Many who sincerely consecrate their lives to God's service are surprised and disappointed to find themselves, as never before, confronted by obstacles and beset by trials and perplexities. They pray for Christlikeness of character, for a fitness for the Lord's work, and they are placed in circumstances that seem to call forth all the evil of their nature. Faults are revealed of which they did not even suspect the existence. Like Israel of old they question, "If God is leading us, why do all these things come upon us?"
Many know very little of God's dealings with His people, but
the most hopeless part of their experience is that they do not try to
understand His dealings in these precious hours of probation. It is their
privilege to know that His afflictions come for the object of purifying them
from all evil. The Lord permits trials to come in order that we may look to
Him as the source of our strength, and be cleansed from earthliness, from
selfishness, from harshness, from sharp unchristlike traits of character.
He suffers the deep waters of affliction to go over our souls in order that we
may know Him and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent, in order that we may have deep
heart‑longings to be cleansed from defilement, and to come forth from the trial
purer, holier, and happier. We enter the furnace of trial with our souls
darkened with selfishness, and if patient under the crucial test, we shall come
forth reflecting the divine character. The Lord is able to deliver the godly
out of temptation.
Stay tuned for the next post in this study..
1 Peter 1:7, 4:12,13/James 1:12/Revelation 3:18/2 Timothy 2:3/Romans 5:3/Mark 13:20,21/1 Peter 5:10
