The Tribune

By CARLOS SPENCER

The depth of our love for God is often connected to our personal experiences in time of challenge, adversity, trials and tribulations.

Many believers grow in faith during happy moments, but difficult moments have a special and spectacular manner of enhancing our knowledge, faith and trust in our Creator. First there is the testing, followed by the blessing. God truly works in mysterious ways. The Apostle Paul who was identified by our Lord as “a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15) places life’s difficult moments into context. Romans 8:28 (KJV) records: “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.”

As human beings we do not always appreciate the silver lining in our difficult moments, but God is at work in all things. Even the hardship suffered by Job was a part of God’s Divine Plan for Job’s life. (Job 42:11) The book of James tells us “to count it all joy” when we have a lot of trouble (James 1:2). Verse three further states “knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” As believers, we appreciate that we grow in our walk with God as a direct consequence of our testing season. By our faith and His grace “we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Romans 8:37)

1 Peter 1:7 (KJV) tells us: “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”

We are in good hands when we trust in God. It is a fact of life that one will face problems along the way. This is inevitable. However, I would rather have a personal relationship with God when the challenges surface, than not to know Him at all. Scripture provides countless illustrations of the power and grace of God at work in the lives of believers and others. Jeremiah 17:7 (KJV) states clearly: “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.”

Our spiritual walk with our Creator becomes the single most important aspect of our lives when we are fully tuned in to God and connected with Him. Oh what a blessed assurance! We can confidently navigate life’s treacherous pitfalls and challenges when God is our strength and anchor. Our shield and buckler, our armour.

Psalm 91:4 (KJV) records: “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shalt be thy shield and buckler.”

Amen. Thanks be to God for the sharing of His Word.