Trials and Transformations

 

                                            

 

 

 

 

                                                         Trials and Transformations

                                                              By Penny Williams

 

Did you ever wonder why you are here? What purpose do you have on this earth? We know that being a wife or staying single is a calling and so is having children. When I think of being held responsible for developing little minds into the formation of goodness and all the many challenges that arise in the process, I think to myself; “what a huge task we’ve been given.”  Everything begins at home. This is the first place where children begin to learn and have an example of how to act and what to say or believe.

We become awed by those who are literally called to grow luscious, gorgeous food for us to eat. While driving in the countryside, I love to see the beauty of orange pumpkins growing in the field. Such glorious paintings of orange, so big and so beautiful! They speak unto themselves the abundance of life while autumn begins to hum them to a sleep.  The independence of yellow squash vining in the ditches in the Blue Ridge mountains has never failed to remind me what an amazing God we have! We used to live up there and I discovered that almost anything would grow in that red clay. God Himself oversees all the seeds.

I have a friend who is a passionate giver! This is her artistry. She is completely joyful over sending cards when you lose a loved one or a pet. She helps her church to plan a meal for the seniors and decorates their tables with colors of love! If she could reach up to one of those luscious clouds in the sky to bring us a smile, she would. Every day is Valentine Day for her. I can honestly say, her joy is made complete when she plans, decorates and gives to others. If you are in need for an answer to a question, knock on her door! If she doesn’t know the answer, she will find out for you!  Her heart literally breaks when her neighbor is sick or is suffering a loss. I am blessed to have her as a friend and neighbor.

Whatever your position, whatever reason you are here on this earth today, whether it be teaching, caretaking, giving, pet care, construction worker, police or guard, a floral arranger, waitress, attorney or judge, ditch digger, or salesman. Whatever your call and vocation, we need you and you are important to us.

What about those who go through battle after battle, confused in their minds, are weighed down with physical ailments and are just plain tired of fighting?

What about those filled without hope and riddened with hatred?

Those who have been unknowingly corrupted and brainwashed?  Those who are being used to test your heart?

Sure, it is unfair and what about all those corrupt judges who keep the good people who have prayed publicly, behind bars because they “offend” others and the evil ones who have murdered, are pardoned?  

Did you ever wonder to yourself, “Why did God cause this to happen to me?” Be assured, there are reasons for everything that happens to us. When we go through a very tough trial, our hearts are tested to see if our faith is genuine.

God knows, but He wants you to see what is in your heart and what you still need to clean up.

Ask yourself if your faith is genuine? Unlike that of fool’s gold, but the real thing.

Every time we are tested and tried, we are transformed inch by inch.  Your trials work for you, not against you. Our walk is not an easy walk, but a narrow road that leads to eternal life.

Here is 1 Peter 1:3-9 from the New International Version (NIV):

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Our new birth brings us living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We have a LIVING HOPE! All because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ! You have His Holy Spirit alive in our hearts! He is living inside of you! Everywhere you go, you are carrying the Kingdom of God with you!

4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,

We have a God given endowment in Christ waiting for us in heaven! As one being born-again, this is your birthright!  Can you possibly imagine?  Believe it! You are getting ready to graduate!

 

5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Have faith in God! Get faith! Sleep it and eat it! Believe His word is true and act upon it!  His power is shielding you and preparing you to SEE and experience Your salvation. You will see the manifestation of your faith! We are living in the days of Noah and Lot. We are in the last days.

6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer GRIEF in  all kinds of trials.

If you believe this word, we can rejoice! We can sing aloud! We can even dance as we give our Father praise!

This is one reason why you are going through such trials. Just one reason, though there are many reasons. Those words say: IN ALL kinds of trials. You are never alone when you go through a trial. There are always some who are going through worse trials than what you are going through. Look around.

Can you place your trust in God?

7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Here it is! So that your faith is Genuine! Your faith will stand under pressure because it is worth more than gold and refined by fire! What do you do? You will praise God and continue to give Him all the glory and honor when you walk through the furnace of affliction! Your face will be as flint, and you will not be moved!

8 Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

We believe! We haven’t seen Jesus, but we love Him! Even now, we still love Him! We believe in Him! We cannot describe our joyful hearts that His Holy Spirit has given to us. We belong to our Father! We are His! We are Children of the Resurrection!

9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls..

During our sufferings, the trials and testing’s of our hearts; we are receiving the end results of OUR FAITH!! “The salvation of your souls!”  The end result of your faith!

All our tests and trials are a sure transformation of our souls into the likeness of Jesus Christ!

The end finality or result of your faith= the salvation of your souls.

