Trials force us to move from talking about faith to walking by faith.!
“Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has asked excessively that [all of] you be given up to him
[out of the power and keeping of God], that he might sift [all of] you like grain, But I have
prayed especially for you [Peter], that your [own] faith may not fail; and when you yourself have
turned again, strengthen and establish your brethren.”!
– Luke 22:31-32 (Amplified)!
Peter was forced through the trial of our Lord’s crucifixion, to face up to how much of his faith
was just talk. !
In other words, he learned much about the insincerity of his own faith, about how much of it
was just talk. !
He also learned, however, more about the genuineness of THE faith, too, as he learned that
God does forgive and He does restore, and that through His power, His children really can be
made better, not bitter through trials. !
Consequently, the Lord used the trial he went through to convince others concerning the
faithfulness of the Lord and see their faith strengthened.!
When facing trials and difficulties, the common question we ask is “Why?” !
Instead, we should ask,!
“What?” What does God want to show me? !
“How?” How can I honor God in this time of trial? And !
“Who?” Who might God want to bless through my trusting Him and proving Him faithful?!
4. The Result Of Testing – v. 2 – “develops perseverance”
In some translations, the word translated “perseverance” here in the NIV is translated
“patience.” This is somewhat misleading. The word used by James here is hupomone, which
doesn’t refer to passively waiting for things to change, but an active endurance, such as the
quality needed to endure through a long race.!
Hupomone comes from hupo (under) and meno (to stay, abide, remain); it has the picture of
being under a heavy load and resolutely staying there instead of trying to escape.!
It speaks of our resolutely trusting God to work out His purposes through whatever life brings
our way. !
It speaks of a trust in God which understands that He is working in our lives to accomplish
purposes that often transcend our ability to understand or comprehend. !
In fact, often, when we find ourselves in the midst of trial, we do not understand what God is
doing. !
That’s why remaining true to the Lord in difficult times requires faith. !
But the Bible makes it clear that if we remain true to the Lord no matter what, our perseverance
will pay off.!
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“As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’sperseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full ofcompassion and mercy.”!– James 4:11 (NIV)!It has been pointed out that while we often are primarily concerned about our comfort, God isprimarily concerned about our character. !While there are many blessings awaiting the child of God who perseveres by remaining true toGod during times of trial and testing, chief among them is the blessing of becoming more likeJesus.!Winston Churchill once delivered an unforgettable address at a university commencementservice. !Upon being introduced, he stood up and said, “Never give up. Never give up. Never, never,never!” Then he sat down.!James is basically delivering the same address to us. !As believers in Christ, we should never give up on trusting our lives over to Him.!Through trusting God in times of trial, we will eventually know His blessings, because He istrue to His Word and because it always pays to live for God.!5. The Reward Of Testing – v. 4The reward that comes through our remaining faithful to God in times of testing is that we Godis satisfied with our life and we are satisfied with the life of God. !That is our goal and reward in this life as believers, to reach the point of satisfaction andcontentedness with the life God has for us. !To find fulfillment in Him.!When we find our satisfaction in Him, He is satisfied with us. The reward of testing is thecontented Christian life.!Have you ever noticed that complaining is something that comes naturally? We don’t need toteach folks how to complain. !In Philippians 4:11, Paul said, “I have learned . . . to be content.” That is to say, there was atime when he was not content. How did he learn contentedness? Through learning to trust Godin both times of prosperity and adversity (Philippians 4:12-13).!Conclusion: following Sis. Bea from the Y and she got on the highway !“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: heleadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths ofrighteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow ofdeath, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou
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preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil;my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and Iwill dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” – Psalm 23 (KJV)!I find it interesting that David speaks of goodness and mercy “following” him ALL the days ofhis life.!In other words, as he comes to the end of his life and looks back upon it, he sees that God’sgoodness and mercy have always been there, even though he wasn’t able at times to seethem. !That is often how it is with us. !It is only after we have passed through things that we recognize God’s goodness and mercy. !Rest assured, even if you cannot recognize it now, God is working mercifully in your life to bringHis greatest goodness to you – even in times of testing.!