pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: trials


by Leave a comment

These Truths Remain

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever.”  These same words begin and end Psalm 118.  These eternal promises of God are reaffirmed by Jeremiah and he adds, “His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

The middle of the psalm is filled with the trials of life – anger, hate, rejection.  These are the things Christ battled in the week leading up to His crucifixion and they are the thing we face too at times in our lives.  Trials are sure to come our way.

But, thanks be to God!  Just like this psalm, at the beginning and end of each day, God is still the same.  He is good, His love never fails, and His mercy is unending.  In the midst of whatever we are going through, these truths remain.  Thanks be to God.

Scripture reference: Psalm 118: 1-2 & 19-29


by Leave a comment

He Is Faithful

As the wandered in the wilderness without water, the Israelites began to grumble against God and against Moses.  without this basic necessity for life, they were getting testy.  God heard their cry and responded through Moses, bringing forth water from a rock.

How often do we too feel abandoned or question God’s presence?  How common is it to question whether or not He cares when we are walking through a difficult situation in life?  Sometimes in the depths of the valley it is hard to see God’s light and to remain faithful to Him.  Through it all, though, He is faithful to us.  Through it all, He is always right there.

When we look back on our trials, we can usually see how God was there and how He helped or guided us.  As we reflect on and are thankful for His help, we are strengthened in our faith.  Then He is closer when we walk through the next valley or trial, for we know Him more.  God uses our experiences to draw us closer to himself.  We must remain faithful, for He is always faithful.

Scripture reference: Exodus 17: 1-7


by Leave a comment

Trust in Hope

All on this earth will have trials and tribulations.  All will experience doubt and fear.  All will endure pain, loss, and suffering. These things are part of life. What separates Christians is their hope and faith in God.

God never promises us an easy life or constant smooth sailing.  He does promise to always be with us, to never leave us or forsake us.  The maker of heaven and earth promises to be with us at all times – in the good and in the bad.  God is on our side.  He is our hope and our ransom.

When the waters of life boil up around us and threaten to engulf us or when our foot strays too near the snare, we ned not fear.  Jesus has paid the price, we have been redeemed.  By His grace we are welcomed into eternal life.  Once we call on His name and call Him Lord and savior, we have life.  Our eternal life begins then, not the moment we die.  This grace allows us to see the waters and snares of light in a new way, in a way that knows they do not control us any more.

In Psalm 124 we read that the waters cannot trap us.  They cannot hold us.  They cannot define us.  It is God who holds and defines us.  Life will be hard at times as we pass through trials and difficulties.  But God will always have a hand on us, will always love us through.  Trust this hope.  Trust God.

Scripture reference: Psalm 124


by Leave a comment

Natural Connection

Do people of faith always feel connected to God and to other Christians?  Do we always feel like we are part of the family?  At times I think we all feel disconnected from God and from our community of faith.  We are never truly disconnected, but at times we feel like it.

As life tosses us about we can wonder if God is present in the midst of the storm.  We do not see Jesus walking on the water towards us.  As emotions of sadness or loneliness sink in, we question if He is there.  We do not see His hand reaching out to pull us up out of the turmoil.  As we pass through difficult seasons in life, we sometimes look around but fail to recognize Him.  We do not see Jesus in the people God sends our way.  Yet we feel apart from God only in our own minds – God and His love are always present.

In these trials, how do we maintain contact with God and our community of faith?  It starts long before the storm, before the sad emotions, before the season.  If we spend time reading, praying, studying, we build up that “reserve” that will carry us through the trials.  The more we know God, the more natural that connection becomes.  If we spend time in fellowship and in caring groups within our faith community, then we are known and we know others in ways that will sustain us in the trials.  Just as we can learn to sense when another needs us to walk alongside them, others too will come to sense when we need that as well.  We train for the race so that we can run it with perseverance, with strength, and with God’s presence.

In Psalm 31, verse 3 we read: “You are my rock and my fortress; for Your name’s sake You lead me and guide me.”  When we know Him as rock and fortress, trials are so much easier to walk through.

Scripture reference: Romans 11:1-2a