One of the most difficult questions at times of troubles is the question of why. Now it is question that comes easy, but it is one that is often a difficult one to answer.
Why did this have to happen now? Why in the world is this happening to me?
Perhaps some of us have been taught that it is spiritually “taboo” to ask God why we must endure certain trials.
Yet I am reminded that God is a loving and caring Father who does not abandon His children in their quest for understanding when life suddenly happens around us.
I am a strong believer that God is no beyond our questions and that in a search for wisdom He welcomes our inquiries, for at the very least it engages us in conversation with God.
We have a great example in the scriptures of a man that lost everything and was even inflicted with great personal suffering, and yet in his time of struggle he never stops trusting in God although he did as the question why.
God knows we have feelings. He knows that changing life circumstances often will elicit passionate reactions from us, some good and some the result of the natural human inclination to find out why.
Our God designed life to be experienced not in vacuum, but in an environment where He is the only real constant.
In fact I believe that it is through life experience that we learn of God’s Majesty and greatness.
Our character is often sorely tested without warning; we are often at loss to even find words to describe our situation, so we sometimes shrug our shoulders and just say, “stuff happens” or as I say “life happens”.
Given the inescapable fact that we must not only face trials in this life, but also tackle all that comes with going through them, it is easy to feel as if we are being treated unfairly.
Many times we may not say it out loud, but we feel like giving up and you see this despair often leads to depression. This leads to inactivity, apathy and simply not caring anymore concerning our Christian faith.
Yet I suggest to you today that God has created a built in purpose for each trial He allows in our lives.
Even those that seem to hurt so much, even and especially for them, God has made a purpose.
You see God uses our trials as opportunities for us to embrace our moments of greatness. True Greatness is defined not by our acquisitions or abilities but by one’s desire to serve Christ. Point in case, Moses was transformed from fugitive to fearless leader.
The key thing to remember is that regardless what we may be going through God is doing something in us and for us.
But we may say, isn’t there another way to learn these lessons?
I think the reason that God acts the way he does is because from time to time we need to be refined. From time to time we push God away and walk away from His plan and he needs to allow the unthinkable at times to get our attentions. Because nothing else will.
You see when life is going well, we tend to think we don’t need God and so we push him aside, but then when trouble comes it is he whom we run to. And unfortunately our actions carry unthinkable consequences.
But even at times life does just happen, without anything of our fault or anything we have done. After all the scriptures tell us that the rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous.
You see we live in a world of sin a world ruled by the devil and that sin that evil is constantly looking to for whom it may devour.
When it comes to our trial in our passage for today I can see at least three important lessons that God wants us to understand as we go through trials and tribulations:
I. Through our trial God is Accomplishing His Original Plan
Do you remember God’s original plan for man?
In Genesis we read that God created man and in the cool of the day he and Adam would walk in the garden and fellowship. God’s purpose then for us has always been for us to be in right relationship with Him; something that was interrupted by sin.
However, fortunately for us, our failure did not cause God to take His eye off of the prize. Although we do from time to time God never gives up on us, in fact he is our best cheerleader, always cheering us on even when we are at our lowest point.
You see God does not detour, just because we do not cooperate. He remains persistent in His plan for our lives and even our disobedience or disrespect do not deter him from restoring us to full fellowship with Him.
This is why James in his epistle can say to us, “Count it all joy, when you fall into various trials…” Because God is intending to use that trial to restore the joy of our relationship with Him. You see God wants to take us to deeper depths and higher heights in Him.
Just like Gold must be refined in fire to increase its value, from time to time God allows us to go through personal fires and sometimes physical ones in order to improve us!
James goes on to make it clear that God does not give us trouble for trouble’s sake; it is not an end in itself.
You see, I believe that outlook determines outcome, and attitude determines action. (repeat)
God tells us to expect trials. It is not if you fall into various testings but when you fall into various testings.
The believer who expects his Christian life to be easy is in for a shock. Jesus warned His disciples, “In the world you shall have tribulation” (John 16:33).
Paul told his converts that “we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).
Because we are God’s “scattered people” and not God’s “sheltered people,” we must experience trials. We cannot always expect everything to go our way.
Peter emphasizes this in his first letter: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you” (1 Peter 4:12).
As we said Satan fights us, the world opposes us, and this makes for a life of battle.
