What Value are Trials?

As we experience trials, we usually question their benefit and say, at least within ourselves, "How long, O LORD?"

As I reflect on this month and the trials I know many have been undergoing, let me try to provide one person's perspective on the value of trials.

Near the end of the book of Genesis, when Joseph has been reunited with his family, speaking to the brothers who had wished him dead, Joseph said, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive" (Genesis 50:19b-20; NASB). God had refined Joseph through the trials he experienced in Egypt so that he could come to this conclusion. He was no longer the sallow, shallow youth of 17 or so who bragged of his dreams.

At the beginning of the book of Job, we hear this statement by God regarding Job: "For there is no one like him on the earth; a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil" (Job 1:8b; NASB). Yet God had a purpose in what we refer to as Job's sufferings. At the end of the book, Job says to God, "I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.... I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You; therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes" (Job 4:2-3, 5-6; NASB). Although Job may never have been privy to the interactions between God and Satan early in the book, God brought him to a place of greater humility through his trials. There is always room for sanctification until heaven.

Sometimes we undergo trials because God is disciplining us. I can vouch for this. Read Hebrews 12:7-11: "It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained  by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness." Going through the experience of discipline, we see nothing joyful or useful. Only afterwards can we agree that it does yield "the peaceful fruit of righteousness."

What about suffering for doing what is right?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said this: "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:10-11). Those who are persecuted do not perceive any blessing in their persecution. What is called for is trusting God and His Word.

Peter wrote more regarding the matter of suffering: "Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, that for doing evil" (1 Peter 3:13-17).

Hebrews 12:3: "Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

What about trials which seem to have no reason to them?

Let me share with you some Scripture passages which help me when I ask this question,

In his second letter to the church at Corinth, Paul wrote: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is in abundance through Christ" (1:3-5; NASB).

And in his first letter, Peter wrote, "Therefore humble yourselves under the might hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.... After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen" (5:6-7, 10-11; NASB).

And one of my favorite verses is James 1:12: "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him" (NASB).

Trials refine us, make us more useful, bless us, and cause us to experience what God promised: greater Christ-likeness (1John 2:28=-3:3).

Trials, Part Three

Trials come from many sources and last for various periods of time. Sometimes our trials are physical, sometimes chronic, even leading eventually to death,  and other times remediable with different kinds of treatment. Sometimes the trials are experienced by those we love, and we share their pain however long it lasts. Sometimes the trials come at the hands of others. These are especially hard when they come from those we care for. David knew something of this, as the Psalms show. The Lord Jesus Christ knew this first hand also, as the Gospels reveal.

God's Word is our source of comfort in all these instances: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God," as Paul states in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

However much I may suffer
From trials of various kinds,
Temptations from various directions,
However dire a day may seem,
When I think of what my Savior
Lived through and
Died for,
Nothing is so hard to bear if
Being borne by One
Whose burden is easy,
Whose yoke is light.
Suffering brings for us perspective
Seen in the light of Scripture,
At least for me.

Trials, Part Two

The tests and trials of our lives are not accidental, but designed for each of us.

Tested by God

We children of His are tested by God
To see if our faith is real or fraud,
And that is the first of many tests we'll take,
But never at any time will He ever forsake us.
Whatever length and depth and difficulty we face,
He'll be there with His sufficient grace.
He tailors the test to the student
And remedial work may assign,
But every step on our way with Him
He knows the work for our mind,
The strength our spirits need to increase,
The time we can stand before we give way.
He knows and will give strength for the day.
What comfort it is to be so known
By the One on heaven's throne!

One of the most encouraging verses in Scripture is Hebrews 4:15: "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin."

How is this possible? Go back to Hebrews 2:9-10: "But we see Him who was for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him though whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings."

Philippians 2:5-11 gives us a glimpse into what Jesus willingly experienced on our behalf: "who, although He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Every knee, every tongue, without exception--did you see that? How I look forward to that Day--every knee, every tongue, as Christ's glory is sung, as the Father is blessed, by the called and the rest.

Paul would later writer: "If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness" (2 Corinthians 11:30). The apostle explains: "And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Paul saw contentedness in multiples of weakness, insult, distress, persecution, difficulty, because he recognized that in these, if he experienced them on behalf of Christ, he would have the indwelling power of Christ through them.

Trials, Part One

After Job learned that his possessions and his children had all been taken from him, this is how he responded: "Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and worshipped. And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.' In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong" (Job 1:20-22; ESV).

After Job's health was taken, this is how he and his wife responded: "Then his wife said to him, 'Do you still hold fast to your integrity? [Remember, she had lost her children, too.] Curse God and die.' But he said to her, 'You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?' In all this Job did not sin with his lips" (Job 2:9-10; ESV).

Many chapters later, face to face with God, Job said this: "Then Job answered the LORD and said, 'I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 'Who is this  that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 'Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you will make it known to me.' I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:1-6; ESV).

Years ago, the women's Bible study I attended studied the book of Job. Job did not know why he underwent the trials he did. The same is sometimes true of us. Like Job, we have to humble ourselves and trust God at such times.

At the end of that Bible study series, I wrote the following; how do we identify and recognize and respond to trials?

Terms and Trials

Terms and trials:
When is the thing just annoying?
When is it really adversity?
When is it a loss of sleep?
When sovereignty gives way
And tranquility is absent,
Doom and gloom on the ascent,
Sighing is strangling,
When sovereignty is absent
And tranquility gives way,
When God is too appearance-distracted
And I can only sway,
Wondering what to grasp
Of terms and trials,
Arrogance and denials,
Sleepless in my sleep,
Loneliness increasing deep;
Spiral this way and that,
Cry like an almost four on her mat.
Terms and trials--
Neither is for naught--
Victory for each
Already Christ-blood-bought.
Rest, O heart and restless mind--
In His holding comfort find!
Already Christ-blood-bought,
Rest, O heart and restless mind--
In His holding comfort find!