Q1. Value of Trials

[Pastor Ralph]

Q1. (James 1:2-4) What value have trials had in your life? Have you let Satan destroy you with those trials? Or allowed God to refine you? How have you changed?

[sunilbernard]

Q1. (1:2-4) What value have trials had in your life? Have you let Satan destroy you with those trials? Or allowed God to refine you? How have you changed?

Speaking of values, trials have had immense value in my life. I have grown by leaps and bounds. Now my faith is so strong. Satan never stops trying me. (that's his duty) but I never cave in. The faith that the Lord has built up in me is too strong to cave in. Life threatening situations have not come to me, but in case they come, I can meet them with confidence in my Lord, who does good things to them that love HIM.

I have changed for the positive. I don't criticise my Lord when things don't turn my way. I submit myself to His will. I have learnt that the Lord's will is above everything else. Faith to trust our lives with HIM will provide solutions to many of our problems.

[Deb Sagvold]

I am learning to submit to God's will and I understand that trials will eventually make me a better Christian. But, sometimes it's so hard to stay focused on that!

[Renee]

Q1. (1:2-4) What value have trials had in your life? Have you let Satan destroy you with those trials? Or allowed God to refine you? How have you changed?

I have to admit that as far as value goes I'm not sure that I have really grown much with my trials as of late but I also will not, by the grace of God, let satan destroy me.

[Deb Sagvold]

My biggest trial lately has come from my church. I thought I was doing a good thing, but it created jealousy and hard feelings and I recently left my church.

I expect trials in my daily life, but I was blind-sided by such opposition in my church.

I'm trying to focus on the purpose for this particular trial. I truly felt called to work and teach there, and I know that I was making a positive difference, but obviously God has other plans for me. I guess it lead me to this online bible study, so that's one positive thing to come of it.

[MYLORDandme]

Morning Everyone!

Thank The Lord for this another day.

By His grace through trials and His Word He has taught me in everything to give thanks. It's a joy, not happiness, to know that if I stand faithful in and through my trials God can use it to strengthen my brethren. (Luke 22:32) I owe it to you to let God make of me what he created me for. He won't do that if I keep getting off of the wheel. Pray for me and God Bless

[RonS]

I had very hard trial in 2004. It almost destroyed me. But I finally cried out to the Lord and he sent a very Godly couple to help rescue me. They lead me through deliverance. After deliverance I saw that it was an unconfused sin in my life that let Satan have a foothold in my life. Through this foot hold he created a evil desire this evil desire let to the and the trial. But now thanks to the Lord and the trial he let happen that sin is rooted out of my life. Through this I have grown much closer to the Lord. Today my love for and my commitment to Jesus is much stronger then it was one year ago.

In 1John 5:4 it says that we are overcomers of the world. It does not say we can overcome the world it says we are overcommers of the world. Praise GOD

[saltylight]

I love trials... sound crazy? probobly.

I have many trials but I get the fact that we can NOT go forward and go upward without them. Trials are painful but where there is a God purpose the enemy will attempt to steal, kill and destroy and yes I am an overcomer as well using trials as an opportunity to prove myself to my daddy in the sky.

Proven I want to be. I want to be perfected in Jesus Christ and I understand God's thoughts and ways are above ours. He takes every trial and turns it for good building us in Fruits of the spirit. My trials are nothing compared to the trials of Paul and Jesus or Moses. I live in unexplainable peace, THANK YOU FATHER.

My encouragement from God, What is man that we should consider and take to heart his ways or be consumed by his opinions? I don't live by man's law but God's. There is but one judge

[SharonB]

There has been quite a trial in my life due to health issues the past year and a half. Yet, through them, I know the Lord has been working and I truly believe I have become stronger in the faith. This trial has taken the focus off "me" and put it where it should be - on "Him". He is my rock and my fortress.

He said it was never going to be easy to be a Christian. We will have lots of trials but we need to persevere and press forwad. I consider the valleys even more important than the highs. In my opinion, if you never experience the valleys, just the highs, you really cannot grow. He also tells us that in our weakness, He is strong. PRAISE HIM!!!!!!!!!

[PressThrough]

Q1. (1:2-4)

[hausmouse]

2004 was a really tough year for me. But what amazed me that for 18 months or more BEFORE the trial, God was preparing me by teaching me His Word and ensuring that I was immersed in the truth of Scripture before the trial ever hit.

