Tag Archive: trials


When you are experiencing severe trials and tribulations, this is usually the time when you are at your weakest point in your life. You may have given up some sinful habits in the past; but because you are riding through a bad storm, you may have become weak again. As a result, this may have caused you to revert to some of those sinful habits that you gave up. Although this may be true, you can go before the throne of grace with confidence and receive grace and mercy in your time of weakness (Hebrews 4:16).

Whatever the situation is that may have caused you to feel broken, weak and alone, His grace and mercy will bring you through. When your spirit and heart is broken, that is when God is most present in your life (Psalm 51:17). When you are weak, His grace is sufficient for you, as His strength is made perfect in your weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). You may not feel Him, but you are not alone. He will never leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6).

“Your Grace And Mercy” (Courtesy: Mississippi Mass Choir)

Answering God’s Call

When you are chosen by God to pursue His mission and purpose, you may become isolated because families and friends may turn their backs on you, as you face the storms of life in preparation for your Kingdom assignments.

The Scripture warns that, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you (John 15:18-19 ESV).”

Do not look to please people, but look to please God, as you are a servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10). You do not have to answer to people, but you do have to give a personal account to God (Romans 14:12). Therefore, you cannot explain to God that others have prevented you from answering His call, as they were jealous of you or hated you because you were chosen.

Answering God’s call requires you to deny yourself and take up your cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23). As a result, you will endure trials and tribulations, as you follow God to fulfill the mandate of your calling. However, your obedience will bring blessings (Deuteronomy 28:1-2), and your reward will be sure (Proverbs 11:18).

To those of you who have spoken into my life. To the ones who have helped and supported me, as I endured and overcame various trials and tribulations. To the ones who did not run away and leave me while I was riding out my storm, but instead have consistently encouraged and prayed for me. And to the ones who have helped me created cherished memories.

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God - Philippians 1:3 - Verse Image
God bless you for being there when I needed you the most.

You are reminded that you should set your mind on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2). As the world continues to experience the devastating effect of COVID-19, it is clear that your mind should not be placed on earthly things. This is because the things on this earth are not stable or lasting. The joy of the Lord should be your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Therefore, when earthly things are shaken, you will still have your strength, because your joy is in the Lord, not the things on this earth.

 

You are reminded not to store up treasures on this earth, as they can be destroyed or stolen. But you should store up your treasures in Heaven, where they cannot be destroyed or stolen. For where your treasures are, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).

In this world, there will always be trials and tribulations (John 16:33). The world will not be able to give you peace; however, Jesus has left peace with you, so let not your heart be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27).

It does not matter what is going on in this world; God is always in control. For the kingdom is the Lord’s, and he rules over the nations (Psalm 22:28).

Do you feel that you are facing the darkest time of your life right now? If so, who is facing it with you? Do you have the support of your family, friends or church folks? You may be going through various trials and tribulations, which may include anything from sicknesses, addictions, financial setbacks, barrenness, joblessness, hopelessness, demonic oppression, business failure, ministry failure, marriage problems, singleness, or you may have lost your salvation, because you are not where you are with God right now. Alternatively, you may also have never been saved, and struggling to find out who God really is, and if He exists, or even care about you. Whatever your circumstances are today, you will need to know that no matter what you are going through, there is a God who sits high on the throne. As a result, your tears are not going unnoticed today, as He loves and cares for you more than you ever can think of. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

When the very people who you think should have your back, turn against you while you are facing your darkness, God never will. However, what you need to understand is this, “Weeping may last only for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalms 30:5). With that being said, sometimes you have to face the darkness, before you can face the light. Notwithstanding, the very same people who disregarded you, and isolated you while you were facing your darkness alone, are the same people who will run back to you when your troubles are over, and you are now facing the light. God sometimes isolates you because of where He is taking you. He has a greater plan and purpose for your life that will bring Him greater glory, and elevates you to your destiny. Consequently, He has to place you in the darkness to see how you will handle yourself, and also for you to see who will go through the darkness with you. Some people will want to revel in your blessings when your tribulations are over, and you have passed your test, but they did not want to bear the burden with you. Therefore, God will use your darkness to let some fake and toxic people leave your life for good. You need to just ride through the darkness now, as your light is coming soon. However, remember that the people who left while you were going through your darkness, God does not want them to come with you in the light, as they weren’t good for you in the first place.

Accordingly, you may be walking through the valley of the shadow of death right now, but you should fear no evil, because God is with you. It is not what the devil or people decide will happen to your life, it is what God decides will happen. The devil or people will spread rumors and wish bad things for you, but they cannot override God’s purpose for your life. God is supreme over all the elements in the world, and no one cannot prevent God from blessing you, unless you allow them to. You need to hold your head up high today, and focus on where God is taking you. Additionally, you need to also understand that the same power that raised Christ from the dead (Romans 8:11) is the same power that can heal and deliver you today. He still have that power, as He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). God does not change; therefore, He can still do anything, because nothing is impossible for Him. So when people think it is over for you, God’s power will set you free from whatever you are facing today, if you only have a little faith to persevere through your darkness. He will justly reward you when He sees your faith and perseverance (Hebrews 11:6).

