Sermons and Studies

Why Trials Come

If you don't have a hard-copy Bible available or an app on your phone, Bible.com is a fantastic, free resource with multiple versions in numerous languages available. (I'm not trying to promote one site over another, I just know and trust this one.)

Before we begin, why not start with some praise and worship music that hits you right in the spirit, and spend some time worshiping the God who created you? If you're limited on time, play the music while you pray. Don't forget to ask God to open your eyes to what He wants you to learn and understand from this lesson!

Also, you'll get a lot more out of reading this if you read the verses that are in the boldfaced type. Call them 'inside information'. 😉

Isaiah 59:1

Have you ever felt like your whole life is a rickety house that's about to fall down around your ears? I'm sure you can see those figurative walls trembling in the wind and you can hear the groan of stressed architecture that struggles to remain aloft against the storm in your life. You're terrified that this haphazard construction you've built of your life is going to collapse on top of you and every instinct is screaming at you to run away.

No sane person would want to stay in a case like that, right? Take a deep breath and relax; God's got this! He has a plan for our lives and He is not confounded, worried or even the slightest bit upset by what we see as disaster. We're going to look at where these storms come from and how to deal with them.

James offers several possible reasons for the trials of life in James 1:2-15. The first reason is in verses 2-3. Sometimes, God allows these storms in order to prove your faith, either to test it or to strengthen it, and to produce steadfast endurance (steadfast means 'stubborn courage', while endurance is moral toughness) and patience (which is a calm persistence.) When this happens, James says in verse 4, welcome it! That way, you will end up like a high-quality photograph; perfectly developed and lacking in nothing.

In verse 5, James offers advice for weathering this kind of storm. He says to ask for wisdom and God will certainly give it. When your life starts to sway in one of those storms that scream of overwhelming crisis, instead of asking God to get you out of it, ask for wisdom, in faith, to deal with it so you can get through it while learning what He is trying to teach you!

James segues seamlessly into the second source of those life storms in verses 6-8; a lack of faith. This is illustrated in Mark 9. A desperate father has brought his son to Jesus for healing. In Mark 9:22-27, the father displays his desperation, but not faith. Jesus takes him to task, and it isn't until that father expresses a germ of faith and asks for more, that God can work on his behalf. True, it's the boy who is demon-possessed; but that's often how our adversary operates. He attacked an innocent child in order to hurt the father.

Another example of that lack of faith is found in Matthew 13:54-58. Pay special attention to verse 58. This is where Jesus grew up. This village made up of His family and His neighbors, his friends that He played with as children, couldn't receive Jesus' help because of their lack of faith!

Also note that these people would be the people He most would want to help. I'm sure He grew up watching this family or that person, knowing that they would need His healing touch, or His deliverance after He started His ministry. Can you imagine how much He'd looked forward to visiting in order to help, and how disappointed He must have sounded in verse 58?

The third reason for the storms that James offers is in James 1:12-15. Sometimes, those storms are caused by we, ourselves! We each are tempted to sin by our own desires (that come from our own personality or our own carnal selves.)

God tempts no one to sin, James tells us. Instead, our own base (carnal or sinful) desires lead us into doing the wrong thing. James 1:12 tells us that when we can stand up to our own selfish desires in order to do the right thing, when we can bear up under trial (the testing that comes with temptation,) then God will reward us when we stand before Him.

Pop on over to Galatians 6:7 for a quick peek. When we fail, and we succumb that earthly desire, then we suffer the natural consequences of our wrong-doing. Those consequences may be as dramatic as a prison sentence or incurable disease or as subtle as a lost or damaged friendship.

A good example of this is of a friend's former pastor, who was saved out of an immoral lifestyle. Though he was forgiven and even became a pastor, he still died of HIV. He'd contracted the virus as a natural consequence to his sin. Though he was forgiven and saved, the consequence of what he did remained, even though it took a decade to be made known. Make no mistake, there are always consequences!

Remember that first verse you read? Isaiah 59:1-2 offers the very worst consequence of sin; separation from God! If your life storm is one of your own making though, verse 1 offers you hope. God is perfectly able to save you and He hears you! Ask for forgiveness and wisdom for how to make it right again, whatever you did to have sinned. I John 1:9 promises that God will not leave you to your mess, if you are truly sorry.

There is another reason for the storm that James did not mention. Read Matthew 8:23-27. This is a tiny story, only four verses, but it offers so much!

Here, Jesus climbs into a boat and everyone follows suit. They head out across the water and Jesus grabs a nap on the way. Part-way across the lake, a storm comes up. It's so violent that the waves go right over the top of the boat! Jesus keeps right on sleeping.

At this point, the small boat- probably meant for two or four guys, but carrying thirteen- is in danger of capsizing (turning over.) Now, don't forget that four of the disciples used to be professional sailors. Peter, Andrew, James and John were fishermen before they started following Jesus. They know how to handle a boat, and they know when they're in trouble!

The disciples panic and wake Jesus up, screaming 'we're all gonna' die!' Think about this now, they had to manually wake Him up! Their cries of terror, the wild pitching of the boat in the waves, the lashing rain and howling wind have bothered Him not at all. He actually asks them in the middle of all of this, why they are so afraid! Why? Because He is God and completely in control of this situation, the entire time.

Only when the disciples asked for His help, did He calm the storm. Consider this: Jesus was in charge and in control, even asleep. Why do you suppose He allowed the storm? It was so He could calm it again! Jesus allowed the storm in order to show Himself more fully to His disciples.

Sometimes, the storm is there so that God's power and grace may be displayed in your life, either so that He may show Himself faithful to you, or so that through you, by your faith & grace through the trial, He can show Himself to others. In doing so, he offers and opening for you to draw them in to the Father.

For example, my sister-in-law battled cancer some years ago. She didn't understand why God was allowing this in her life at first, but her deep, unshaken faith and grace to others despite her suffering was a real testimony to others around her, the medical professionals and other patients alike. It made them want to know how she could be so strong and it gave her an opening to offer the Gospel.

This is one reason James 1:2 tells us to 'consider it all joy' when we encounter trials. If going through a hard time for a while means that someone close to you gains eternal life, then isn't that cause for joy?

Heavenly Father, thank You that You are always willing to hear us, no matter how bad we mess up. We are glad that no matter what, You are able to reach us in the worst of our messes and help us through the storms of life. Lord, we ask that You be with us and grant us wisdom for each of these trials. Help us not to fall into temptation, but to stand firm. Help us, despite the wind and waves of adversity, to stand strong in order to point others to Jesus. Let us offer them the hope that we cling to as well! In Jesus' Name we pray and give You thanks, amen.