you will reap peace. On the other hand if you sow selfishness, you will reap loneliness. If you sow bitterness, you will reap hate. What you do matters and will come back as fruit in your life. God wants us to produce good fruit in our lives so that others will be able to see Him through us.

God recognizes and knows that to produce more of the good fruit in your life, He will have to prune you. Yes, even if you ate a good producer, He knows that you can always produce more. Without pruning, we can only produce so much of each fruit. When He does prune us, He creates more opportunity to produce than ever before.

So why do bad things happen to good people? To give them the opportunity to grow and to produce more than ever before. If you are being pruned right now, stop and thank God instead of questioning Him. It means that He thinks you are producing good fruit and He has bigger plans for you. Trust in Him and in His plan for you. Handle the pruning with grace and look forward to the next time of harvest in your life.

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August 24, 2012 · 11:24 AM

Why should you go to church?

Why do you go to church? Seriously. Think about why you go. Is it so you can be seen by others? Is it because it’s what you were taught to do? Maybe you go because you have kids and want them to learn the right way. Too many people use these as why they go to church. Going to church doesn’t get you into Heaven and it’s not the church’s responsibility to teach your child about Jesus. It’s yours.

Let’s change the question then. Why should you go to church? If it’s not to be seen or to teach your kids about Jesus, why go? I’m not telling you that you shouldn’t go. I just want you to think through your motives for going. If your motives are wrong, church will become a drudge to get through. When something else comes up, you’ll quickly take the other option because church is not a priority.

When church is a priority you go there each week no matter what and you expect to hear from God. I love it when I go to a service and it’s as if the entire sermon was just for me. Have you ever had that happen? Every song was written and sung for you and your situation. Every scripture read met your personal need. When it came time to pray, it was as if there was a spotlight on you and God was speaking through the preacher for you to come down and to be prayed for.

God wants us to go each time with the expectation that He will meet us there. If you don’t expect to meet Him, why go? The expectation you have for God at church will always be met. If you go expecting to sit through the ritual of a service, you will walk away empty handed. If you go expecting to hear from God, He will speak to you.

When we hear the Word of God, it builds our faith. Romans 10:17 in the Amplified Version says that faith comes by hearing what is told, and what is heard comes by the preaching of the message that came from the lips of Christ. When your faith is running low (and that happens to all of us), that is the time to go to church. Too many of us use that as an excuse not to go to church.

God’s Word is quick and powerful according to Hebrews 4:12. It doesn’t take long for it to start working in your life. If you want to live better, put God’s Word in you. What goes in will come out. If you want to think and speak differently, put in more of God’s Word. It changes us from the inside out. We shouldn’t just hear God’s Word on sunday though. We need to be consuming it all week long to combat all the other stuff that is going in our minds.

Church is also a great place for connection. We all have a need to be connected to others and what better way than to be connected with fellow believers? Hebrews 10:24,25 says we should think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. It also says we shouldn’t forsake our assembling with fellow believers. At church, we have the opportunity to connect with like minded people and challenge them to do more for God.

Connecting is about more than shaking hands with people you barely know. It’s about getting to know others and making yourself known to them. Connecting is about forming friendships and relationships that last. It’s about communicating with someone and building a relationship. We are one body and we need to be together to connect the parts so we can move and act as one.

There are many reasons to go to church. There are right reasons and wrong reasons. It’s up to you to decide why you go. It’s not enough just to go. You don’t go to a restaurant, sit down, look at the menu, watch other people eat and then leave. So why would you go to church, sit down, look at the bulletin, watch other people engage in the service and leave without getting something? It makes no sense. Go this week with purpose. Expect God to speak to you. Expect your faith to grow. Expect to meet with other believers who can help you on this journey of faith.

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August 22, 2012 · 7:40 AM

Looking for Zacchaeus

I love the story of Zacchaeus. Here was a man who wasn’t as tall as everyone else. He wanted to get a glimpse of this Jesus that everyone was talking about. He couldn’t see over anyone and the crowd around Jesus was huge. He decided to run down the road where Jesus was heading and to climb up a tree so he could see over everyone. When Jesus got there, he looked up, called him by name and told him He wanted to go to his house. The people around Jesus grumbled that Jesus had gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner.

There are a lot of great things in this story that too often we read for our children, but rarely do we look into what’s actually happening. First, you have a notorious sinner trying to just get a glimpse of Jesus. He was desperately trying to see Him. How many of our friends, who are notoriously sinners, can see Jesus in our lives? Have we given them a reason to look? Zacchaeus was determined just to see Jesus and went out of his way to get in His way.

