Grief Bites: Finding Treasure In HardshipsSample

Why does God allow us to go through trials...particularly trials of longer length?

Look at and consider Deuteronomy 8:1-11.

The Bible shares with us that there are valid purposes for trials:
1. To humble us
2. To test us
3. To know what is in our hearts
4. To reveal whether we will keep God's commandments or not
5. To humble us to reveal what we hunger for, whether it be good or bad
6. To show us our great need for God's Word
7. To show us His provision
8. So we will know in our hearts that God loves us and cares enough about us to discipline us as His own---just as a loving parent disciplines his own son
9. As motivation to "keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him"
10. To applicably teach us how to walk in His ways and to fear Him
11. To eventually bring us to a better place so we will be freed up to "bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you"
12. To free Him up to bless us at a greater level after we obey, walk in His ways, and fear Him
13. To teach us our need for Him so we will not forget to obey Him and we will not reject or neglect Him in the days to come

Trials are difficult and they truly show us what we are made of. They reveal the true condition of our hearts, what we think, and what we believe. They ultimately reveal what we truly think about God.

What if we are going through a life challenge right now...and we have failed miserably so far to love God and be loyal to Him?

Talk to Him about it right now and ask Him for His forgiveness. His mercies are new every morning and He is so faithful!

The Bible says if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We are running a race and the goal is to condition our spiritual hearts. It's easy to fall down...and the enemy stops at nothing to trip you up.

Choose to get back up, brush yourself off, and continue to run a good race. Allow whatever situation you are in to refine you...not define you. Allow life's trials to bring you closer to God.

Life may be very tough today but you serve a God who is in full control of all of your tomorrows. Go through this necessary journey with God to become better suited to love and serve Him...and in the process, He will bring you to a better place. There is a great prize at the end of the race of life, press forward with all your might!