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Long Duration TrialsBy
Patricia Dailey, | |
And thou shalt
remember all the way which
the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the
wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know
what was in thine heart, whether
thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no. And He
humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed
thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither
did thy fathers know; that man
doth not live by bread only, Deuteronomy 8:2,3 |
| GOD HAS A PURPOSE FOR OUR TRIALS Here we see where the children of God humbled them there in that wilderness,
suffering them to hunger and thirst. Have
you ever been very thirsty, yet unable to find something to drink?
That’s how they felt. Now, out in a desert it is very dry and barren.
There isn’t much water out there. And
the children of When we are in a spiritual desert we can
get dry spiritually, where we feel so dry and barren in our soul, just like the
old desert. We can thank God that He does
provide water in the wilderness, and He does provide food: even in a wilderness
time, when we’re going through trials and it seems like we’re in the desert; times
when God doesn’t talk to us; when He doesn’t open His Word to us.
Oh, we can be sure there will be times like that in our experience. A REFRESHING IN THE MIDST But, you know, we’re not to go by feelings.
We are to go by faith and not by sight.
We must walk with the Lord by faith, knowing that He will see us through
that type of dry experience; He will see that we have a refreshing for our soul
right in the midst of our troubles. Psalm 138:7 Though I walk in the midst
of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hand against the
wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me. He certainly does come to revive us in the
midst of our troubles. But watch out!
Troubles will be on the way. They’ll come.
God can bless us ever so much – and then, "WHAM”!! – along comes the
devil trying to upset things, trying to get at us and destroy us.
Yes, he does everything in his power to try to get us to fall victim, trying
to cause us to give up and turn away from God. LONG TRIALS TEACH Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above
all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? God wants to show us what is in our hearts.
He wants us to know what we need to get out of our lives if we want to
get right with Him. In the midst of troubles, He can make it known
to us what we need to know about our own heart.
There may be things there which we didn’t know were there, and God will
enlighten our eyes to those things – things that He wants surrendered unto Him.
In the midst of a desert experience we will
see many things showing up that we need to really take care of if we are to go
on serving the Lord. This was why He humbled
the children of One thing we see here: He led them in a very
difficult way. And He does the same thing
today. I can tell you that from experience.
I wouldn’t want anyone to go through such difficulties.
Yet after He brings one through those times, they will be able to look
back and see the good that He brought forth through it all. In those times, when we are tested and tried,
God will teach us faith. He will show us
that He is a God of His Word, that He is a God that supplies all of our needs.
We hear these things, we can quote the Scriptures
concerning them, we can know what the Scriptures say: but, you know, experience
is the best teacher. What we have gone
through can be a blessing and encouragement to somebody else – encouraging them
to believe God, to trust God, to know that God is a God of His Word, that God
never fails, that He is a faithful God. Yes,
they can see from what we have experienced that He is faithful, even when it looked
nigh impossible, looking like all hope is gone. Romans 4:18a Who against hope believed
in hope . . . I thank God that we can believe in hope even
when it looks hopeless. It’s only the grace
of God that would cause us to be able to believe in hope against hope, to believe
when there doesn’t seem to be any hope. Even though there are many upsets, we can still
hope, still believe God. Even when there
are many things which are very difficult, we can know that God is faithful, that
He is a God of His Word – and that He does all things well. Even though He may lead us into a difficult
way where there is no way out, where we cannot see any way out – we can know that
God is faithful, and that when He says it’s enough, that’s when He will bring us out. Many turn away from God during those difficult,
hopeless times – especially when they’re going through a long, long period where
it seems things only get worse each day. But, by faith, you can know that it’s actually
getting better. Hold on, and you will see the victory. And when He’s through, you will probably be
a different person from when you went into that trial. You can thank God that He’s with you, thank
Him because He has allowed you to go through those difficult ways. I trust when you go through such times that
you will stay true and faithful to God. Hang
on to those promises and have faith in God. Know that God is a God of His Word: what He
says He will do, He will do: and what He’s spoken, He will make
good – Numbers 23:19. ANOTHER TYPE
OF TEST Now, let’s look at another way God tested
the children of Deuteronomy 13:1–3 If there arise among you a
prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign
or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after
other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken
unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God
proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul. If a prophet tells you to go after other gods, even though they have
a dream or sign – or whatever it is that they give to you as being from God –
don’t follow after them, even though it comes to pass. They may not come out and say those exact words,
yet will tell you that you can live any way you want to and still serve God.
