The Purpose of Trials

Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange (unusual and alien to you and your position) were befalling you. But insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, rejoice, so that when His gory [full of radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may also rejoice with triumph [exultantly]. I Peter 4:12-13 AMP

Trials Refine Our Faith

It seems like just about everyone that I talk to lately is going through some type of trial. My husband and I have been going through back to back trials and it seems that no matter how much we pray, rebuke the enemy, etc. things don’t change, instead they seem to have gotten worse. Then, I have to remind myself what the Bible says about trials…that we should not think they are something strange or foreign to us. God has a purpose for what He allows. Trials refine our faith like gold that has to be refined by fire. As a matter of fact, James said that we should be joyful when we encounter trials. James, chapter one, says the following:

Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4 AMP

Trials Develop Character

So, the purpose of a trial is to develop our character, to bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. It doesn’t feel good when you’re going through it, but eventually, it produces good results. We would like it all to be over quickly, but that’s not usually how it works. We are into microwaving, but God is into marinating, doing a thorough work and that takes time.

Psalm 94 says the following:

Blessed is the man whom you discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of your law, that you may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity until the pit of corruption is dug for the wicked. Psalm 94:12-13 AMP

Trials are Preparation for the Future

When God is going to use someone to lead, pastor, etc., it takes a lot of preparation and character development. Moses spent 40 years on the back side of the dessert being prepared to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt and into the promised land. After being given a dream about the call on his life for leadership and what would happen in the future, Joseph was rejected by his brothers and thrown into a pit, spent many years serving as a slave and then being falsely accused and thrown into prison before the time came for the Lord to use Him and fulfill what He had shown Him in his dreams. It’s not easy, but we have to trust that the Lord has a purpose and He will fulfill what He has promised at the proper time. But, it’s God’s timing and not our own.

I believe harder times are coming and what we are going through is preparation for those times. We can’t lead or pastor others during difficult times if we have not been through anything ourselves first. God bless and keep you all. Stay strong.

In Christ ~ Kelly Rowe