The trials of life however, are not all alike; they are like multicolored yarn that the weaver uses to make a beautiful rug. God arranges and mixes the colors and experiences of life. The final product is a beautiful thing for His glory.
The key word count in this verse is a financial term, and it means “to evaluate.” Paul used it several times in Philippians 3. When Paul became a Christian, he evaluated his life and set new goals and priorities.
Things that were once important to him became “garbage” in the light of his experience with Christ. When we face the trials of life, we must evaluate them in the light of what God is doing for us and how he is attempting to restore his purpose in us.
This explains then why the committed Christian can have joy in the midst of trials: he lives for the things that matter most.
Even our Lord was able to endure the cross because of “the joy that was set before Him” (Heb. 12:2), the joy of returning to heaven and one day sharing His glory with His established church.
Our values determine our evaluations. If we value comfort more than character, then trials will upset us.
If we value the material and physical more than the spiritual, we will not be able to “count it all joy.”
If we live only for the present and forget the future, then trials will make us bitter, not better.
So, when trials come, immediately give thanks to the Lord and adopt a joyful attitude. Do not pretend; do not try self-hypnosis; simply look at trials through the eyes of faith. Outlook determines outcome; to end with joy, begin with joy.
“But how,” we may ask, “is it possible to rejoice in the midst of trials, suffering and often pain?”
Friends this is only possible when we realize our second key lesson from our scripture today and that is that…
II. God is Building our Patience
God allows our trials to build our ability to wait. Not to wait and complain, but to wait with the earnest expectation that the hope within us will be fulfilled.
I have often believed that when trials come our way and we fail those potential test or restoring opportunities similar trials will continue to come until we get it.
But when we approach it with God’s purpose in mind we can be victorious in our every situation. Because Christ is already victorious over life and death!
The only way to a patient walk with God is to wait on Him. Yet we wait not in vain, for in reference to waiting, God has attached some promises to those who wait on Him:
Psalms 27:14 - Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart.
Psalms 37:9 - For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth.
Psalms 37:34 - Wait on the LORD, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land.
Isaiah 40:31 - But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
When we wait on God we develop our patience and most importantly we come to recognize that God is God!!!
Instead of singing the blues realize that God is doing something in you even in the most difficult of situations. He is indeed turning evil or bad for good in your life.
God has a goal in mind—you can count on that. In Hebrews 12 we see that one method God uses in the life of the believer is chastening, which literally means “child training.”
Trials are meaningless, suffering is senseless, and testing is irrational unless there is some good purpose for them. God says there is a reason for them, and it is a good reason.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
This does not necessarily mean that we will understand what purpose God has in it. This is the test of our faith. After all we walk by faith and not by sight.
What are some of the purposes served in the testing of faith? In this epistle, James says that testing is the proof positive of genuine faith.
God tests our faith for a purpose: Knowing this, that the trying of your faith produces patience. He tests us in order that He might produce patience in our lives, which consequently is a fruit of His Spirit. God’s indwelling presence us.
What then should we as Christians know that makes it easier to face trials and benefit from them?
Faith is always tested. When God called Abraham to live by faith, He tested him in order to increase his faith. God always tests us to bring out the best.
Testing works for us, not against us. The word trying can be translated “approval.” Again, Peter helps us understand it better: “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes” (1 Peter 1:7).
The only way the Lord can develop patience and character in our lives is through trials.
Endurance cannot be attained by reading a book, listening to a sermon, or even praying a prayer. We must go through the difficulties of life, trusting God, and obeying Him.
The result will be patience and character. Knowing this, we can face trials joyfully. We know what trials will do in us and for us, and we know that the end result will bring glory to God.
This fact explains why studying the Bible helps us grow in patience. As we read about Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, and even our Lord, we realize that God has a purpose in trials.
God fulfills His purposes as we trust Him.
But can we still ask why? Of course, as long as you need an answer ask why…
Which brings us to our third key lesson for today and that is that in our trials and tribulations…
III. God is Teaching Us How To Be Mature
God’s ultimate goal for man was to build a creature that was complete, and mature in his relationship with his Creator.
He did not intend to build the whiny, feeling sorry for myself creatures we see at times in the mirror; but He wanted mature creatures who could choose to love Him, choose to love those around them, and choose to love themselves – NO MATTER WHAT!
How far we have deviated from God’s plan! Not only do we not properly demonstrate our love for God and others with a “no matter what attitude”, we don’t even love ourselves at times.
