Two-minute read.
Rejoicing during trials doesn’t come naturally to anyone. When people have their faith tested, it purifies them, drawing them closer to God. Whether troubles from without or struggles from within, such as temptations, they give us a choice of how we approach them. Considering them as an opportunity for great joy happens when we keep our eyes on the Savior, trusting that whatever the situation, He will use it for His good and refine us through it.
Because of my history with blood clots, I’m on a blood thinner and must regularly check my levels. At the beginning of the year, Ron and I fast and pray for the year ahead. In addition, our church does a fast. As a result, my diet changed, causing my blood to thicken. When I tested my blood and discovered the change on a Wednesday, I called my doctor, who was out that day, so I had to wait over 24 hours for a response. The condition caused an unexpected trial from within me, as I battled anxiety. But then God.
After calling in my numbers to the doctor’s office, I lay it at the foot of the cross, trusting the Lord. Instead of focusing on what could happen, or did happen, I set my eyes on the One who controls it all. The Creator gives us the breath in our lungs, each day we live, because He chose us to live. And my faith grew as I released the situation to the Savior and focused on Him.
Everyone has a trial going on in their life, some big, some small. God never stops working; He refines us through our struggles. Dealing with a terminal illness or tragedy can veer us off the straight and narrow, but we have a Savior who chases after us, drawing us to Him. We may not see how good can come from the situation, but faith believes without seeing. We can trust the Lord to carry us through the storm and bring beauty from ashes. Like the owner of the business where I rent space for my shops, who, from the murder of her child, focused her eyes on God, and created a store that brings beauty into the world from the ashes of her loss.
Look up, seek Jesus as you face the trials of this world. As your faith gets tested, your endurance will grow, and you will discover a grace that helps you persevere. God never leaves nor forsakes you; He walks with you through the valleys and enables you to reach the mountaintop once again.
Journal Questions:
What trial brought you closer to God as you went through it?
How has the testing of your faith grown your endurance?
In what ways can you consider your current opportunity for joy?
Application:
Grow perseverance with gratitude.
