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January 10 - March 12, 2020
Many also fail to see adversity from God’s perspective. In so doing, they completely overlook the positive, strengthening, perfecting effect that trials are designed to have on believers’ faith.
Testing the validity of what believers profess is one of the fundamental reasons God allows suffering (Job 23:10).
One sure way to test the genuineness of a diamond is by means of what jewelers call the water test. An imitation stone never shines as brilliantly as a real one, but the contrast is not always easy to detect just by ordinary viewing. Jewelers know that placing a genuine diamond and an imitation side by side in water will reveal the differences. The real one continues to sparkle brilliantly underwater, whereas the fake one loses practically all its sparkle.
It seems clear then that the foremost reason God tests us through suffering is to test the strength of our faith.
One of the classic case studies in Scripture that illustrates this is the account of Abraham’s testing in Genesis 22.
Why would You go to such lengths to enable a husband and wife nearing one hundred years of age each, who had been childless their entire married lives, to produce a son and then ask for that son to be killed? Why would You promise me that I would be the father of many nations, with people numbering as the sands of the sea and the stars of heaven, and then ask for the son of promise to be killed?”
Chronicles 32:31 summarizes Hezekiah’s testings from the Lord by stating that the purpose was so “He might know all that was in his heart.”
Surely God does not have to test any of us to find out what is in our hearts because He already knows. Rather, He tests us so that we might know what is in our hearts. In that sense He assists us in taking a spiritual inventory and self-examination.
The wonderful testimony of the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 provides one of the best Scripture illustrations of this principle: “There was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!” (v. 7).
a third reason for the Lord bringing us trials: to wean us away from worldly things.
When God does send certain trials or sufferings into our lives, they will confirm the inadequacy of material things to meet our deepest needs or to provide any true resources for our times of stress and pain.
A fourth purpose the Lord has in sending trials is to call us to a greater realization of our eternal hope. To state it more simply, trials make us long
8:18–24 beautifully supports this thought: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
God also uses trials and sufferings for the very important purpose of showing us what we really love. That was part of the Lord’s test for Abraham at Moriah.
The path to blessing is often through suffering but always through obedience.
The Puritan Thomas Manton once said, “While all things are quiet and comfortable, we live by sense rather than faith. But the worth of a soldier is never known in times of peace.”
Stephen, in keeping with his status as an excellent role model, fit the ideal of one totally and continuously filled and controlled by the Spirit. He didn’t have to make any adjustments or take a final few moments to take a spiritual inventory when he saw he was going to die. He had apparently lived a consistent, Spirit-filled life ever since he became a believer. Therefore, it was natural for Stephen to react in a godly, trusting fashion in the face of persecution and death. And we should be able to handle suffering today—which is usually much less intense—in the same manner, because the same
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“We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God” (Dan. 6:5). To accuse him, Daniel’s foes had to persecute him for righteousness’ sake. What a commendation it was for Daniel that his enemies could not find fault with him for anything except his total commitment to his God.
