Made Better Through Suffering: Our Trials Have Purpose

The great mystery is that sin brought affliction into the world yet God can use our afflictions to carry sin out of the world. There is ultimate good intended with every affliction the child of the King will walk through. The world balks at this for they only discern the outward appearance and cannot discern the divine teaching on the heart. Our prayers through having what we do not want or wanting what we do not have, should be “glorify your great Name through this” – let no pain be wasted rather used for His glory and for our ultimate good. Remember one never outgives the God of all creation. Jesus’ prayer on the cross is our great example. He cries out “Glorify Your Name” rather “Save me from this hour”.  

God is the Master of bringing beauty out of our ashes (sorrows), the oil of gladness from our mourning’s and a garment of praise out of our spirits of despair. We are not to dwell on the affliction rather upon what that affliction is bringing about. What is it producing within our lives? In our spheres of influence? These trials are designed to make us more and more like Jesus. This will keep our heads up, our hearts encouraged and our souls patient throughout the trial.     

Jesus often embitters our comforts and circumstances that He might be all the more sweeter and precious to us. He is pure sweetness as well as all the Fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Remember as well, our blessings – the gifts from His Hand – were not given for us to boast in or as security to rest upon rather for comforts both for ourselves and others on our treks to our heavenly home. They are nice but certainly not necessary. They are quickly spent and then more are desired. Our soul’s cannot rest upon them as they are as strong and reliable as a spider’s web and certainly not necessary either. Yet, our comfort in God alone is never defiled nor is it fading away. Our inheritance in heaven is secure. 1 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV) tells us: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you.” God gives His children great grace not to trust and depend upon the vain and fleeting things of this life rather on Him. Anything we choose to place our trust in more than Him becomes an idol in our lives. Man often desires pleasures and considers them their ultimate good yet they can often divert us from what is best for our lives as we can become so consumed and distracted by them. They cannot save us from ourselves. They were never intended to be protos in our lives.  

Satan is very aware that nothing can prevail against the soul who trusts in Christ Jesus as Lord. Yet, he continually seeks to divert our attentions to lesser things - perhaps even good things but not the best thing which is Jesus. This keeps us from being productive in kingdom work. A firm resolution is very important for the saint to keep us from falling and strengthens us to stand firm when the winds blow. It is also very important to know the Truth of God’s Word and to practice it through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit focusing on God’s encouragements. Remember as well, worldliness in a believer divides the heart and often causes us to fall. Seek to stay steady in all the extremes of life and prize the favor of God above all the earth affords. We must also keep a single eye for His glory as that is always for our greatest good. Spurgeon writes: “Be much in prayer; live constantly on the Word of God; kill the lusts that have driven your Lord from you; be careful to watch over the future uprisings of sin. The Lord has His own appointed ways; sit by the wayside, and you will be ready when He passes by. Continue in all those blessed ordinances that will foster and nourish your dying graces; and knowing that all the power must proceed from Him, do not cease to cry, ‘Renew a right spirit within me.’”