Living on this side of heaven presents many challenges. There are ups
and downs in life and people who don’t have a relationship with God will
blame Him for troubles when things go wrong, but they don’t give Him
credit when things go right. What’s even sadder is when a Christian
follows that same pattern.
A lie has been going around, probably started by Satan, that life
becomes a bed of roses once you accept Christ. That just isn’t true. In
fact, the testing of faith in the one true God has gone on for thousands
of years. Think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego whose faith was
tested by fire. They refused to bow down and worship false gods and were
thrown into a fiery furnace.
“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the
burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy
gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” (Daniel
3:17-18)
Their faith was tested but God preserved them and they were not even
singed in that furnace. Throughout Scripture we read about many men and
women who loved God but faced many trials, so we shouldn’t expect
perfect circumstances in our own lives. Illness, the death of a loved
one, the loss of a job, persecution, and financial difficulties are just
some of the things we face that can cause us to question God. These
circumstances may test our faith, but a Christian can be assured that
whatever testing we face, God is with us.
The way a Christian handles trouble matters because other people learn
from us. When I was very young I woke up one Saturday morning and was
thrilled to see my grandmother in our home. She seldom left her house,
so to have her in my living room was exciting. She pulled me onto her
lap and gave me a hug and gently told me that there had been a car
accident and my fourteen year old brother had been killed.
My joy turned to disbelief and sorrow. My grandmother could have shown
me her own despair, but instead she explained that my brother was now
with Jesus and one day we would see him again.
“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my
strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my
salvation, and my high tower.” (Psalm 18:2)
Grandma helped build a strong foundation of faith in me, which is with
me to this day. We need to have faith that God is on His throne and
nothing will defeat us as long as we stand strong in Him. Since the time
of my brother’s death I’ve faced much sorrow and grief from the deaths
of many people I loved dearly, but because my grandmother helped me
through the death of my brother, I have a strong faith that those I love
who died knowing Christ are truly alive.
My faith was strengthened because someone took the time to teach me
about faith in a time of testing. We all have that opportunity. People
all around us face trials and tribulation and need the strength and
comfort we can share. Do we help their faith or do we feed their
anguish? Jesus never said that if we follow Him life will be easy. In
fact He said just the opposite.
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In
the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer; I have
overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
The Greek word “thlipsis” is translated in this verse as “tribulation”
but in other verses it’s translated affliction, trouble, anguish,
persecution, and burdened. This doesn’t mean that a Christian’s life
should be one of despair. We have every reason to have joy. No matter
what we face, Jesus is our joy and our salvation. Keeping focused on
Jesus will keep our joy from being squelched. We have the blessed hope
of knowing Christ as our Savior and no matter what happens in this life
He will see us through. He has overcome the world and in Him we have
eternal life.
People who walk close to God always seem to handle adversity in a
victorious way. The first thing they do is pray. When we talk with God
He listens. The trick is that when He talks to us, we need to listen. We
can’t just pray and wait for God to do it all for us. The Israelites
were hungry as they wandered in the wilderness and complained about how
much better they had been in slavery. They had very short memories!
“Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven
for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every
day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.”
(Exodus 16:4)
They were tested to be sure they put their faith in God. God provided
the manna but they had to gather it. You may be tested if the company
you work for is about to close and you’ll be out of a job. Pray that God
will open doors for you to find another job, but get out there and look.
Do you have a medical condition that needs attention? Pray for God’s
healing. Scripture tells about people being miraculously healed and
those aren’t just stories or folklore, they are true stories about real
people. God still heals today. It isn’t wrong to pray for healing, but
seeking medical attention is important. God will always do His part, but
we need to do ours.
Few people have suffered as much as Job. He lost everything, boils
covered his body, and he had friends who were less than helpful. After
much soul searching he was able to say:
“For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the
latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this
body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and
mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed
within me.” (Job 19:25-27)
Do you have the faith to say that? When you suddenly fall off the
mountain top into the valley of the shadow of death, do you know with
all your heart that your Redeemer lives? It took Job some time and a bit
of a pity party before he realized that no matter what he lost, even if
he himself died, he would see God. He knew his Redeemer lives. Job did
make it through his ordeal and God restored everything to him. Even so,
Job eventually did die. He was mortal like all of us but when his faith
was tested he trusted God and we can be sure that he indeed is with his
Redeemer.
You may not be facing any big problems, but feelings of doubt and
weakness can test your faith just like financial ruin or health
troubles. Ask fellow Christians to pray for you. Paul faced many
challenges in his walk with Christ, and at one point he “despaired of
life.”
“For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came
to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength,
insomuch that we despaired even of life: but we had the sentence of
death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God
which raiseth the dead: who delivered us from so great a death, and doth
deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.” (2 Corinthians
1:8-10)
He didn’t go into detail about the cause of his troubles but we can draw
encouragement from his faith in whatever we face. Our strength is in God
and even if things look as if there’s no way out, don’t despair. Focus
on Jesus and let Him lead you. Many times Paul asked for prayer, but it
wasn’t as easy for him to ask to be put on a prayer list as it is for us
today.
We have email and texts but for Paul prayer requests traveled at a slow
speed. I have a friend that I know I can count on to pray when I need
it. My first action when my faith is being tested is to send her an
email asking her for prayers. She does the same when she faces testing.
Even though she lives many, many miles away our Christian faith binds
us. We both know that God hears our prayer.
The harshest test of my faith has always been the death of a loved one.
My prayers were for healing, but one of the hardest things to accept is
that God’s will isn’t always mine. I prayed for healing so I could
continue in this life with them, but God’s will was that they go Home to
be in a place where there is no more pain, suffering, and where faith
will no longer be tested.
I’m thankful that my loved ones died knowing Christ. They are with Him
now. One day it will be my turn to go Home. My children can rest assured
that even though my faith has been tested many times in life, I have
come through being stronger in my faith.
“For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)
When I’m called Home it will be into everlasting life. When that time
comes my children’s faith will be tested, but like my grandmother told
me so many years ago, because we know Jesus—one day we will all be
together again.
My fondest desire is that my children and friends will see in me a
strength of faith that only comes through growth in the dark valleys of
testing. I pray they will see Christ’s love in me and that it will
strengthen their own faith. If the testing of my faith can help someone
else to find strength to face their own trials, then God is glorified.
“Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to
comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we
ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound
in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.” (2 Corinthians
1:4-5)
Each time we go through a valley we have an opportunity to learn more
about God’s grace and mercy. If we learn the lesson that comes through
testing we will be able to help someone else to cope when they face
testing.
Is your faith being tested? Are you watching someone you love having
their faith tested?
Ask Jesus to guide you through the valley you’re traveling through.
“So that we may boldly say, ‘The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear
what man shall do unto me.’” (Hebrews 13:6)
He will lead you to victory.