Q1. Value of Trials

[brian]

Hi I'm Brian from Nairobi Kenya. I have learnt to ask God to show me what he wants me to learn from the trial and to help me be obedient so that it lasts a short time. My attitude to trials has been wanting in the past but i quickly learnt that i needed to grow up and to stop murmuring. I still get tempted to murmur sometimes but it is something i'mworking on.

[alleyeyes2]

I can't say that I've always found joy in my trials, but I have always understood God's way of "growing me." In that understanding I have been under constant refinement where I find joy in the listening, the doing and the change it results in.

The only way I know that Satan is nipping at my heels is when I lose my focus. When I become aware I simply ask God to rebuke him.

There is no value in the trials if we don't learn anything from them. It means that we have chosen to ignore God's nudging and have resorted to our own "wisdom" which more times than not is wrong. When we submit to God's life lessons we become a more mature Christian.

[jazzinchris]

Okay I am new at this posting part of things...I will give it a try....I think as I look back at some trials I have had (and some happening now)...I have noticed that the ones I didn't allow God to refine and change me have come back more than once...The Lord is now giving me a chance to revisit some of those trials to trust him and allow him to do his work....I often have a difficult time with the perserverance parft of it....I hope that as I perservere and can look back on this time as one of tremendous growth....Chris

[edna]

Trials in my life has taught me patience, and no matter what God, is able to cause me to be able to endure. Earlier in my christian walk I allowed satan to hinder me, but glory to God I find that I am stronger because of it, and now am able to persever.

[DebChats]

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

I don't see my trials as having any real value until they have accomplished that which I am supposed to come into .. maturity and completion and though I find myelf much more mature and complete than a year ago or so, I find it hard to count it all joy. I will learn to, though.

Have you let Satan destroy you with those trials?

It sometimes becomes very tempting to sit down and cry or feel sorry for myself and just give up on God and His Word, but then I know there is no other way to go, and I always do pick myself up and dust myself off and carry on .. which gives me the victory. Thank You Jesus.

Or allowed God to refine you?

Not sure if 'allowed' would be the right word here, but I am becoming refined nonetheless. Again, there is no place to go but forward.

How have you changed?

I have become much more sure of who I am in Jesus and who Jesus is in me. I have a boldness and confidence that was lacking in my walk with the Lord, and it is still being refined.

[Tom Nabors]

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?

Whenever temptations from Satan or my own sinful self occur I recall 1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." Or when tested by God to refine my faith I recall the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, or 1 Peter 4:19 "So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." Or the story of Job.

I understand the testing if for refinement. For Him to display His strength through my weaknesses is a privilege, even though it don't realize it at first.

In the past I have come close to letting these things destroy me. And I don't initially react very well even now but I find I am much quicker at realizing it. But God is patient, unbelievably patient and merciful in seeing the tests through.

[TennLady01]

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?

The valleys or trials is where we do most of our growing in the Lord Jesus Christ he is there with us to help us and we only have to go through things one time if we learn the first time is what I have learned. I am changing all the time reaching new high's and praising God for everything and praying without ceasing and we are so blessed to be able to live where we can worship and pray and read the word of God the Bible the truth from our living God. Thank you Jesus for all you do for us and in us.

[Helen Williams]

Trials have had tremendous value in my life. At the time there were times I did not think so. As I matured in Christ and look back over my life, I have benefit from my trials. My trials have taught me to lend on and trust God. The WORD tells us to submit to God and resist the devil and he will flee from us. God's Word id faithful, just, and true. Therefore I have NOT let Satan destroy me. God has refined me over the years and I have changed in so may ways. Thanks be to GOD!

[princesskitty]

What value have trials had in your life?

To teach me that God is ever faithful, even when we aren't. I am a living testimony that the Lord will never leave or forsake His own.

Have you let Satan destroy you with those trials?

Yes, I did. I did not perservere to the end, and it eventually brought me to my end. I came to the place where I thought God only wanted misery and suffering for my life, and so I didn't want to live for Him anymore. I hadn't yet recieved the full knowledge of His love for me, and believed the lies the enemy was feeding me. Angry at God, I walked away, to do my own thing and have fun for once. What came to pass I don't like to talk about much. I've been where I've been and done what I have done, the Lord knows. The enemy could not take my life. Had I not repented and continued on that path I can't be sure that would be the case. When I had finally had enough pain, I cried out to the only hope I had and he was still there. Still there waiting for me, to walk me back step by step out of the wretched life I had created for myself. My savior! The Lord is good.

Or allowed God to refine you?