One of my absolute favourite passages for trials is from 1 Peter 1. there Peter gives us the wonderful image of the silversmith, putting the metal into the fire, but watching so carefully, never leaving its side, and carefully skimming off the impurities until He can see His own reflection.

Even when we can't see the purpose, we can be 100% sure that God only works is perfect will in the life of a believer in order to bring us into conformity with the image of His Son.

That's a glorious truth, and it's on the basis of THAT that I can 'count it all joy.'

[Alise]

I realize through the trials and testing that come my way that God is always their when I reach out to him for help,thru my temptations he brings me though and gives me more grace

[prophet]

Advanced Member

Group: Admin

Posts: 301

Member No.: 2

Joined: 22-November 02

Q1. (1:2-4) What value have trials had in your life? Have you let Satan destroy you with those trials? Or allowed God to refine you? How have you changed?

Ive had some very hard times over the last 18 years and i have to say ive grown the most in the battle of life when it comes to trusting my father God but i grew in love i think in the good times but the other thing i have learned is there will be more trails to come and i now never slow down just jump in the fire and let God get me passed the fire and away we go to the next one and i now feel his love 24 / 7 so yes im allowing God to refine me and the devil cant win he can only block me for a while sometimes but God shows me and teaches me how to run and side step him or just slip by and never slow up his change is great i never worry about things.because he will see to it that we all have everything we need to get to him and he will be waiting for us to come home im full of his GRACE !!!Jesus in me & me in Him and with al our brother an sisters we cant lose

GRACE an PEACE to all

[kprice]

I have faced numerous trials this past year. I lost my job, my father got sick and died, and my ability in teaching and preaching has been called into question by one of our elders. All to often we want to ask why me. James has taught me to count my blessings. To consider these trials as a means to strengthen my endurance in Christ. It is not easy, as humans, we want to know why. But we can get stuck on the why question and take our eyes off Christ. This not to say we should never examine ourselves. The apostle Paul teaches us in 1 Cor. 11:28, 2 Cor. 13:5 and Gal. 6:3-4 that it is important to examine ourselves. But when were facing trials we need a better attitude than "why me".

[lbidler]

Most of the time the value from trials is seen months or even years later. And often, I go through the same types of trials, always having to do with relationships. Am I not listening to the Lord, am I not learning. My hope with this study is that I reach a point where I can go from step A to step B.

As I'm sitting here thinking, I can tell that trust in God has a lot to do with it. I pray for discernment to hear the Lord's voice and not Satan's when it comes to relationships (people-pleasing, need for approval, aloneness vs. loneliness). I want to reach a point that Jesus is all I need. So often I say that, but since I keep coming up with the same problems over and over again, do I really believe that? I want to with all my heart.

[pbrewstr7@aol.com]

To the question: I'm always trying to upscale my values and abide by God's will for me. I fall short all the time, but my lesson is Perserverance! Tempatation is nothing more then a habit. I fight tempatation in many phases of my journey, BUT I have a forgiving God, and he gives me strength through his words and teachings, to ABIDE. I'm learning all the time what it is to grow in values, and bible studies such as these keep me grounded in his will.

Thank you,

Debora

[alan]

To the Q of what value has trials had in my life, Im happy to say GREAT VALUE

I learned very early on just how faithfull our GOD is and there is no detail to small or large for Him to work out and that He takes great delight when we place all our Trust in Him.

The first truth I learned is that the word of GOD is without error!!! I setteled that early on. You can not be a strong christian without understanding that the word of GOD is Alive and powerful. I understand that when you speak GOD'S word, He has predetermined that

His word would not return to Him void, but would accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it(Isaiah 55,11)

I understand you must be in line with His word in 1st John 5- 14,15

I like the words to a song Billy Fields wrote, God moves mountains every time, sometimes, one stone at a time

I know im running a race on the road we call Life and the only way to stay on course is to continually make adjustments and line up my walk with the word of GOD.

I aint sayin its easy or that I win all the time but I have used the GRACE of GOD to my advantage and like the book says, Forgetting those things that are behind and pressing on to the things before us and although I still to this very day marvel at the fact that as we will see in this study, GOD invites us to come to HIM 7 times 70 a day if needed and He will not find fault and with no harshness but with much tenderness teaches us how to overcome when we have a broken and contrite spirit

Like the song says, Im a winner either way, If I go or if I stay

[DS of 4]

When I look at the various trials in my life, I realize that I handle different ones better than others. Some trials I have learned a great deal from and become a stronger christian and a better person. Other trials I realize now that I need take a stronger stand in and count it all joy. Maybe the challenge for all of us christians is to examine all of our trials and figure out which ones we need to grow in.

