Shaped Through Trials

Opening illustration: If there is any such thing as a universal question, it may be this: Why are all these trials in my life? This is not a new question; generations of children have asked it. They have then grown into adults who must answer the same question when their children ask.

Introduction: Whenever I read the books of Moses, I wonder how many times he heard that question from the Israelites. Before rescuing them from slavery and leading them out of Egypt, Moses told them that the Lord would lead them to “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8). He did, but first they spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness. This was no ordinary wandering, however. They were not lost; they were wandering for a purpose. After 400 years of slavery, the children of Israel needed to have their hearts, souls, and minds reoriented toward God. This was accomplished in the wilderness (Deut. 8:2,15-18), but not before an entire generation died because of their disobedience (Numbers 32:13).

In life, it sometimes seems as if we are wandering in circles. We feel lost. We want to ask God, “Are we there yet? How much longer?” At such times, it helps to remember that the journey, not just the destination, is important to God. He uses it to humble us, test us, and show us what is in our hearts. (Julie Ackerman, ODB, 09/03/11)

Why does God allow us to go through trials in life? (v. 2)

1. To Humble and Test Us

We are the type of people who God has to show because we don’t listen to what He tells us. If you don’t believe me, check yourself against His Word in comparison to your obedience. You will see we fall woefully short, but we think otherwise which is Why God Humbles Us. If He allowed us to continue in our disbelief, we would come to ruin.

If you tell some Christians that you believe God tests us sometimes, they get mad. Yet if you read enough of the Bible, you can't deny that it's true. The above verses are abundantly clear. God tested the Israelites in the wilderness to humble them and to find out what was in their hearts, whether they would obey Him or not. In verse 16, the Lord reveals His purpose, "so that in the end it might go well with you."

God doesn't test us because He's mean and sadistic. He tests us because He loves us and He knows that trials can stretch us and make us grow. Why is the Lord so interested in our spiritual growth? There are probably many reasons, but a few I can think of offhand are that He can bless us more, we can be a greater blessing to others, and God can use us more for His glory. If we look at Job, some might say that it was Satan that did the testing, and technically, they'd be right. But it's also true that it was God who allowed Job to be tested. God was convinced that His servant would be faithful to Him no matter what, and He was right. And though Job was already "the greatest man among all the people of the East," the Lord rewarded Job with even greater blessings after his test than before.

If you study the lives of the people of the Bible, you discover that the ones God blessed and used the most were the humble and often the ones He tested the most. And many times, the greatest tests came right before the greatest blessings. Maybe you feel like you're in the desert of testing right now. Perhaps God wants to use you in a special way, and He is calling you to a higher level of faith and obedience. Instead of resisting the stretching pain of your trials, if you'll settle down and determine to pass the test by walking in obedience to God, not only will your faith become stronger, but God will reward you somehow. He may give you greater responsibilities or opportunities.

Being humbled by God is painful, but it is more painful to live life without humbling ourselves to God. Those who fail to ever humble themselves will spend eternity separated from God and His goodness. Why God Humbles Us – to bless us. He wants to set us up for success not failure and disaster. Abraham and Job are one of the finest examples in passing God’s tests with flying colors. The humble, tried and tested are God’s favorite! Surrender today.

2. To know what is in Our Heart

God is not fooled by outward appearance though we may be … God can see things about you that no one else can see. Deep things. Hidden things. You know, those inner thoughts and desires that your family and friends have no idea are even floating around in your heart and mind.