Getting Through the Trials of Life
Arranged by: M. Allen
FILING INFORMATION:
98012
SUBJECT: patience;
faith
Preached originally 3/1/98 – Rapid City, SD
I. Introduction.
A. Trials. All men are faced with them. Perhaps you are experiencing some kind of trial in your life right now.
1. Perhaps you are wondering how am I ever going to get through this? What am I going to do?
2. A feeling of helplessness, etc.
B. Paul told the brethren at Antioch in Acts 14:22, We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.
1. These words were said to keep the brethren encouraged, and to let them know that God was on their side.
2. Imagine some of the trials that the 1st century Christians went through.
C. The writer of the book of Ecclesiastes says trials will come. See. Ecc. 9:11-12.
D. Trials sometimes brought on because a person is a Christian.
1. Other times: They come because difficulty/trials is the way of mankind.
2. Simply something that we will have to deal with while living upon the earth.
3. Trials affect all men. No one without some sort of trial.
E. What we wish to do today is to look #1 at the importance of preparation for trials.
1. We’ll talk about the purpose of trials.
2. Some of the problems faced with during trials.
3. Finally, the key to overcoming trials.
F. Hope all will enjoy the lesson and remember it when trials do come.
II. The Importance of Preparing for Trials.
A. Ask: How can I prepare for something that I cannot foresee? How can I prepare for trials when times are good and the bad could come w/o any warning whatsoever?
1. Indeed…it is hard. But that must not stop one from doing his best to prepare.
2. Think of how we prepare for catastrophes that could affect us in our lives…
a. Insurance on all my personal belongings at home. Had ins. for 4 years now. No one has ever broken into my home & stole my belongings. A fire has never burnt down the house. A tornado has not slammed through our neighborhood.
1. So because of this, I’m going to cancel my ins. on my belongings. Is that wise? Would you do it?
b. Never had a heart attack or cancer. So I’m going to cancel my health ins. Is this wise? Would you do it?
3. We prepare for potential catastrophes in our lives.
B. You see, trials are the same as these specific catastrophes in that we do not know when/where they will happen – but there is enough chance for them happening that it would be foolish not to prepare for them.
C. How do we prepare for trials?
1. Seek wisdom before the trials come.
a. Prov. 1:1-5; 7; 2:1-9 – the need for wisdom and the blessings of it.
b. We must turn to God through His word and seek to be strong in Him. Stronger in the Lord? Stronger we should be able to stand in trials.
c. Those who do not seek wisdom: Prov. 1:24-27
2. Preparing ourselves to remember one’s creator when the dark days come.
a. Eccl. 12:1-6 – remember one’s creator….
b. We must remember to look to God for strength.
D. We need to remember that all trials are not simply a loss of money.
1. sometimes they are a loss of well being and attempts by the devil to take away our peace of mind.
E. Consider the writing of Paul in 1 Cor. 10:13.
1. Two things we should learn and remember from this passage.
2. The severity of a trial is a compliment to your strength. If God did not think you could overcome He would not have allowed the trial to be as severe as it is.
3. The severity of the trial will test your desire to serve God.
a. Key: remember we are strong enough to overcome.
b. Must remember that we have to use our ability and the tools we have to overcome it.
c. Prov. 24:10
III. The Purpose of
Trials.
A. Why trials? Perhaps this is a question that we find ourselves asking in the middle of a trial.
1. Job asked this question throughout his book.
a. Answer alluded him. Eventually it caused him to accuse God unjustly.
b. One answer to our question found in Job 1:9-12 – as Satan asked God why Job served Him.
c. Ask: Do I serve God for nothing?
2. some believe as Job’s wife:
a. God ought to award them with a measure of earthly prosperity for service to the Lord.
b. God wants to know: Will you serve me even when I give you nothing from this life?
3. This is one of the purposes of trials.
B. Another purpose of trials: Job 33:29-30. When a trial comes consider 2 things.
1. Even though Job’s trials did not come from sin (he had no obvious ins) during trials it is a good time to check for sinful things that would bring us down.
2. Trials point to corrections that we need to make in our lives.
a. These are the things that will enlighten us with the light of life.
b. 1 Pet. 1:6-9 – trials purify us as gold.
3. Sometimes trials make us consider such things as perhaps
a. We have character traits that need changing.
b. We have a need to rely more upon God & less upon ourselves.
c. Perhaps we have become too comfortable and believe that we deserve the good things that belong to us.
d. Perhaps desire for heaven and serving God has waned and that desire needs to be rekindled.
C. Trials produce patience and completeness in us.
1. Js. 1:2-4
2. Rom. 5:3-4
3. Berry Kercheville has written:
a. There is just no substitute for trials to improve character, hope, and trust in God. It is the difference between reading a book on how to play baseball and then actually playing it. There is a vast difference.
b. One must remember:
1. Going through trials does not automatically produce benefits – it depends upon the determination of the person in the trial.
2. Some come out of trials bitter and in worse condition than before! Let this not be our attitude.
D. From Satan’s point of view: trial intended to destroy. Look at Job 1. But if we let Him, God will use the trial to improve us!
IV. Problems Faced in Trials.
A. Seems often that disasters happen in 3’s.
1. Job: lost health, prosperity, children, and support of wife.
2. All seemed to happen at once.
3. Intensified the sense of hopelessness & pain.
4. Trials often hit/affect more than one area of our lives.
a. being hit on different fronts causes us to be confused so that we can make poor decisions
b. If we are not prepared before hand.
B. The end of a trial or a promising conclusion to the trial cannot be seen or perceived.
1. Job 7:19
2. Often confronted w/ the desire to give up.
3. Often we become greatly discouraged.
4. If not handled right – we will desire to escape – often the first road out of a problem leads one into sin.
C. No amount of changing one’s life, being good or praying for the trial to end seems to help.
1. Job felt the same: Job 9:30-31; 10:14-15
2. Sometimes we wonder if God is listening or if He even cares.
D. Trials often seem unfair.
1. I’ve tried to do good, act wisely, etc. Yet this has come upon me for no good reason.
2. This often asked when wicked seem to be doing much better than we.
3. Job 21:13-14
E. Friends, acquaintances whom you thought would be there to help use trial as opportunity to judge.
1. Job found this: Job 16:2-5
2. Others simply desert you – leaving you alone to suffer – Job. 19:19
V. The Key to Overcoming
Trials.
A. Remember God cares.
1. Job 36:5-7 – God does not forget about the righteous!
2. 1 Pet. 5:6-7 – God cares for us!
3. Heb. 12:5-6 – Don’t be discouraged!
B. We need to accept what happens to us as part of God’s right to do with our lives as He pleases.
1. This is not our life.
2. It is His.
3. Job. 36:22-24; 35:14; 34:31-33
VI. Conclusion.
A. No matter how much we know God’s word or how faithful we are to Him – there are some things we can only learn via experience.
B. In the end, God did bless Job.
1. Wasn’t a payment in physical goodies for enduring trials…
2. But a promise that God will ultimately reward those who serve Him for nothing!
3. Heb. 12:11
C. Let us turn to God and His word to seek help from our trials. I hope that this lesson has been beneficial to you as it has to me.
D. I N V I T A T I O N