Yes! The former things have passed away and I am a new creation in Him, even better than before, because now I do not doubt my Lord, and I feel and see the evidence around me (my life now) of His love for me every day!

How have you changed?

I don't think I can ever again take out my frustration and anger on God again. He is my strength and my salvation, my God. In Him will I trust.

I now have a well of joy and peace in my soul where there used to be dispair! I am excited about the future! Not because it will all be peaches and roses, but because God will see me through it! And in the process, I'm being not only refined, but restored, into the person he created me to be, before this world's ugliness got a hold of me. And I'm finding out, I don't have to pretend or try so hard--people actually like ME! and I do too!

[sportstaxi]

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 have definitely made me a stronger person and have developed a perseverence in me. I think the biggest benefit is that I can look back at the trials and see how God was faithful to me and carried me through them - even though I didn't see it at the time. He will never leave us or forsake us ~ and I know He was keeping a hedge of protection around me throughout. He still does. Realizing what He's done for me in the past allows me to rely on Him in the present. Have I allowed God to refine me? I'm not sure, but I know that's what He's done with my past trials and will continue to do with ones to come.

[Magnus]

Trials have strengthened my faith in God and brought me closer to Christ

[Judy Ferguson]

There have been many trials in my life but with the passing of time as I look back I increasingly understand their value. There was a time that when bad things happened I would allow Satan to raise doubts in my mind about the goodness or even existence of God, to become discouraged and depressed, to wonder if there even was a divine order in the world.

But at one point I chose as my life verse Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." And I began to see how if this negative thing hadn't happened, this good thing wouldn't have come about. I began to understand what it means to know God has a plan for your life; nothing happens by chance but things do happen by choice.

And this has made an incredible difference in my life. It has made it possible to overcome obstacles and to achieve goals that at one time seemed far beyond my reach. But most important, it has drawn me into an intimate relationship with the Father and a new love for His Word and His will.

[Helenmm]

I'm one of those who tends to be "spontaneous", meaning that I often get it wrong. Trials have taught me to search for the peace of God which keeps our hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of Christ. I've learned to look for the peace of God before I take action. That has saved me a great deal of trouble.

Satan has had a good shot at destroying me with trials. It's a pity for him that I'm so joyful in my Lord these days, and intend to remain so!

Father has done lots of refining me. I'm still certain that there's a long way to go.

I've changed by learning to talk to Father much more, to be more aware of His plan for my life and involvement with every decision. I've learned to expect much more from Him, to be comforted by Him, to consider what He has saved me from, and to be glad.

[vickiel]

As a young Christian trials often got me down. But Praise God, He is so faithful. He never gave up on me, even when I gave up on myself. Now that I have matured and grown I see the trials have added great value to my life. I don't let Satan get me down for long. I feel God is still working on me and I am so thankful for that. I go willing through His refining fires, knowing that all things work together for the good for those who love Him. Reflecting back, I know the Lord directed my path my journey of life, when I got sidetracked, He waited patiently and lovingly to put me back on the path. What an awesome God we serve. Praise his Holy Name

[Margaret Asuquo]

I have had my own fair share of trials. Today, i believe that the trials have helped in bringing me closer to God while I wait for the manifestation of His plan and purpose for me in That situation.

Satan cannot destroyed me in those trials because I know that when he plans for my fall, God will always turn it around for my good. Indeed I go through the process of refining with every trial. Today, I believe I trust God more, seek His will first, and depend totally on Him.

[Kim E.]

My mother used to say to me,

[Marsha]

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?

[/color]

Certainly I have faced trials as any other Christian in my life and these trials have helped draw me closer to God. I know that, as a new Christian, Satan had a field day with me and I allowed him to cause some damage in my life because of my failure to cling close to Jesus and allow Him to shelter me from Satan's fiery darts and slings. A wiser, older Christian once told me that complacent Christians are no real threat to Satan but just let a Christian get "on fire for the Lord" and really start walking for God and working for Him and the old devil will really work doubletime to cause that Christian to stumble and fall and be destroyed in his faith.

I believe the God continues to refine the Christian through trials in his life. I don't believe God CAUSES these trials, but I do beleive He allows them to come into our lives because He knows that we often learn better through experience than instruction. I think of an earthly parent and how they try to instruct their children in the right way, teaching them right from wrong and that there are consequences for wrong actions. But....kids being what kids are, they don't always listen and learn from someone who has a little more life experience and will push the upper limits. Sometimes as parents, we have to stand by and allow our children to suffer the consequences of some of their wrong choices, just as God does us, but we never stop loving our children because of their wrong choices, just as God never stops loving us. Just as we hurt for our children when they make those bad or wrong choices, God hurts for us but He is always there, ready to accept us and love us and help us to see how that wrong choice caused us a whole lot of pain. Praise Him that He is there for us!

