“...but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” -from Romans 5:3-5.
Do you long to see the Lord's hand moving in your life? Perhaps you are in great need of this right now. Regardless of your current state of affairs, if you desire to see God's mercies in the “land of the living,” trials are bound to come. Without trials, there is little prayer, for we just don't see our need for God's intervention.We need God's deliverance to glorify HIM (Psalm 50:15), for there are many, many among the wicked who prosper in this world without ever submitting to the one true God;
“Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.” -Psalm 73:12.
God appeared to Moses through a burning bush in Exodus 3, and eventually sent him to the elders of Israel to tell of how the Lord would soon deliver them from their bondage in Egypt (Exodus 4:27-31). They believed Moses, but things didn't work out so well or quickly in chapter 5. And let this also be a template that we will follow, which is that God's ways WILL lead us into trial. Any time our service for Christ will grow, the devil will oppose. We then push back against our adversary through prayer, patience, and Godly obedience.
“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” -Hebrews 10:35,36.
Today, “prosperity” teachers are rampant in the professing Christian church; men or women that will promise you lives without trouble if you'll only give heed to what they are saying. Believe me, you need to turn away from such as these, and we've been warned of such in prophecy;
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud...lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” -from 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not...
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.” -2 Peter 2:1-3,18-20.
God has told us by His Word (2 Timothy 3:16,17) that we will glory in tribulations, and that He will chasten those who are His own children (Hebrews 12:5-8), and thereby prove His love for us (Revelation 3:19). In light of this, how can anyone promising you a trouble free existence be of Christ? They would at best be preaching “another gospel,” and such are called accursed (see Galatians 1:6-9).
Great is Thy Faithfulness is a much beloved hymn written by Thomas Chisolm is 1923, with a theme focus around the verses from Lamentations 3:22&23, which read;
“It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Verses 24-26 are also encouraging in nature;
“The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.”
Yes! It is good to wait for the Lord's answer; His mercies are new every morning, and cannot be measured, but just look at some of what Jeremiah was going through in this same chapter, leading up to his reception of God's great mercies;
“I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.” -verse one.
“Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day. My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.” -verses 3&4.
“He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.” -verses 7&8.
“He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places. He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces...” -from verses 10&11.
“He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.” -verse 16.
Even though the Lord had promised to make Jeremiah as, “a defenced city, and a brasen wall” to withstand how the people would fight against him (Jeremiah 1:18, 15:20), this was apparently because of the pain he'd have to go through before God's mercy would triumph.
God's mercies toward us SHINE through the troubles we go through, and the Bible is filled from cover to cover with these examples that prove God's faithfulness. When Peter was delivered from Herod in Acts 12, it was a miraculous answer to prayer-but it had begun with the killing of the Apostle James, brother to John. Mercies followed a murder, but things could have been much worse; and Peter was spared (Herod's guards were not). God did not want the murder of James, but He was still in control, and working things together for our good, and His glory.
But the hardest part can be the WAITING, for those hours or days of trial can really drag on- especially when the need seems to press for immediate resolution. Our trust in the Lord must recognize that God's ways are infinitely higher than our own, and He will act in the best way, at the best time. The God who spared not His own Son Jesus, while we were yet in our sins, will certainly hear and come to our aid now that we belong to Him.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” -Isaiah 55:8&9.
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” -Romans 8:31&32.
My wife & I recently left the ignition turned on in our car, and Monday when I went to leave for work, the battery was dead. We called her father, if he might come over to jump start the car-it seemed like a simple matter. Our battery responded well to the jump, but the car would not keep running! What could have happened?
Tuesday morning Jamie was off work in the morning, so it was up to her to arrange work on the car. I received texts, as she had contacted 2 garages; one said they couldn't look at it until the next Wednesday (8 days), and the other said by the end of the week (3 days)! How do you schedule car breakdown appointments in advance? Of course we gave it all to the Lord (1 Peter 5:7), and did our best to trust Him and wait...
At about 3:30 that same Tuesday afternoon the 2nd garage called, and said it was done! WOW!! Did the Lord ever help us out, and it was an inexpensive repair.
Whatever you are going through, hold out for the Lord's answer to your situation, for this is the time He really delights in- when He can prove Himself strong on behalf of His people, who trust Him, as they lay down their needs before Him in PRAYER. It will do wonders for your own faith, too. The trials we face, and God's deliverance through it all will cause us to wax stronger & stronger in Him.
“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” -Psalm 27:13,14.
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” -Hebrews 4:15&16.
Here is a link to my YouTube video that I did on this subject https://youtu.be/ZrxpOykQYvY.
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