WHY TRIALS AND TESTING
by W. G. Guy
Most of us experience times of difficulty, trials and testing as we go through life. Such trials and testing vary in form as well as in severity and duration. Some of us experience trials that make us cry out, “Why is my trial lasting so long”. There are those of us who have been experiencing such hardships for years with no end in sight. You may ask, “Is there a reason or a purpose for what I am going through”? If you are a child of God through Jesus Christ, there is a reason. God is doing a work in you to prepare you for a time and condition that is coming.
God is not punishing you; instead, He is preparing you! Long periods of testing and trials create endurance that we will need in the last days. This is because we will face opposition to our Christian beliefs and the Word of God that will greatly increase. Only those who have withstood times of affliction from the world, and the enemy, will be used by God to be His witnesses in the last days. Endurance is part of patience which is required of us as believers in Christ and His Word.
Romans 5:3-4 – And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope:
2 Corinthians 6:4 – but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
There is a good reason for patient endurance to be built up in those of us called into service for the Lord. It increases our faith which is vitally important as it helps us to stand against all the efforts of the enemy to steal, kill and destroy. The apostle Paul told Timothy that those weak in faith can become “shipwreck”, or “overthrown”, and their faith could even be “cast off”.
1 Timothy 1:19 – holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
2 Timothy 2:18 – ….who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
1 Timothy 5:12 – ….having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.
Our faith must be strong in order to face the opposition and persecution that lay ahead in the last days. We are called to endure and be overcomers, and more than conquerors.
2 Timothy 3:12 – Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Romans 8:37 – Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Endurance is required to serve Jesus. If you are called of God for a specific ministry you need to be prepared to endure trials.
2 Timothy 3:10-11 – …..But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
Why the trials? Because you will be at odds with the world!
John 15:18-19 – If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
The world is not going to get better until Jesus returns and sets up His Kingdom reign with justice, righteousness, peace and joy. Jesus and Paul, both told us things will get worse.
2 Timothy 3:13 – But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
Matthew 24:12 – And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Jesus said, “sin shall abound, and the love of many will grow cold”. Why this happens is because of the nature of sin, which is yielding to fleshly lusts, and these lusts are in and of the world.
1 John 2:15-16 – Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Lust is basically selfishness, the desire for self-gratification with the things of the world and not of God. Selfishness is the opposite of love since selfishness “gets”, while love “gives”. So as sin in the world increases, love decreases! Our message and ministry is about God’s love for the world to bring it back into fellowship with Him.
John 3:16-17 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
God’s plan and purpose for you as one of His servants is to be His representative to this world, but not to be a part of it and its corruption.
Romans 8:28-29 – And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Remember what Jesus said to His followers:
Hebrews 13:5 – ….. for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Matthew 28:20 ……lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Therefore, knowing what God has promised and prepared for us, let us move forward with confidence that His Word is true and His promises are sure. We are to represent Him as living testimonies witnessing for Him and His great love toward mankind for total redemption.
Romans 8:31 – What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
So be faithful and endure hardness as a good soldier:
Timothy 2:3 – Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
This is why some of us have gone through testing and trials that have lasted for a long time. He is doing His work in us so that He can do His work in and through His proven, tested and faithful servants! The end results will be glorious!
James 1:2-4 – My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
by W. G. Guy
Most of us experience times of difficulty, trials and testing as we go through life. Such trials and testing vary in form as well as in severity and duration. Some of us experience trials that make us cry out, “Why is my trial lasting so long”. There are those of us who have been experiencing such hardships for years with no end in sight. You may ask, “Is there a reason or a purpose for what I am going through”? If you are a child of God through Jesus Christ, there is a reason. God is doing a work in you to prepare you for a time and condition that is coming.
God is not punishing you; instead, He is preparing you! Long periods of testing and trials create endurance that we will need in the last days. This is because we will face opposition to our Christian beliefs and the Word of God that will greatly increase. Only those who have withstood times of affliction from the world, and the enemy, will be used by God to be His witnesses in the last days. Endurance is part of patience which is required of us as believers in Christ and His Word.
Romans 5:3-4 – And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope:
2 Corinthians 6:4 – but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
There is a good reason for patient endurance to be built up in those of us called into service for the Lord. It increases our faith which is vitally important as it helps us to stand against all the efforts of the enemy to steal, kill and destroy. The apostle Paul told Timothy that those weak in faith can become “shipwreck”, or “overthrown”, and their faith could even be “cast off”.
1 Timothy 1:19 – holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
2 Timothy 2:18 – ….who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
1 Timothy 5:12 – ….having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.
Our faith must be strong in order to face the opposition and persecution that lay ahead in the last days. We are called to endure and be overcomers, and more than conquerors.
2 Timothy 3:12 – Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Romans 8:37 – Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Endurance is required to serve Jesus. If you are called of God for a specific ministry you need to be prepared to endure trials.
2 Timothy 3:10-11 – …..But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
Why the trials? Because you will be at odds with the world!
John 15:18-19 – If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
The world is not going to get better until Jesus returns and sets up His Kingdom reign with justice, righteousness, peace and joy. Jesus and Paul, both told us things will get worse.
2 Timothy 3:13 – But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
Matthew 24:12 – And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Jesus said, “sin shall abound, and the love of many will grow cold”. Why this happens is because of the nature of sin, which is yielding to fleshly lusts, and these lusts are in and of the world.
1 John 2:15-16 – Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Lust is basically selfishness, the desire for self-gratification with the things of the world and not of God. Selfishness is the opposite of love since selfishness “gets”, while love “gives”. So as sin in the world increases, love decreases! Our message and ministry is about God’s love for the world to bring it back into fellowship with Him.
John 3:16-17 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
God’s plan and purpose for you as one of His servants is to be His representative to this world, but not to be a part of it and its corruption.
Romans 8:28-29 – And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Remember what Jesus said to His followers:
Hebrews 13:5 – ….. for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Matthew 28:20 ……lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Therefore, knowing what God has promised and prepared for us, let us move forward with confidence that His Word is true and His promises are sure. We are to represent Him as living testimonies witnessing for Him and His great love toward mankind for total redemption.
Romans 8:31 – What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
So be faithful and endure hardness as a good soldier:
Timothy 2:3 – Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
This is why some of us have gone through testing and trials that have lasted for a long time. He is doing His work in us so that He can do His work in and through His proven, tested and faithful servants! The end results will be glorious!
James 1:2-4 – My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
