Trials # 2

Trials # 2

There are trials that come to us as the result of the acts or attitudes of others. How few are man's kindnesses to his fellow man! How great his inhumanity! How much of the human distress is needless and comes only by the selfish or evil acts of others!

Christ said that we should not marvel if the world hates us. Neither should we marvel if it should act out its hatred in malicious persecution. Our Lord has told us that offenses must come. To be a Christian, means to be a target for the world's hatred. We can count persecution as a part of our Christian heritage. Sometimes we shall have cruel mockings and have our names cast out as evil. We cannot endure these things without some sense of pain. How much we suffer under them, will depend on how we meet them. If we praise God and go resolutely on our way - then strength will be given us, and we shall overcome, and instead of hindering us, persecution will bring us rich treasures of grace and blessing.

Sometimes we may be tried over what others do when they have no thought or intention of causing us a trial, and perhaps are wholly ignorant that they are causing us to be tried. Very often people allow themselves to be tried when things need not be a trial - if they will hold the right attitude toward the supposed offender. We can let ourselves be tried over trifles if we will; when if we would act as a real man or woman, we could pass over them quite easily and do it joyously and not allow them to amount to anything.

The problem with so many, is that they are like petulant children, who are hurt or displeased at almost anything. If someone has really done something on purpose to hurt you - you should not give him the satisfaction of knowing that it hurt. Keep the hurt out of sight. Hide it away and over come it, and, if possible, let it be known to none but God. Bear with meekness, whatever trial happens to you. Pray for your persecutors. That is the surest way to keep God in your own heart. "Father, forgive them," is the plea that takes the sting out of persecution.

Some trials come directly from satan. For some reason we are left liable to his attacks. He attacked Job, destroyed his children, his possessions, and his health. God could shut him clear away from the world just as He has shut him away from Heaven, if He choose. But for some purpose He sees fit to let us be exposed to his attacks here. Many people feel like a little boy who once said: "Mother, I wish God would kill the devil. Why doesn't He do it? I would, if I were big enough."

satan is limited in his work against us, so that he can never go beyond God's will for us, so long as we leave ourselves in God's hands and rely upon Him for the needed help. God does see fit sometimes to let him try us severely - but there never be any cause for despair. God will not allow us to be tempted more than we are able to bear. If satan makes the temptation - God makes the way out. Sometimes He does not let us see the way out, even when He has prepared it, and we have to resist and endure the temptation until He sees that it has gone far enough. Then He shows us the way out. Sometimes He will take us and lift us clear out of it by His own hand. At other times He will put our adversary to flight. Our part is to endure and trust - God's part is to make the way of escape. We must endure patiently until our deliverance comes.

Sometimes God Himself tries or proves us. "I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried" (Zech. 13:9). The purpose of God's trying us, is often that we may know ourselves. If we become self-sufficient, or go to rejoicing in our own works - then He will likely send upon us or permit to come upon us, something that will bring us to know our insufficiency and need of help from Him. Danger is often the only thing that can help us to know our own weakness; so God often lets a danger come in order to bring us to our senses. We should not let such a thing discourage us, but get the lesson that our strength is from Him, and that our best efforts, if merely of ourselves, can avail little. He who trusts in God, has strength for his needs.

God sometimes tries us that we may know Him better. He wants us to know just how dearly He loves us, and how earnest is His care for us, and how faithful He is to us; and so He lets every hope and resource fail us, and distress fall upon us. When everything fails, and w turn to Him - how real is His help! How sweet is His comfort! If, however, when we find ourselves in such a situation, we despair and give up - then we lose the blessedness that He was preparing us for. We grieve His loving heart, and cheat ourselves.

Hold fast and wait for Him to work out His purpose. He afflicts, only to heal. He grieves, only to turn the grief to rejoicing, and to give greater rejoicing than could come through any other means.

Our trials are the root which our blessings grow. These roots may be bitter - but the fruit is sure to be sweet, if we patiently wait for its maturing. Too many want the fruits of blessings - bur are not willing to have the trial. Many choice fruits grow on thorny trees, and he who will gather the fruit may expect to be pricked now and then by the thorns.

~Charles Naylor~

(continued with # 3)