GOD DOESN'T WASTE TRIALS. THEY ARE TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMATION

There are times when we look at Life and wonder why it seems so Complex ! Life has so many facets. It can be Joyous at times; it can be Hard at times; it can be Simple, or fraught with misunderstanding. It can be smooth even at times :) One thing is common for all of us : LIFE IS FULL OF TRIALS ! I used to wonder why life contains so many problems. My BLS study in the past year made the answer to that question Crystal Clear. God uses our abilities to solve problems as the stepping stones to Growth And Maturity. TRIALS however, feel differently than just problems. Trials seem to bring us to a crossroads of sort, where we must move from contemplation, to action, to solutions. Trials never seem easy or desired when we are in the middle of them. Trials are often grueling and difficult. Fraught with many aspects that can include fear, frustration, misunderstanding, anger, and even Grief ! People In The Midst Od Trials almost always insert God into the midst of the situation. Why am I going through this God ? Where are you God ? See, if God was loving like you “Christians” say He is, He would never put you through this….Right ? Trials are Truly something that on the surface most or all of us Do Not Want ! ONLY when we can put down our own perceptions and wisdom, desires and demands, and self will, can we open up our hearts and minds to SEE AND HEAR what GOD is Saying and Doing. That comes when we are able to truly Build and Live in a close Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ. It is about Knowing Him, Trusting Him, and Surrendering our lives To Him. Trials will bring Everything Into Focus, because how they begin, how they progress, and how they end, will surely take us on a Journey Of Discovery.

COUNT IT ALL JOY MY BROTHERS, WHEN YOU MEET TRIALS OF VARIOUS KINDS, FOR YOU KNOW THAT THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH PRODUCES STEADFASTNESS. AND LET STEADFASTNESS HAVE ITS FULL EFFECT, THAT YOU MAY BE PERFECT AND COMPLETE, LACKING IN NOTHING. James 1:2

BELOVED, DO NOT BE SURPRISED AT THE FIERY TRIAL WHEN IT COMES UPON YOU TO TEST YOU, AS THOUGH SOMETHING STRANGE WERE HAPPENING TO YOU. 1 Peter 4:12

STRENGTHENING THE SOULS OF THE DISCIPLES, ENCOURAGING THEM TO CONTINUE IN THE FAITH, AND SAYING THAT THROUGH MANY TRIBULATIONS WE MUST ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Acts 14:22

SO THAT THE TESTED GENUINESS OF YOUR FAITH- MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD THAT PERISHES THOUGH IT IS TESTED BY FIRE- MAY BE FOUND TO RESULT IN PRAISE AND GLORY AND HONOR AT THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. 1 Peter 1:7

Are you going through Trials and Testing ? I am. I think we all do in many, many ways. No Doubt, some are harder than others, but they do have some commonalities. At the beginning, they are generally unwanted. They are always difficult in some fashion, and they always Test Us. I think they are particularly hard because at their core, They Produce CHANGE. Change can be good or bad in the moment, but most often, change leads us in A New Direction. Change also can often force us to See God and Put Our Trust In God, because Our control and solutions are not clear or do not evolve as we want them:) The Scriptures above point out some things that without GOD IN YOUR LIFE are hard to swallow for sure. “Count it all JOY when you meet trials”. THAT can be HARD ! “Trials shouldn’t be surprising or strange.” WHAT ? Seems like they can come out of Nowhere ! Then, Truth starts to seep in….Trials can give us Strength and Steadfastness also. Trials will Test the Genuineness of our Faith, and Purify us, as gold through fire. The result of Trials can result in Praise, Glory, and Honor, as JESUS IS REVEALED ! Contemplate how often God reveals Truth or His Presence in your life when Trials appear. Do You See Him ? Do You Trust Him ? In my life as I get older, trials of health and physical abilities have truly come into focus. Kidney issues. Joint issues. PHYSICALLY TRYING AND TESTING ! Funny thing though, I realize those aren’t my Biggest Trial. GOD Has Forgiven My Sin. JESUS is my Lord, Savior, and King. The Holy Spirit fills me and guides me. AND YET….I know there is more, and it comes full circle back to TRANSFORMATION. GOD IS SEEKING TRANSFORMATION IN MY HEART TO A FULL PLACE OF ABIDING IN CHRIST.

ABIDE IN ME, AND I IN YOU. AS THE BRANCH CANNOT BEAR FRUIT BY ITSELF, UNLESS IT ABIDES IN THE VINE, NEITHER CAN YOU UNLESS YOU ABIDE IN ME. John 15:4

WHOEVER SAYS HE ABIDES IN HIM OUGHT TO WALK IN THE SAME WAY IN WHICH HE WALKED. 1 John 2:6

I HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED EITH CHRIST. IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST WHO LIVES IN ME. AND THE LIFE I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH I LIVE BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME. Galatians 2:20

BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF CONTROL; AGAINST SUCH THINGS THERE IS NO LAW. Galatians 5:22-23

JESUS CAME TO EARTH TO TRANSFORM US ! His purpose was not just Salvation, but Salvation into CHANGE - A NEW CREATION. A COMPLETE AND ABUNDANT LIFE. HOW ? By ABIDING IN HIM COMPLETELY ! My TRIAL is becoming abundantly clear to me. “Walk the Way He Walked.” HOW ? I’m not perfect….but HE says that I am in HIM :) He is Telling Me that it is time to Abide In Him Fully. HOW ? How do I practically and realistically make that Happen ? And it is all there, in HIS WORD ! “ Be in the world, but not Of It." “ “ Walk by The Spirit and you will Certainly Not carry out the Desires Of The Flesh.” “ “ Give Thanks in all circumstances, for this is THE WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS FOR YOU.” “You can’t Serve two masters”. “ YOU were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus, and by The Spirit Of God.” THIS is where the rubber meets the road as they say, FOR ME, it is being Transformed Into A Place Of Fully Abiding In Christ. Getting out of My Flesh, and Into His Spirit and Fruit. Let go of The World and its mantras of success and purpose. Lose my pride, impatience, anger, lust, stupid sin patterns, and Grow Up COMPLETELY ! Leave the Old Me behind…in All My Actions and Thoughts, not just some. I WANT TO BE MATURE IN HIS EYES. Not Perfect, but more often battling to be than being sucked into old habits and excuses. IT IS TIME ! I have been with Jesus for 52 years. I have given Him my life, trust, and faith. I Proclaim Him ! And I hear HIM say to me: “ I love you Jim; Step into ME fully, in Everything You Are….and let those last things that still keep even the tiniest part of you in bondage to sin and the world, …GO. Does that seem impossible ? Does that seem too much to ask ? OR is it just One Simple TRANSFORMATION ? JESUS SAYS, “ FOLLOW ME. SAY YES TO ME, AND LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND JIM”

A TRANSFORMED HEART/JAA

AND JESUS SAID TO HIM, ‘ IF YOU CAN’ ! ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE FOR ONE WHO BELIEVES. Mark 9:23

For anyone who is in the midst of Trials, take heart, for God Loves You, Sees You, Hears You, and WILL TRANSFORM YOU ! Amen.