Remember when Jesus went out into the wilderness for His faith to be tested? He fought the enemy with the word! In these modern times, we go through the same thing today. Remember Job, who was sitting upon a heap of ashes and had everything taken from him? His children, livestock, wife, home; literally all that he had was taken from him. He was suffering bodily, mentally and miserable. His faith was tested too. Of course, God knows your heart much better than you know it. He wants you to see where your heart is when you are placed in a trial. He will not abandon you when you go through your trial. He teaches us when we go through trials.

I don’t like the words, “long suffering.” No one is exempt in the Body of Christ. If you love Jesus, you will go through persecution. We are transformed in Christ when we go through what I call, our “customized trials.” Our experiences are our teachers. We either become embittered or better. I sometimes think of Joni Eareckson Tada. She has been in a wheelchair since she was 17, battled depression on and off and had to wrestle all the things in her life that being a quadriplegic brings.  She once said, “I always look for someone who has it worse than me, and I find it.” She looked online as she saw a poorly ragged starving man in Calcutta who couldn’t move any of his limbs, resting on the side of a building. Having no one by his side. Did he wonder if anyone cared or loved him?  Joni has touched countless lives as we have listened to her 15 min. broadcast on the radio or heard her talk at a Billy Graham Crusade. Perhaps you have used her cards that she has painted from her mouth. Our attitude should be:

“If she can do it, so can we!”

 

I remember hearing a preacher on TV talking about long suffering. He asked:

“Has anyone here gone through some hard times out there? No?  

Just wait.

Has life been one big party? Yes?

Just wait.  

Has anyone ever found yourself lost, busted and broke? No?

Just wait.

Never been sick? No?

Just wait.

Never had any problems with mortgage or a car payment. No?

Just wait.

Always had a promotion and a good job?

He said, “Just wait! You just wait.”

He wasn’t being negative but only speaking the truth. The man that spoke, was warning you and wanting you to be prepared, not astonished. Life can be a bowl of cherries for a little while.

Then, life happens.

My mother used to call earth a testing ground.

Before we are born again, our eyes are not opened spiritually. Nor is living an easy life and having everything given to you. We develop a thankful heart during our trials. It isn’t only the word that teaches us, but God given experiences that we go through teach us the fear of God.  

It seems at times we arrogantly make the wrong decisions so we can learn from them. Every one of us will have to go through some suffering eventually.

We have heard many scholarly answers as to what St. Paul’s thorn was as he asked God to remove it three times, then God answered him:

⁶ Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, ⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2Co. 12:6-10 niv

In the KJV the word torment says “buffet.”

I cannot think of anyone who was more fully equipped to speak God’s word than Paul! He was a Pharisee and trained in the ways of Jewish law. He knew the word. He had the answers, all the answers! He experienced supernatural experiences and aside from being flogged 5 times, 3 times beaten with rods, stoned and dragged out of town to die, being violently hated, in and out of prison, shipwrecked, he went without food and water on and off. I can well imagine most times he was in a physically weakened condition.

In all that he went through, he never gave up! He pressed on! He was determined to finish the race he was given. Was his thorn a possible conceit of all the revelations and knowledge he had been given? Was it the painful memories of the past things he had done “in God’s name” before he had been born again? Either way, Paul received much grace to encourage the faith that had been given to him. He boldly declared, “when he was weak, he was strong.”

I believe that in his constant weakened condition, nothing could come between him and God. Paul went from being self-dependent to totally being God dependent, in a continual way throughout his whole life. I cannot wait to meet him someday,

Perhaps you have not yet experienced God’s life-giving grace and faith to those who ask Him. Maybe you are tired of struggling with all the battles day in and out. You have heard of Jesus Christ, but do you know Him?

Isn’t it time? Perhaps you have been running for too long in the wrong direction? Time never stops for us. Isn’t it time to give it all to God?

Pray with me:

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for doing a work in my heart. I do not understand everything that I read, but I need to be born again. I want to know you, Lord.  I ask that You come into my life. Today I willingly accept Your free gift of salvation by grace in faith. Open my eyes so I will understand Your word. With Your grace and strength, I repent of all my sins. [Name the sins you think of__________.]  Purify my heart with Your Holy Spirit and teach me all your ways. I believe that your son Jesus died upon that cross so I can have forgiveness from my sins. I believe He was resurrected so I will have eternal life. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

If you have prayed this prayer, Congratulations and welcome into the family of believers! Buy a good Bible if you do not have one. They give them out freely at Thrift stores. Find a good Bible believing church and get involved with a small study group so you can grow. Your new sisters and brothers will hold you up in prayer and are always anxious to help you in times of need. When you go through a trial, they will be there to help.