When Jesus got to where Zacchaeus was, he noticed him and called him by name. Each one of us who are Christians were called by name at some point in our lives and salvation was extended to us. We may or may not have been as notorious in our sin as Zacchaeus was, but that doesn’t matter to Him. What matters to Him is if you are willing to accept His invitation to be your guest today.

When Jesus entered the home of Zacchaeus as his guest, He changed who Zacchaeus was. Jesus didn’t demand that he change, Zacchaeus realized that he needed to change. He offered to give away half of what he had and to repay those he stole from. Jesus’ response was that salvation had come to that house. It wasn’t because he decided to give away his belongings, but because he accepted the invitation to let Jesus in. Jesus doesn’t care how bad of a sinner we are, He only cares that we invite Him in when He asks.

While Jesus was inside with Zacchaeus, the people who had been following Jesus all the while began to get upset. “Can you believe He went into the home of that sinner,” they asked each other. I find it difficult to find more than one or two instances when Jesus went to the home of someone who wasn’t a notorious sinner. Even in those times, it was interrupted by a notorious sinner that Jesus had compassion on. Jesus came for the sinner. It doesn’t matter how bad a person is or how good a person is without Him. He wants to come into your life and make it better.

Jesus didn’t care what others thought about going into the homes or hanging out with sinners. What He cared about was their soul. We are not so different than those who grumbled. When we see people trying to reach the lost differently than we would or having church somewhere without a steeple, we claim they must not be true believers. The truth is that we as the body need to reflect Christ in all we do so that when the world is looking for Jesus they can find Him, even if it means hanging out with notorious sinners. That’s what Jesus did to reach them.

Here is a prayer you can pray written by Michael Moak
Jesus, today I’m reminded of all the brokenness in our world and the broken people that continue to struggle to find true meaning and purpose in life.
However, I also realize that through Your mercy I have found complete healing and freedom from the brokenness of my our sin. So, why do I struggle so hard with giving away that which you so freely gave me?
I don’t want to be selfish or stingy with your love, grace, and mercy. Actually I want to have the spiritual courage to share my testimony with the dirtiest and most hard core sinners. So, today Lord help me to pause before judging my neighbor to consider their need for spiritual healing and hope. Bring me face to face with someone who is truly broken, no matter how uncomfortable and out of my comfort zone it could take and make me. I want to represent you to the Zacchaeus’ of this world who just need someone to recognize their broken and battered heart inside a shell of false self-confidence and pride. I ask you to give me divine opportunities today to share YOU with this broken world. Amen.

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August 20, 2012 · 7:14 AM

People Matter

On the wall in the church that I attend, there is a huge banner that reads “People Matter”. When I look up at that each Sunday, I wonder how many people truly believe that. If people matter to us, then we need to look beyond ourselves and start helping others. We have to put the needs of others ahead of our own. If people truly matter, then as Christians, we need to start acting like it.

We need to start loving others and doing for them what we do for ourselves. We need to start showing them the love of Christ. We need to go out of our way to help others instead of going out of our way to avoid them. You cannot love them from afar. Jesus didn’t do it that way and neither should we.

I’ve heard it said several times that nothing spells “love” like T-I-M-E. Spending time with others not only builds relationships, it shows you care. If you are to win the lost, you are going to have to invest your time with others who need to know you care before they hear what you’re saying. How can we care about their eternity if we don’t care about who they are now? Jesus went into the homes of others to spend time with them. After he built a relationship with them, they were open to hear His message.

Another thing Jesus did to show that people matter was that He shared His knowledge with them. He went into the temple from the time he was a boy to share what He knew with everyone. He was not afraid to take his message to the streets either. He spent more time sharing with others outside of the temple than inside. Even with doing all of that, He still took time to pour Himself into those closest to Him.

We should be meeting with others regularly to share our experiences and knowledge with them. Each of us has been through situations and have a unique perspective on things. Don’t be afraid to share what you’ve learned with someone else. You should constantly be pouring yourself into someone else as well putting yourself into a position to be poured into. If you are not mentoring someone or are not being mentored, you are robbing yourself and someone else of blessings.

Jesus also showed that people mattered by using his talents and gifts for their good. Each one of us has a talent or gift that we can use for others. Using what you have been freely given to help someone else is powerful. Matthew 10:8 says, “Go and announce the Kingdom of Heaven. Heal the sick, raise the dead…Give as freely as you have received.” You may not have the gifts listed in this scripture, but you do have the gifts God has given you. Use them.

