The Trial of Your Faith. Part [3] 03/28/2024 (Evening thought)

Hebrews 12: 5 You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks unto you as unto children, “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.” 6 For whom The Lord loves he chastens, and He scourges every son whom he receives.

In order to stand the test of trial, the Christian must be brought to the place where we can take a series of buffetings by the enemy, and yet remain resilient and calm, knowing that God is working out His good purposes in us. If there is no trial of your faith, then, according to the Bible, something must be wrong.

In most cases, the trial of your faith is not permitted to take place continually, with no letting up, but, at some point in time, or another, the Christian must, and will be tried, for it is only those who are tested, who would eventually enter the pearly gates. Trials reveal one’s loyalty, and can bring out the best, or sometimes the worst in us.

If trials bring out the best in us, God is glorified and devils are defeated, but if they bring out the worst in us, if we end up kicking, and screaming at God in the process, then the trial reveals that there is more work to be done in character building, and it is often the case that the next trial may be more severe than the previous one. Thus, all are encouraged to pass the very first test, the first time around.

Hebrews 12:7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you, as with sons; for what son is he whom the father does not correct? 8 But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are you bastards, and not sons.

May God add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!

The Trial of Your Faith. Part [2] 03/27/2024 (Morning thought)

Matthew 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward hungry. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

The Christian wins his or her battles on their knees, and thus, are given the victory, before the herd of devils come running your way. Christ fasted and He prayed for forty days, before the temptations in the wilderness, and the strength He received in private prepared Him for whatsoever satan would throw at Him. The same is true of the you and me in the here and now for it’s by spending quality time in the audience chamber of The Most-High, that we’re prepared for conflict, which at times may seem to come at us out of the blue, from nowhere.

God only allows trials that we can win if we take the necessary steps in preparation, like Jesus did, for it is not God’s will that we be tried arbitrarily, for no reason and thus, it is incumbent upon us to follow Christ’s lead, so that if and when things go downhill out of the blue, the trial of your faith could be met with commensurate strength, resilience and faith in God.

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 460] The heart must be renewed by divine grace, or it will be in vain to seek for purity of life. He who attempts to build up a noble, virtuous character independent of the grace of Christ is building his house upon the shifting sand. In the fierce storms of temptation it will surely be overthrown.

1st Corinthians 10: 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!