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When Your Faith is Tested
By
Just when things couldn’t possibly get worse, they do. Just when we set our expectations in life, the unexpected happens. Whether storms in life come out of nowhere, or we saw them coming all along, we struggle to hold on to our faith. When we have no strength to carry on, when disappointment and discouragement take hold of us, we find that our only way through it all depends upon our faith. We find our faith being tested as we endure suffering that may be physical, mental, social, financial, or all of them combined.
“If we cannot believe God when circumstances seem to be against us, we do not believe Him at all.” –Charles H. Spurgeon
So what are we to do when our faith is tested? Will your faith pass the test? The testing of your faith is an opportunity, not an obstacle. God’s purpose for allowing the trials in your life is to strengthen you, not destroy you. He has promised that His plans for you are for good; He has promised to complete the work He has begun in you; He has promised to never leave you nor forsake you; He has promised to be a ready help in times of trouble….believe what He has promised, God is not a liar.
“Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.” James 1:3 (AMP)
So, how do we pass the test? How can be we stand strong in our faith when our world is falling out from under us? When there’s nothing we can do, when it all lies in God’s hands, we can remain steadfast in our faith by:
*Focusing Forward. When we become discouraged by the struggles we face, we tend to spiral into despair by focusing upon the past. We walk down memory lane with the enemy and revisit all the times that we have failed in the past or times when we feel God let us down. We find ourselves facing greater distress when we begin doubting that God cares; it seems questionable when we’re in the midst of great suffering. God has given you forgiveness for the past, grace for the present moment, and His Promises for your future. There is no past in your future! But, don’t get overwhelmed by the future either; God has only put this day in front of you. Remain focused on the moment you are in. Live each moment for Him; remain focused upon Him and He’ll give you all the strength and grace you need.
*Focusing on God’s Promises. If there’s one thing we must grasp about the Word of God, it’s that It is filled with supernatural power. It is a power to do immeasurably more than we can hope for! (Ephesians 3:20) Whatever you’re going through in life, God has something to say about it. AND He has made promises to you in order to give you the hope and strength you need to see you through to victory. Along the way, He’s drawing you nearer, He’s increasing your faith, and He’s creating a steadfast spirit within you, so that you will be complete, lacking in nothing! (James 1:2-4)
*Focusing on God’s Presence. Not only is God sovereign, but He is with you at all times. With each step you take, He is there beside you. At times, He’s leading you, at others He’s walking with you, and often He’s carrying you. You must have a confident assurance that God is in control and is overseeing every area of your life. You must trust that if He has allowed a trial in your life, He has found purpose in it and it is for good. Although you might not be able to understand it all, although by your human reasoning you cannot make sense of it, everything looks different from God’s perspective…..trust that He knows what He’s doing. When you don’t know what to do, keep your eyes upon Him; confidently trust Him to take care of you and all that concerns you. Draw your strength from Him and remain in His presence through it all; when you do, you’ll find yourself walking forward in life with a faith that will never fail.
- Prayer:
Lord God, I come humbly to Your throne of grace and I come seeking Your strength to help me through this fight of faith. Father, help me to consider it all joy, whenever I face trials of many kinds, knowing that the testing of my faith develops perseverance. Help me to see that it is my perseverance that must finish its work so that I can be mature and complete, not lacking in anything. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
About the Author:
Cherie Hill is the author of Be Still: Let Jesus Calm Your Storms, and an Amazon.com Shorts Bestselling author in the Christian genre. She has a BA in Psychology, a Biblical Counseling Certificate through the AACC, and is continuing studies through the Moody Bible Institute. Cherie is the founder of ScriptureNow.com Ministry that brings the Word of God and prayer, into over 30 countries around the world everyday. (reaching over 100,000 people every year)
Cherie brings instructive and uplifting teaching of the Word of God across the world through the “SpiritWaves™” audio ministry on EzraWebRadio.com and GloryStar Satellite Radio, with a subscriber base of 11 million people. Cherie’s podcast, “FaithSteps” ranks consistently in the top 25 Christian podcasts in the world on GodCast 1000.
“With this detailed study of the incident of Jesus calming the storm, Cherie Hill has not only brought new light to a familiar Gospel story, she has showed us how to both weather and grow from our own personal storms.“Be Still” is a healing balm to the soul. My best advice—get this book, use it, and buy another one for your best friend!” -Jim Thomson, M.A., LCPC, author and speaker.
