Being Sifted like Wheat

 I wonder if any of us, as Christians, have gone through very difficult times of trial? I believe I know the answer to that question. Yes, we have all gone through very trying times, and sometimes, we have even failed to fully trust the Lord during those times. However, when we came out of the trials, we returned fully to the Lord, and we were better off for having had the difficult time, even though we did not know how we would survive. That is what happened to Peter, when Jesus was arrested, and Peter denied 3 times that he knew Jesus. Before that happened, Jesus prepared Peter for the fiery trial coming his way. (Luke 22:31,32) Jesus told Peter that Satan had asked permission to sift him like wheat, but Christ had prayed for him that his faith would not fail, and when he returned he would strengthen the brothers. That is exactly what happened to Peter, and it will happen to us at times, so we need to keep this in mind. 

Satan is the accuser of the brothers and sisters in Christ. He can't touch us without the permission of the Lord. When God grants Satan the permission to send us through a terrible trial, He does so knowing that with His power and direction, we can overcome the trial. He allows it, so we will see how strong we are in the Lord, or how weak we are. Then, Christ, Who is always making intercession for us to the Father, prays for us in just the right way. He prays that our faith will not fail, even if we fail. This allows us to repent and return to Him after the trial. Because we endured such a test, and we found out how to better trust the Lord through it, we can strengthen other believers who are about to encounter trials or those who have had similar experiences. Remember, God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans8:28) This is true even when we are sifted like wheat spiritually.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Luke 23-24 and John 1.