How have I changed as a result of some of the trials that have come into my life? I believe they have caused me to grow as a Christian and understand that I don't have to do it all on my own. God is there and I can go to Him in prayer and ask for His help in overcoming that which is trying me. "Come to Me all you who labor and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28). When the burden is too heavy for me to bear alone, I know that Jesus will give me rest and will "watch my backside" and help me through it. On the other side, I find that I am stonger because of the trial and my faith becomes more unshakable.

~Blessings~

[Jen]

What value have trials had in your life?

the trials are what tought me of my need for Jesus in the first place and brought me to HIm. They keep me close to Him when I would otherwise stray or drift into danger. Many times I have prayed Lord keep me close and so if I have trials it might just be He is answering my prayers by allowing certain things which at the time seem so painful.

Have you let Satan destroy you with those trials? It is by the grace of God that I am not destroyed because Satan wants to destroy.

Or allowed God to refine you? It is by the grace of God that I am being refined. When I fall He is there to help me up. He allows the struggle so that we can be refined. Sometimes I balk and then I ask Him please don't give up on me.

How have you grown?

I don't always see the growth until I look back and I see growth in certain areas where I needed to grow. Right now I feel that I need to grow more in many areas. I have grown in my knowledge of my complete dependence on God and not myself but so many times I second guess myself and confusion seems to reign. I know that I am dependant on HIm but I also understand that I have responsibilities to act and be a witness for Him and that's where the confusion enters probably because I didn't pray enough first to seek His guidance and then to obey or because I didn't expect the consequences that followed.

As I right this I see so many areas where I need to improve and it can be too discouraging or I can look at the growth that I see and have faith that He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it.

God Bless!

Jen

Numbers 6:24-26

[bygrace98]

there was a lot of people that said 2004 was bad for them, for me it was the worst, and it has started beginning to pick up, but In Jeremiah God says I have plans for you for good and not evil, and also another promise is what the enemy uses to try to destroy us God uses for good. I am just trying to submit, get back in the word, pray everyday, and I am grate ful for this study

[susannah]

I have been very ill for over a year and am just beginning to feel a little better. I have learned this past year and a half that God is totally soverign. I have learned to begin to trust Him. I have loved Him very much but this love was tested and tried. He is so good to answer prayers of others for me and to help me with the paralyzing fear that was my master. I never knew what real fear was until I had to face pain. He has let me know that He loves me and I depend upon that for my very life. I have learned to submit to Him but to pray His promises in the psalms, trusting that He will help me. I believe that these trials have humbled me and taken away much of my self-righteousness. I hope that this encourages others who suffer because my God, our God, is faithful to those who love Him.

[Hven4us]

[Hven4us]

The value of trials that I have had in my life are a big amount. Only through God's grace and mercy was I able to overcome them. We never really understand why we go through the storms of life, only God does. We are to let God refine us and keep our head up straight. When I am going through a trial, I now pray that the Lord will see me through it and give it all to him.

[Servantjean]

I am a 52 year old woman and have survived physical, mental and sexual abuse in my childhood. For many years I was very depressed, and when I became 24 I became sterile due to the events in my past. I didn't come to know the Grace of God and the Love of Jesus Christ, or the forgiveness of sin, until I was about 45 years old. When I look at all the events that I have been through it brings tears to my eyes to see how God was with me all those years. I know if it wasn't for His protection my life could have ended up in a different direction. Little things that happen that brought joy to my life could not have happened if it weren't for Jesus holding onto me with His invisible hand. When I was about 26 we tried for an adoption. The way a child was place in our home could have only been from my Lord working in my life. My life now is filled with joy, peace, and happiness and I have learned to love others as Jesus would have me to do.

[Graceful]

I accepted Christ in 2002, in 2003 I suffered many tragedies, I think God's perfect timing was there, had I not accepted Him, I could not have made it through these trials, it wasn't easy but with God all things are possible, he guided me to an anointed Pastor and a Wonderful Church filled with grace & mercy. I am so thankful, Thank you Jesus

[Mary Ellen McNeill]

I must honestly admit that often I am caught off guard by trials. Perhaps I am still too naive or immature, but they catch me by surprise and send me into a spiritual/emotional tailspin. The idea that God uses a trial to produce godliness in me is something I see after the fact (sometimes WAY after the fact!) My prayer is that I could begin to consider these trials "pure joy," even as I am going through them, and to know in my heart that God is working through them to strengthen my faith... spiritual weightlifting!