Trials to Humble Us and Test Us
God sent two generations of the people of Israel into the wilderness for 40 years. The generation of all those 20 and older died, because for them the wilderness was a punishment for their lack of faith to take the land. Those younger than 20 were not guilty of the sin of unbelief. For them it was a time to be humbled and to be tested. Their faith was tested to see if they would keep the Lord's commands, or if they would follow the footsteps of their fathers. (Deuteronomy 8:2) I am glad they passed the test. How do we do when we are tested?
Some people respond to trials by becoming angry that they are experiencing pain or discomfort. That shows pride. They think they do not deserve the trial, or they do not have time for it. Instead, they should be humble and ask God to show them why they are facing that trial. If it is punishment for sin, then, they need to repent and trust the Lord in that area of life. If it is not for sin, it should still humble them to trust God through the trial. The result in either case is a test of faith. It does not show God our faith. It shows us the quality of our faith, so we can learn to trust Him more. That is why we need to count it joy when we have trials as James 1 tells us. Each trial should bring us closer to the Lord, if we pass the test with a hmble heart.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Deuteronomy 9-11.
Some people respond to trials by becoming angry that they are experiencing pain or discomfort. That shows pride. They think they do not deserve the trial, or they do not have time for it. Instead, they should be humble and ask God to show them why they are facing that trial. If it is punishment for sin, then, they need to repent and trust the Lord in that area of life. If it is not for sin, it should still humble them to trust God through the trial. The result in either case is a test of faith. It does not show God our faith. It shows us the quality of our faith, so we can learn to trust Him more. That is why we need to count it joy when we have trials as James 1 tells us. Each trial should bring us closer to the Lord, if we pass the test with a hmble heart.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Deuteronomy 9-11.