Strength For The Trial
Trials, temptations, the wilderness wondering…I hate them. I know we all do because let’s face it, they are dumb. Just when things seem to be going smoothly wham! The trial of the century shows up at the door and throws a wrench in the motor of our life. They never seem to arrive at a good time. There is no warning, they hit out of nowhere and hang around for far too long.
Then like good Christians, we start looking for a scripture to stand on to get us out of it…something we can confess and use to yell at the devil so he will leave us alone. 1 Corinthians 10:13 always seems like a good one to start with…that is until you really study it. Then you see what God is trying to say. Let’s look at it more carefully….
“For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.”
Every trial and temptation that comes is nothing new. Satan has no new tricks, just the same ones he uses over and over again. He hits you where you are weak. He likes to keep hitting the spot that is already bruised which hurts more so in the pain of it you forget it’s him…pretty smart.
We can feel its weight and think, “I just can’t do this, I can’t stand under this!” But it says…nothing comes to us that is not common to man, beyond human resistance, that we can’t bear it, it just feels like it in the moment. This scripture reassures us “but God” is faithful!!!! We will never face anything that we cannot conquer. That’s a promise.
Then IN the temptation he provides a way out! Here is where we may get hung up…it doesn’t say he provides a way to bypass the problem. I wish that were the case. He says he provides a way for us to be capable, strong and powerful to BEAR UP UNDER IT. Like it or not, we are going to have to go through that bad boy, not around it.
The faith life is about living and standing IN faith not USING OUR FAITH to avoid trials. If we bypass every hard place, we would never develop the spiritual muscle to overcome. We cannot be overcomers without overcoming something. #boom
Human nature doesn’t like that idea. We want to use our faith to skip over the hard stuff and then shout a big “praise God” for the victory! Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work that way, maybe you’ve noticed. As we develop the spiritual muscles we need the trials or temptations can become less “heavy.” Like weightlifting, you start out with 10 lbs. and work your way up to the big heavy stuff. We go from faith to faith overcoming one trial at a time building strength and learning valuable lessons from each one. Every one has a purpose.
So, if we have to go through what are we to “do” as we traverse these trials?
1. We pray and ask God for wisdom. Proverbs 4:7 says “Wisdom is the principle thing, therefore get wisdom.” We need the wisdom this trail requires to make it through. Ask for the strategies you need and he will answer you.
2. Thank God for the strength, wisdom and resistance we need to overcome. We have not because we ask not.
3. Gather up scriptures on the subject to read out loud to the enemy. There is power in your voice. Your mountain needs to hear your voice coming against it.
4. Worship. This is the most powerful weapon at our disposal. Worship can win any war. The Israelite’s were instructed to send the worshippers ahead of them into war more than once. Worship changes your mindset and empowers you for the battle.
5. Journal. Write down the things God reveals to you during this battle. Tell God how you feel, be honest. Your journey is important for the future. It’s amazing to go back and read through old victories for encouragement in the next battle.
6. Rest. On the days you are just not feeling it, sit with the Lord in silence and soak up his presence. Some battles can be long….really long. You will get weary so at some point you may need a praying friend also!
My friend, you will make it. I promise. I’ve made it through many really hard, difficult things that I didn’t think I could. God is no respecter of persons so if he has seen me through the things I’ve faced, he will see you through. He loves you and has this covered. Jesus said in John 16:33b “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”