An investment of yourself, your time, your gifts or your knowledge in someone else always pays dividends. It is never a bad investment. When Jesus said, “it is more blessed to give than to receive”, He was talking about more than money. He was talking about us giving our time to others, our listening ear, our gifts, our knowledge from experiences and our resources.

Who do you know that needs your help today? What have you gone through in your life that God can use to help someone else? What gifts and talents do you possess that need to be used by God for someone else’s good? Go out today looking for someone to help. It doesn’t have to be a long drawn out process. It can be as simple as a word of encouragement. Show someone today that they matter to you and to God.

Prayer provided by Michael Moak.

Dear Lord,
Thank you for your strength today and how You always know the condition of my heart and spirit. I pray today for my unsaved loved ones and friends. I pray for those who do not confess you as the Lord of their life, nor do they honor Your word through their actions and decisions. I ask for You to reveal Yourself to them with power and purpose while overshadowing their family with Your perfect peace. Help me to be an example of Your loving grace and Your undeserved forgiveness so they might see You through my simple faith. I ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

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August 15, 2012 · 12:38 PM

Freedom of Forgiveness

Have you ever offended someone unknowingly? I have. I’ll never forget when a husband of a friend of mine was helping me out. We were talking about something and then he stopped and looked at me. He said, ” Do you not even realize what you did to us? You’ve invited me over to help you, you’re sitting here talking like nothing’s wrong and you did…. to us.”. I was shocked and hurt at the same time. I hadn’t realized that my actions had offended because they had acted like nothing was wrong for so long.

I think he could tell from my reaction that I was unaware that I had offended them. He wrapped up what he was doing and left. I was sitting their wondering what just happened. I finally realized that I had been wrong and later went to him and her for forgiveness. How we both handled it affected our relationship from then on.

Forgiveness is something we want from others, but have trouble giving to others. None of us are perfect. That means we all mess up and at times offend or hurt someone else. I’ve done it and you’ve done it. How do we handle seeking or giving forgiveness though? Why is one so much harder than the other?

Seeking forgiveness can be difficult too. It requires that you humble yourself, admit that you made a mistake and then go to that person to admit it. It is against human nature to do that. Don’t believe me? Tell a young child to apologize to someone and watch what happens. Most kids 2 years and up have a hard time apologizing. We don’t like to admit we were wrong. Period.

Seeking forgiveness is important though. Many people, like my friend, may never tell you until the damage is irreparable. If you knowingly hurt someone, you need to go to them and ask for forgiveness. Put the ball in their court. Give them the choice to forgive you or not. It’s important that you recognize what you’ve done and that you’re truly sorry. That goes a long way towards receiving forgiveness from others.

What about when someone hurts or offends us? How quickly are we willing to forgive? We typically judge ourselves on our intentions and others on their actions. When someone comes to us for forgiveness, we need to forgive them. I say that as someone who has been cut to the bone by someone else by an unforgivable act. If we choose not to forgive, we allow ourselves to be consumed with bitterness. It affects every area of our lives. Giving forgiveness when it is least deserved offers the greatest freedom.

Forgiving someone when they don’t ask is even harder. Inside, you want them to be sorry for what they did and to have that closure that they know it was a mistake and you forgive them. Just because they don’t come knocking on your door for forgiveness doesn’t mean you don’t have to forgive. Jesus said in Matthew 18:15 that is someone offends you that you should go to them and clear it up. Yes, you should initiate it. If they listen, you have gained them back.

Life is too short to hold grudges against people. There is freedom in forgiveness. Each one of us have sinned against God and He has not held that against us. He offers forgiveness to us no matter how bad we have wronged Him. In fact, Romans 5:8 says that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He provided a model for us. Forgive others even when they don’t deserve it. We’d like to be forgiven even when we don’t deserve it. Who do you need to forgive today to get your freedom back?

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August 13, 2012 · 8:54 AM

Reasons to Hope

Hope. It’s a small word that does big things. It’s a light when we are surrounded by darkness. It can sustain us in times of intense despair. It’s one of the amazing things in life that can keep us going when we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve clung to it many times in my life to help pull me through the darkest days of my life.

Maybe you’re in a situation right now that seems hopeless. Where You can’t seem to find anything worth living for or a reason to get you through the day. It’s tough. It’s lonely. Without hope is no way to live. It only takes a small amount of hope to make a big change in your life. Hope can make all the difference in your situation.

Here are three areas I’ve found reason to hope.

