TESTS
TRIALS TROUBLES AND TRIBULATIONS
BREAD
1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then
God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the
region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the
mountains I will tell you about.” 3 Early
the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of
his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt
offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On
the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He
said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over
there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” Genesis 22:1-5 (NIV)
17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac
as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one
and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac
that your offspring will be reckoned." 19 Abraham
reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did
receive Isaac back from death.” Hebrews
11:17-19 (NIV)
6 One day the angels came to present themselves before
the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The
LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming through the earth and going back
and forth in it.” 8 Then
the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on
earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns
evil.” 9 “Does
Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not
put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have
blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread
throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he
has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 12 The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything
he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the
LORD. Job 1:6-12 (NIV)
1 Then Job replied to the LORD: 2 “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be
thwarted. 3 You
asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not
understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4 “You
said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer
me.’ 5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:1-6 (NIV)
8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about
the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure,
far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed,
in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might
not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He
has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we
have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as
you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the
gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 (NIV)
27 “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I
say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came
to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!” Then
a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The
crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel
had spoken to him. John 12:27-29 (NIV)
12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial
you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But
rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be
overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 1
Peter 4:12-13 (NIV)
BREAD
“The devil tempts that he may ruin; God tests that He
may crown.” Ambrose
“Abraham
was able to rise above the trial and trust in the resurrecting power of God. So
also Christian readers must sometimes look beyond the experiences of life, in
which Gods promises do not seem to be fulfilled, and realize that
their resurrections will bring those promises to fruition.” Bible Knowledge Commentary
“In believing prayer, we learn to connect our present
troubles to the good and perfect will of God.
We refuse to believe that chance rules our lives. We withstand the temptation to imagine that
God is capricious or malicious. We know
he has a higher purpose and that he is not dealing with us as our sins deserve.
As we bring our troubles to Jesus in
prayer—asking his will to be done—we approve the will of our Father in heaven.
We see our sufferings in the greater reality of his good, acceptable, and
perfect will. In prayer we “turn crisis
to Christ.” Our heart becomes tuned to
his heart and we sing the song of grace.” Ancient
Prayer, John F. Smed
“This God is no stranger to the hard road. This God walked the hardest road for us. And whatever road we’re walking on now—then somehow, someway—that road is good. There’s not just breadcrumbs of good for you on it; the road itself is good… In this hard, He is doing something holy. He is doing something transformative. Even as our hearts rage. Even as they break….This upside down road, where His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians), where troubles are an opportunity for great joy (James 1:2) because troubles usher us into His presence, and in His presence, there is fullness of joy. (Psalms 16:11). This is Who. A God who does not forsake. A God who is not cruel. A God who is not stingy with grace. Not a sparrow falls outside of His care. When we find ourselves walking through a dry and weary land where there is no water, shaking our fists at why…Fix the eyes on this God. Remember and rest in Who. Maybe comfort isn’t found so much when we ask, ‘Why is this all unfolding here and now?’ — Maybe comfort is found more when we rest in Who is enfolding us all here and now.” Katie Ganshert
“Seriously,
who wants to be known as ‘Shallow Hal’?
Yet sadly, many who claim faith in Christ fall into the mile wide and an
inch deep category. This is not of God’s
choosing. He desires for us to grow up
in Christ – to be conformed to the image of his Son – and He often uses our
tribulations to bring this about. That
is His chosen instrument. Sometimes this
is excruciatingly painful – more often than not. Remember as well, in this fallen and broken
world, pain comes to all. There are no
exceptions. But as believers our pain
has purpose. Pain is also relative as
you most likely know. A coffee stain on
a white skirt can be as devastating to some as a bad diagnosis – go figure…If
tribulation, then, is inevitable should we not prayerfully seek the purpose for
it and grow up, look up, or grow nearer, if you will, in Christ? As
believers, we are never more like our Savior as when we walk the path of
suffering and sacrifice. And whether we
are discerners of this or not the more like Christ we are the more satisfied we
will be. Remember, too, God’s grace is
always sufficient to meet every need.
Every. Need.” BHY
·
God is a
Master of making beauty out of our ashes.
- · He states in His strengthening Word – “Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.” Deuteronomy 33:12 (NIV). Look up and rest in the “Who”.
·
God is
most glorified when we walk through our trials with our eyes fixed on Him and
our hearts fully trusting in His ways – no matter how difficult they may
be. He gives us the grace to meet every need
He allows.
****NOTE: In an effort to bring
encouragement to others during these uncertain times I have recorded (albeit
lamely!) some Scripture recitation. If you are interested in viewing
these they are on the links below or you can go to Beth Yoe at Instagram. I
will be changing out these links each Monday (Lord willing!) ****
Also, we are beginning to post Bible
Studies recorded on Anchor which may be of interest. Thus far we
have James and we are now beginning Esther. The site is: https://anchor.fm/betsy44
