God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac: Part 3 enduring trials

I ended Part 1 by asking  “will we trust God in the midst of our own testings?”  Peter tells us “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to test you, as though some strange thing happened to you (1 Pet. 4:12). Jesus tells us “offences must come” (Luke 17:1 NKJV), or in the NIV “things that cause people to stumble.  The last part of this verse reads “but woe to anyone through whom they come.”  Jesus is talking about those who cause “one of the least of these little ones” to stumble (Matthew 18:6). Job in his trials saw everything as coming from God's hand. Actually it was Satan (Job 1:12), but as that verse makes clear God was certainly allowing it.

Sometimes then,  trials and testing are direct from the hand of God, other times not! But certainly He allows them.  In either case we may need to wrestle with the why of these things, and many stumble and fall away at such times. The whole of the book of Job is about Job wrestling with these things. And he  certainly wrestled, but in the end he could appreciate what God did though it all.  Before he had been tried he had  merely heard about God, “but now my eyes see you” (Job 42:5). In other words now he had a significant relationship with God,  and he repents of the accusations he had made against Him in his wrestlings (verse 6).  But even in the midst of his suffering he caught a gimps of what God was doing, in what he allowed. To  paraphrase “He knows what I am going through, and when He has tested me I will come through like gold” (Job 23:10).

Jesus shows us the way in dealing with these things, for “when He suffered, He did not threaten but entrusted Himself to the one who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). If we follows this example then we will both come into a closer relationship with God,  and we will become more like Him. To quote Romans 8:28 again “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” The next verse tells us part of this good, it is that we will become more like Jesus, and we will be fruitful for the Kingdom.

It is important to have this perspective,  and in the midst of the trail we may need to remind ourselves of it over and over. But as important as that is when we are feeling overwhelmed, we also need to reach out to God and press in.  I use 1 Corinthians 10:13 over and over for this “there is no trial or temptation that has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the trial or temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to stand up under it.”  It's worth memorizing!

Father, I thank You for this promise,  and the promise never to leave us,  nor forsake us. And though I may feel overwhelmed at times,  and unable to stand up under it, nevertheless there is grace to endure, and a way of escape, which  we can have when we ask  (James 1:5). For this and many other things,  we give You thanks and praise  in Jesus Name Amen