Confront a beam of difficulties

Thursday 11 March 2021

Confront a beam of difficulties

“My brothers and sisters, consider the various trials to which you may be exposed to be a matter of complete joy, knowing that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1, 2-3

Do you have some days the impression that each trial you encounter calls for another and that you have to face a real beam of difficulties. You imagine being able to overcome one or two, appealing to your faith, resilience, and experience. But then you wouldn't need God anymore, would you ? Have you thought that if God allows all these trials, it is precisely because He wants you to call on Him to overcome them while producing perseverance in you ? Gary Thomas recounts that a friend of his, a pastor, within a few months lost his father, suffered from kidney stones, before finding out he had prostate cancer. Almost at the same time, one of his church elders offered to resign him before a moral scandal broke out. His friend reeled under the weight of consecutive trials, but he kept his faith intact and drew even closer to God to draw the strength to move forward. The first reaction is to cry out to God : “Why me, why so many trials ?” then in the presence of the Lord we learn to trust Him and to persevere at all costs. Jesus said : “Those who have fallen in good soil are those who have heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold it back and bear fruit with perseverance” (Luke 8:15). Do not judge your brother or sister in Christ who is faltering under the burden of trials. Above all, do not tell him that his trials are the result of a sin of which he (or she) has not repented. Don't even think about it! You don't have the right. Rather, encourage him to hold on and persevere. Support him like Hur and Aaron when they supported Moses' tired arms (Exodus 17. 12). Gary Tomas concludes : “One trial teaches you to deal with fear, two trials teach you to gain wisdom. But to produce perseverance ? It takes a whole beam of difficulties ! ”

Source (His Word for Today)