Rev_Rick

"Why God Tries Our Faith

1 Peter 5:6-10
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.


A good reporter asks six basic questions when investigating a story: Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How? With regard to growing faith, we already know the answer to some of those questions. God builds our trust anywhere and anytime. Tomorrow we’ll study how He does this work, but today we focus on why strong faith is important to the Lord.

Faith trials draw our attention to Him. Sometimes worldly pursuits coax us to drift away from Jesus. If we encounter a situation for which we have no solution, our wandering focus snaps back to Him as we begin to pray and look for a way out of the trial.

• Faith trials teach endurance. We develop the stamina to bear up under heavy loads without discouragement because we trust that God will see us through. He increases our capacity by applying slight pressure. When we prove we can handle a little, He adds more, constantly working on our witness till we shine like gold.

• Faith trials train us for higher service. We must endure and keep our attention on Him so that we are prepared to work anywhere in His kingdom. God designs opportunities for every believer, shifting us to greater areas of service as we grow in faith.

• Faith trials glorify God. The greatest praise we can give to our heavenly Father is to walk hopefully through a dark valley. We are a living example of His faithfulness and trustworthiness for everyone to see.

As our faith increases, others witness the reality of Christ in our life. We also benefit personally by having greater confidence and anticipation of His blessing."

by Dr. Charles Stanley

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Boanerges

Amen Rev_Rick!
1Pe 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

JesusReignsForever

Amen to that. I personally feel trails are a way that God uses to break me down. I get to the point where i finally realise I cant do it the burdon has become to large for me to bear..so I rely on Jesus alone to deliver me. God breaks us down to build us up on him becuase he is the solid rock.

Dusty

Thanks Pastor Rick..... Lots of food for thought. I love all the thoughts on faith trials.And it is true cause if we didn't have all these trials to test our faith we would not grow in the Lord and also all these trials bring us closer to Him and with more of a dependence on Him and Him alone.

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Trials prove a Christian

Love confirms a Christian

But death crowns a Christian

God's_Child

Amen. Thank you for the post, Pastor Rick!
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
(1Pe.4:12,13)

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"For God ... giveth grace to the humble".
(1Pe.5:5)
"Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen".
(Eph.6:24)

mythsciencereligiontruth1

when things seem impossible place your faith in God, for nothing is impossible with God. No trial is too hard with the help of God.

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life"

God purposes everything for good, even if we don't at first see it.

Thank you for this.

Boanerges

Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

A brother in Christ

refining Gold to get pureur

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2 tim 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be impowered by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Boanerges

There is the old story of how a silver smith would refine his metal- He would heat it up in a crucible- the hotter it got the more the dross would come to the surface for removal- when the smith saw a perfect reflection of his face in the heated metal he knew it was pure! That is much the same for the Master- He is looking to see His reflection perfectly clear in us!

mythsciencereligiontruth1

Boanerges

Very well said.