As stated, people today who are of the devil will rejoice and spread rumors, lies, and gossip when someone is going through their darkness, not understanding that God is getting ready to bless them in the light. However, because those people are of the devil, they don’t understand that what goes around also comes around. Their darkness is coming, as everyone has to go through tribulations (John 16:33), and hopefully when their darkness comes, they are able to handle it. Consequently, they too will need help and support, but if they did not provide it to others, they may find themselves isolated throughout their tribulations.

Let us pray one for another, and be supportive of each other, as today will be someone’s darkness, but tomorrow will be yours.

People who live in affluence for all of life (such as many people in North America and Western Europe) can easily become so accustomed to wealth, blessings, and prosperity that they can easily forget what blessings they actually have. However, if those possessions are taken away, those people will certainly look at life with a new perspective, realizing how much they really had.

You don’t realize how much you have until you don’t have it anymore.

God knows the importance of balance; that is, the importance of having both blessings and difficulties. There are several scriptures that speak about this balance. For example in 1 Peter 4:13, we are told: Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. Notice how we participate both in suffering and in joy.

Similarly, in 2 Corinthians 1:7, Paul wrote this to the church in Corinth: And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. They experienced both suffering and comfort.

Don’t become too comfortable with what you have, because when you forget that the things you have are a blessing from God and when you start to assume that they are guaranteed possessions, it is quite possible that God will take them away from you in order to teach you that you need both blessings and difficulties, because one without the other is neither.

Contributed: Christ Notes

When you have been hurt by someone who you thought had your back, do you become ignorant, bitter, or revengeful?

Although your experience might be very painful, and you did not expect to go through such pain from that person, just remember that some people come into your life for a blessing, while others come into your life for a lesson.

People

I once heard a saying that,”There are two circumstances under which you will know your true friends, 1: When God starts blessing you, and 2: When you are down on your luck.

Life is a learning process. When you have gone through various testing, trials and tribulations, and rode out the storm with God, then he will start to bless you. However, some people will of course be happy for you, and welcome your new blessings, while others will be jealous and negative. They do not care what you have been through, to get your blessings, as their hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked  (Jeremiah 17:9). In the greatest time of your testing, trials and tribulations, you will know who will have your back, and who will not.

Nevertheless, there are some genuine people around, and they are the ones who will withstand the test of time, and be a blessing in your life. The ones who simply were not genuine, do not be regretful that you have known them, instead be happy that you did, as you have learned a lesson from them, in whichever way things have worked out in your life.

Exodus 14 records the story of how the Hebrews escaped from bondage and slavery in Egypt. On their way out of Egypt, they camped in the desert near the Red Sea. They thought God was leading them out of Egypt. However, Pharaoh led the Egyptian army to where the Israelites were, and he trapped them against the sea. The Israelites must have felt betrayed by God, for it looked as though he didn’t follow through on his plan to lead the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt. But God was faithful to his word — he didn’t let his people down. He led them through the Red Sea and delivered on his promises.

You have probably faced times when you thought that you could never do something, never complete a particular task, or never make it to the finish. However, if God has promised you something, then you can be confident that God will get you through the difficult times in order to bring about his promise.

This is true in Joseph’s life. God took him through years of pain and suffering for an ultimate benefit; Joseph realizes this and, in Genesis 50:20, says, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” God had a bigger plan for Joseph’s life, and God didn’t let him down. God led Joseph through his struggles.

This principle is also true in your life. Even though you may be going through extremely painful times, do not fear for God will get you through the hard times you face (see Psalm 23:4). If God took you to it, He’ll get you through it.

Contributed: Christ Notes

What is sacrificial praise?

It is very easy to praise God through the good times. However, how easy it is to praise God when times are bad? You may have just lost your job, have a child who is wayward, or gotten a doctor’s report that is not good, or you may be waiting on a break-through where it seems God has forgotten your prayers. Conversely, how can you keep on praising God through your bad times? This is what it is called – sacrificial praise. Accordingly, the scripture says, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15).  You still have a praise, although you are facing the worst times of your life. Accordingly, this is the best praise that you can give God.

God is the same today, as He is yesterday, and He will be the same forever. Therefore, if He is good at the time when you got married, He is still good at the time when you got divorced. You will have to understand that God is a restorer. If He is good at the time when you had the baby, He is still good when your child became wayward. He is a deliverer. If He is still good when you have health, He is still good through your sickness. He is a healer.

When you praise God through your pain, anything can happen. Paul and Silas were in jail, but they did not let their situation deter them from praising God. They began to praise God through their pain. When God saw their sacrifice of praise, He gave them their break-through. The scripture says, “ And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed” (Acts 16:25-26).

It doesn’t matter whether your day is going good or bad. It is the day that the Lord has made. You should still rejoice and be glad in it (Psalms 118:24).

God is the same whether you find yourself up on the mountain, or whether you find yourself in the valley. The same God who you praise when things go right on the mountain, is the same God you still praise when things go wrong in the valley. He will make things right when they go wrong. However, you still need to continue to praise Him through the pain, despite your situation. When God sees your sacrifice of praise, He will deliver your break-through.

Listen to this inspirational song: Lynda Randle – God on the Mountain

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