Trials and Testing Always Precedes Before Blessings
Is life knocking you hard with trials and hardships? Are you almost at your limit and the devil is throwing doubts and confusion on the goodness and the plans of God for your life? Take heart! It is a sign that your breakthrough is close by and the devil simply wants to wear you down and make you give up so that you won’t be able to receive the blessing God has prepared for you.
“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…Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” (James 1:2-4, 12)
Be encouraged that all your trials and testing have a purpose. Trust in GOD that all things will work out for your good. And when your reward comes after enduring, your gratefulness and appreciation will be deep.
Moreover, every suffering and hardship is an opportunity to know how Jesus has overcome the world. You cannot know God in your comfort zone because His light is not needed in bright places but in dark places. When God shakes your boat of life, He simply meant “walk on the water” as the Apostle Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water to come closer to Jesus (see Matt. 14:22-33).
This season of your life is meant to bring you closer to God. This is not a moment for you to doubt His goodness and faithfulness in your life even when storms are hitting on every aspect of your life. “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed…” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
The devil wants you to focus on the storms of life so that He could drown you with negativity and throw doubts at you but God wants you to simply have faith in Him and to continuously fix your eyes upon Him. When Peter walked out of the boat, he made a few steps on the water as he looked upon the LORD but as soon as he took his eyes off him and fixed his eyes on the storm, that’s when he started to drown:
“And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Matt 14:28-33)
You see, sometimes it is our doubts in the goodness and faithfulness of God that makes things even worse in our lives – we are more stressed, worried, and we experience different kinds of spiritual attacks and anxieties. That is what the devil wants so that you are blinded to what God is preparing for you.
Therefore, when strong wind and waves hit on your life, do not doubt and look ahead for God has something big prepared at the end of the storm.
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” – Romans 8:18
