Trials and faith

We all go through trials, most not of our own doing. When Joseph honoured God by saying no to Potiphar's wife, he ended up in prison. While there he told a fellow prisoner, 'I was kidnapped from my homeland...and now I'm here in prison, but I did nothing to deserve it' (Genesis 40:15 NLT). Whatever we're going through, we need to know what God says: 'Wherever you go, I will watch over you, then later I will bring you back to this land. I won't leave you - I will do all I have promised' (Genesis 28:15 CEV). He's using every moment of this season and every part of this experience for our ultimate good. 'Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him' (James 1:12 NIV).

When we were at school, the tests felt like persecution, but looking back we realise they were preparation: they revealed what we had learned and qualified us to move to a higher level. And they helped us better understand our strengths and weaknesses.

The apostle Peter wrote: 'These trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. They will show that you will be given praise and honour and glory when Jesus Christ returns' (1 Peter 1:7 CEV).



So what now? Through the trials of your life, God is always right with you, at work in your situation. His heart is to help you grow through them and bring you 'a crown of life' (see Revelation 2:10).





— SCRIPTURE —

'These trials will show that your faith is genuine.' 1 Peter 1:7 NLT
— SOULFOOD —

Jer 22-24, Matt 2:1-15, Ps 59:9-17, Pro 14:23-24