Hope for victory

Gene Kranz, flight director of Apollo 13, famously said, “Failure is not an option.” I’m here to tell you that defeat is not an option. You cannot open the door to defeat. Defeat is the enemy of hope. You may feel defeated in your situation right now, but there is still hope for victory for you no matter what.

Anytime you are caught in a battle, there is hope for victory. When there is no hope for victory, surrender is your only option. While hope remains, we fight on. You can be victorious in your situation. II Corinthians 2:14 says, “Now thanks be unto God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ!” Even when it doesn’t feel like it, you have the hope of victory through Christ.

2. Hope for healing

I remember being holed up in the ICU waiting room at M.D. Anderson while my mom was battling cancer. There was a group of us who lived in that room. The group was constantly evolving. You only moved out for one of two reason. Either your loved one got better and moved out of ICU or they didn’t. Every day we as strangers would share what little hope we had gotten that day: a blink, a hand grasp, a clean CAT scan. One person’s hope would be enough for all of us.

We have a hope for healing through Christ. Isaiah 53:5 tells us that with the stripes that wounded Christ, we are healed and made whole. We can believe and hope in that healing because of the pain He endured. I believe in God’s ability and willingness to heal today even though I was one of the ones who left that waiting room for the other reason. Now, I sit in Heaven’s waiting room with the hope of seeing her again.

3. Hope for Heaven

If you believe that Jesus came to this earth as the Son of God, lived a sinless life, died on the cross to pay the price for your sins and the was resurrected from death in order to give you life, you can have the hope of going to Heaven. There is not one of us who are worthy to go, but through the death of Christ on the cross, we receive the righteousness required to enter.

Once you believe in Jesus, that hope is translated to absolute knowledge. I John 5:12,13 tell us that whoever has the Son has life and these things were written so that we may know we have eternal life. You do not have to wonder if you are worthy enough or if you are going to Heaven. You can know it, but you have to believe in Him. There is hope for you!

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August 9, 2012 · 3:14 PM

Trials, Tests and Scars

Each of us will have difficult times in our lives. Some of us experience short bursts of hard times while others, it seems, are destined to live a life of hardships. I’m not sure why it happens this way, but I do know that in either case, it doesn’t mean that one person is better than the other. Matthew 5:45 says that it rains on the just and the unjust alike.

Whether you’ve experienced minimal hardships in life or you have so many deep wounds that you are covered by scars, there is reason and purpose behind your pain. For years I hid my pain and scars. I closed that chapter in my life so that it became like a dream rather than the reality it was. I never wanted to revisit it again until Dave Roever came and spoke at our church. After he told his story, he said, “Don’t hide your scars for in them are life and healing for others.”

Here are a few examples of why you may be going through things that create scars.

1. To test us

Testing is way to show what we are made of. It also cements deep within us what we already know. God can use difficult times in our lives to solidify our faith. It’s not until we are tested and tried that we know how strong our faith is. Difficult times not only build our character, they also reveal it. Times of testing are necessary for us to know how deep our faith is. If it is shallow, we will cast it aside. If it is deep, hard times will strengthen our faith and trust in God.

Job experienced this in his life. He lost everything he had in one day. His kids, his animals, his possessions and his health all were taken from him. He was going through a huge test because God knew he could endure it. God knows how much you can take too and allows what you can handle to happen at times. Passing these times of testing prove, solidify and grow our faith.

2. To correct us

Every one of us has been corrected in this life because someone thought enough of us to put us back on the right track. When we wander from our faith or neglect to do what God asks of us, He cares enough about you that He will do what it takes to get us back on track. Even though it hurts, we should be thankful for our times of correction. They prove that God still deems you worthy to use even when you mess up.

When Jonah disobeyed, God sent a windy storm, a whale and a worm to get his attention. It takes some us longer to accept the correction and to get where God wants us. Hebrews 12:6 tells us that God corrects and disciplines everyone He loves. Your trial may be God showing you that He loves you enough to get you back to where you belong.

3. To prove His love

Romans 8:35 asks if suffering, affliction, tribulation or distress can separate us from God’s love. The answer given is no, but Paul said it in an interested way. He said, “For I am persuaded beyond doubt that… nothing can separate us from God’s love.”. How was he persuaded? God had to prove that to him to the point that it was beyond all doubt. The only way it was proven was that he endured all of those things.

When we go through storms in our lives we see that God is right there with us. He has not and will not forsake us. In our times of trouble, when it seems we are all alone, He is there with you. You are not in this storm alone. The storm you’re in may be what it takes to persuade you beyond all doubt that nothing you go through will separate you from His love.

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