[Jodi]

We are told in the Scriptures to not think it strange when we are tried. What Satan and others who oppose us mean for our destruction, God means for our ultimate joy and good. I, too, have had many trials, but I have found that, although difficult, there is something very good about being desperate before the Lord and pressed hard to Him. These dark trials are the platform to witnessing God at work in ways that we don't see in the ordinary circumstances of life. It is a time to learn more about our utter dependence on the Lord, and a time to learn more about His great faithfulness to us. We are more than conquerors through Him that loves us. We simply cannot lose!

Blessings,

Jodi in TX

[Julie]

I value highly these trials for they have given me more of a understanding of Gods word, have helped me to grow spiritually, have helped me to grow in the truth, have strengthened me, they have helped me to be more like Christ, and have deepened my faith in Christ, these trials has shown me how to trust in the Lord.

No satan did not destroy me for God refined me.

I have changed for my faith and love for Our Heavenly Father has deepened. I am more at peace not worrying about things, I am not afraid for the Lord will look after me.

[NanaRae]

Q1. (1:2-4) What value have trials had in your life? Have you let Satan destroy you with those trials? Or allowed God to refine you? How have you changed?

I was a new Christian of 1 year when the attacks from satan begin. Has tried to rob me of both my sons, my nephew, my niece and my sister beginning in August 2002, through just this past week. The one thing I have learned in all this is just how good the Lord is.

The one thing I was privileged to be shown through a vision was, though we may stand in the fire, if we will stand, and not jump out of it into the world, with worldly reactions, when we come through it we will have a new piece of godly armor in place. Imagine, if you will, the suit of armor that knights wore in the old days. Layer upon layer of metal protection. Those suits could be removed, but if we will stand in the fire and rely on GOD, we will receive a heavenly suit of armor to withstand all the fiery darts of satan as it says in Ephesians 6:13-18.

I've changed in that, though the trials use to make me react in a worldly fashion, I now know who my Deliverer from the trial is and I can rely fully upon Him.

God Bless and may your armor remain heavenly.

[JoyceAlaska]

Q1. (1:2-4) What value have trials had in your life? Have you let Satan destroy you with those trials? Or allowed God to refine you? How have you changed?

Trials help me to keep focused on Christ. They teach me to trust Him--I mean really trust Him! And, they prepare me for the next trial--which will likely be different from the trials that have gone before.

Has Satan destroyed me? NO! But, there was a time when he almost succeeded--

How have I changed? I'm stronger than I was before in Christ and I know the peace and joy that He gives. His joy is so much deeper than mere happiness--His joy and peace are there even in the midst of a storm/trial/strife! "Because He lives I can face tomorrow!!"

[Jose Rivera]

What value have trials had in your life?

Before I turned to God, I used to be like most people and wonder why something happened to me. Now trials are faced differently by me. When I am being tested I try and focus on the one who can sustain me and deliver me from the trial. My favorite example is Job. He faced much and in the end he was rewarded.

One thing I have learned through much, God has seen me through all. He continues to care for me and all my family. In that He has always been faithful.

Have you let Satan destroy you with those trials, or allowed God to refine you? How have you changed?

In the past Satan controlled me and my temper was bad. Like many men, I just had a fire in me that wouldn't subside, always burning and looking for new sources of fuel. I guess you could say Satan was in charge back then. Now I focus on God and ask for His help everyday in all I do.

I now look to His word for assistance, study it daily and also help others find the truth revealed in it. I now know that many of the trials I have faced were in preparation for my role in God's plan. Today he uses me to help others and one day I will be with Him. In that I have great joy. I wish the same joy for each one of you. God bless.

[AngelOnLine]

Q1. (1:2-4) What value have trials had in your life?

When I go through trials I

[rhunt7]

The trials that I have went through have strengthened my Faith and my dependence on God. As I am experiencing or going through a trial, I may not see the benefit or realize the joy at the time. But looking back over my life, after forty five years being a christian, I see the results of those trials & tribulations. And I can see the enormous power and compassion of God. I still wonder at times why He puts up with me, but I'm sure glad He does.