When will we learn that God’s purpose is our maturity? Perhaps the reason we are going through trials is that we have a different purpose in mind than that of God.
God says grow up, yet we desire to remain “Toys-R-Us” kids in reference to our spiritual lives… I don’t wanna grow up…
God says patience is an indication of maturity, the more patience you have, the more mature you are in Christ.
The church that Christ died to established needs mature Christians who know that every lost battle is not a lost war; who know that the battle is not theirs but the Lord’s; Christians whose goal is to glorify the Lord in the midst of persecution; who will stand and speak in the doorway of the lion’s den – that for God I live and God I die.
We need true followers of Jesus who are not ashamed to say, for me to live is Christ and for me to die is gain…
It is patience which will make you a full–grown Christian, but how does God produce patience in you?
The very interesting thing is that patience as we previously said is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. You will never become patient by trying to be patient, but neither will the Holy Spirit place it on a silver platter and offer it to you as a gift. Patience comes and it is produced through suffering and testing.
Christian without patience speaks of a Christians that has never really grown up in their faith. Do you want to know the reason for all of the criticizing, turmoil, tension, and the lack of growth in our churches today? The reason is that many Christians have not grown up and have not matured in Christ.
Psalm 131:1–2 David basically said, “I found out I had to grow up. I needed to get off milk and start eating porterhouse steak. I needed to eat of the Bread of Life.” God tested David, and that testing enabled him to grow up.
Paul wrote in Romans that patience is one of the results of being justified by faith: There is a purpose in it all, you see.
There are many shallow and superficial saints today. There are many who are insecure as Christians. There are believers who try to merely be intellectuals and who question the Word of God and it’s all because they have never grown up in their walk with Christ.
God gives testing and trials to produce patience in our lives and that we might become full–grown children of God. How we need that today…
God must allow trouble so that we learn patience, which will also produce hope and love in the lives of men and women.
God cannot build our character without our cooperation.
God’s goal for our lives is restoring us to a working relationship with him and this is possible through the persevering of our faith which produces maturity in us.
God must work in us before He can work through us.
God spent twenty-five years working in Abraham before He could give him his promised son.
God worked thirteen years in Joseph’s life, putting him into “various testings” before He could put him on the throne of Egypt.
He spent eighty years preparing Moses for forty years of service.
Our Lord took three years training His disciples, building their character and preparing them for service.
But God cannot work in us without our consent. There must be a surrendered will. The mature Christian does not argue with God’s will; instead, he accepts it willingly and obeys it joyfully.
One difficult stage of maturing is weaning. A child being weaned is sure that his mother no longer loves him and that everything is against him. But in reality, weaning is a step toward maturity and liberty. It is good for the child!
Sometimes God has to wean His children away from their childish toys and immature attitudes.
Sometimes God uses trials to wean us away from childish things; but if we do not surrender to Him, we will become even more immature.
You see in the end we are restored to God’s purpose for us, through our trials our patience is developed and strengthen and as a result we become mature in our faith and in our service to God.
No matter how difficult your situation is, I encourage us all this morning to indeed count it all joy because it means God is actively seeking our attention.
In fact in 1 Corinthians 10:13 we have a great promise for our times of trials it reads: No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
So can we continue to ask why? Of course! God is seeking us out to restore us and that won’t happen until we make our choice to be restored by him.
Is life hard times? Do we feel that maybe our load is more than we can bear? I have asked these questions myself before. And from time to time I am reminded of the story of Job and how although he had not done a thing wrong, a test came to his life.
A test that caused him to lose his family and his home and properties and animals and even caused him to develop a serious illness and did he ask why? Yes he did… but in the end he never doubted God and ultimately God restored him to his previous condition and even added to his numbers and blessings. Because Job gave glory to God!
We can trust in God today that although we need to go through trials that he is always there with us and has nothing but the best intentions in minds for us.
Jeremiah 29:11 reminds of this when we read: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
All that is required is our obedience and our faith in a creator whom wants nothing more than to restore us to our righteous place as his beloved creation. Will you trust in God even in the most difficult of times?
Maybe you need to come forward and kneel at this altar today and make that commitment to God.
He is waiting for each of us to make this move, don’t waste any more time and commit to God’s purpose today and begin to once again bring glory to him in everything you do.
You take this step of faith now as we pray.
