The Purposes of Trials

I've been privileged to lead a Bible study on Genesis at Highland Ridge Senior Living Community since the first of the year. Taking one chapter at a time, we've nearly made it half way through, though the lessons go far beyond our time together!

As we've looked at Abraham, the question has come up repeatedly: Why would God allow such difficult things in the life of a Christian? Though it's a gross injustice to the process we've been in (because it's taken weeks to arrive at our conclusions and only moments to type them), I believe that today we hit upon some keys - keys that are just as true today as they were who knows how many thousands of years ago when Abraham undoubtedly wrestled with the same question. Here's our conclusions:

• To Develop Our Faith - 1 Peter 1:7. Faith, like a muscle, must not only be exercised in order to grow, it must also be pushed beyond it's current limits. Without question, trials do this!

• To Reveal Us to Us - Hebrews 4:12. God knows us, so He is not out to test us so that He can see what we're made of. No, rather, He allows trials so that we can see what we're made of - do we actually practice what we say we believe when the heat is on? Or do we have a lot more growing to do than we like to let on? Once we've seen ourselves accurately, God's grace to us takes on a whole new meaning!

• To Reveal God to Us - Isaiah 55:8-9. Sadly, it is often only when we feel we have no other option that we turn to God and ask for help. Fortunately, He is more than ready to step in...after our faith has grown and we've seen ourselves clearly.

Believe it or not, God often allows these tough times because He loves us, and His love will not allow us to be less than we can be (love never does). I don't know what you are facing right now, but whatever it is, embrace it as an opportunity to Grow your Faith, Get a good look at Yourself, and see God in a totally new and bigger Way!

God's Word

"The word of God is like a mirror in that it shows us who we really are. It is like a map because it shows us where we need to go. It is like a portrait for it paints for us a picture of who God is."

The truth of the statement above can be seen in these tendencies (shared by me):

• Far too many people stay away from God's Word for fear of what reflection they may behold in the "mirror." While seeing ourselves as we are can be a bit intimidating, only in doing so will we ever get to be what we're designed to become!
• Far too many people stay away from God's Word because they don't like someone offering counsel on what to do (or where to "drive"). Insisting in going wherever they want to go, they, sadly, never get to the destination that their heart longs for!
• And finally, far too many people stay away from God's Word because of what they think God looks like (judgmental, harsh, unfair, narrow-minded). In staying with what they think He is like, they never get to know what He is truly like!

Don't be like "far too many people"! Take a good look in the "mirror" and you'll see who you are and who you are becoming; where to go and the benefits of going; who God is and who He desires to be in your life!