They might tell you to get involved in this or that which is totally against
the Word of God; and thus, get you all caught up in the sinful things of this
world. The Lord is proving you to know whether or not you love Him with
all your heart and soul. He may test you
in an area like this to see if you are going to keep your love for God, keep loving
Him with all that’s within. Or will you
turn aside to love the world and the things that are in the world? Deuteronomy 13:4,5 Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and
fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and ye shall serve Him,
and cleave unto Him. And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams,
shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your
God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house
of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee
to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil
away from the midst of thee. The devil would like to sidetrack us, sending
someone along our way who will tell us something that is contrary to God’s Word,
trying to deceive us by saying, Thus saith the Lord, and lead us away from
God. Even if what they say comes to pass,
don’t fall for it if it is contrary to the Word of God. In this last day and hour, there are many
false prophets and false teachers who will lead you right away from the Word of
God – if you let them. Many are serving
other gods because they have fallen victim to someone who led them astray. We don’t want to step away from the Word of
God in any area of our lives. There are self-made prophets who can tell
you a lot of things, saying, Thus saith the Lord: but know that the devil
can bring those things to pass to deceive one into thinking it’s of God – and
lead them to disobey the Word, lead them to depart from the Lord. God allowed this to happen here to the children
of And, certainly, in the dark periods of time
in your life – when things are very dark and very grim – God will see how much
you really love Him. Know that, even though
you have to face such times in this life, you don’t have to depart from the Lord.
You can stand, and keep going on with Him. Know that you can’t get out of many of those
difficult times – until God brings you out. Apart from God, there’s no way out. So why try?
I’d much rather suffer and wait on God, much rather face the adversity
and know that I am looking unto the Lord, that I’m still walking with the Lord,
still loving the Lord with all my heart, than to think I found a way out on my
own, only to find that I died spiritually. Don’t worry about what might happen to you.
Don’t worry about what sufferings you may have to endure.
Get prepared – just in case. My, if some people see blood, they go crazy.
They act like they’re dying just because they have a small cut.
And if they happen to get sick – no matter how little a thing it may be
– they’re ready for the grave! Oh, they
live through it; but each time they come down with something else they’re ready
for the grave again. Of course the devil’s going to come and say
you’re going to die! If you know you’re
ready to meet the Lord, rise up and tell the devil, So what! If I die I’ll go home to be with the Lord! Now, sometimes, the answer is delayed because
God’s method of testing you delays the answer. Many have to go through trials for such long
periods of time. It lingers long, and things
happen one right after another – this thing happens, another thing happens, and
another and another. It seems like it never
rains but it pours. These long dark periods
of time in one’s life can really try one’s courage and patience to the limit.
DAVID’S LONG
TRIALS Let’s take some time now to look at David
and the trials that he found himself in: Psalm 13:1 How long wilt Thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how
long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me? David had been going through something for
a long period of time. He did not have
an easy time of it. He really loved the
Lord, yet he faced many a hard time. And,
in those times, he cried out to God, How long will You forget me?
God doesn’t forget His children! He never forgets us. We may think He has forgotten us when we’re
going through one of those long, dark trials: but He’s right there. And He’ll release us from the darkness in His
perfect time. Psalm 69:1–3 Save me, O God; for the waters are come in
unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where
there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait
for my God. Once again, it’s David going through a hard
time. He had many, many hard trials in
his life. It wasn’t an easy life for him.
People believe that when they get saved,
everything will be rosy; that there’ll be no thorns or difficulties in life to
make them uncomfortable; that life will be all rose petals. Rose petals are soft and easy. They have a
beautiful smell to fill your life with a nice aroma. But life is not like that. Listen, we do have trials in this life –
even before we get saved. When you were
in sin you had trials: but you had nobody to turn to. Now that you are saved, though, you can turn
to the Lord in your trials! He hears your
faintest cry. Here’s the situation in David’s life at this
time. He cries out, Save me, O God!
He was overwhelmed. He had afflictions. He was sinking into deep mire where he couldn’t
get a firm standing. It was very difficult
here for David. He was weary and had come
to a place of despondency that was overwhelming to him. He was weary of his crying. His throat was parched because of all the tears
he had shed. Yes, David had a very hard time. He said his eyes failed while he waited for
God, waited for deliverance. Sometimes
you cry so much that your eyes are swollen. Thank
God that David knew Who to cry out to. And we, too, should be crying out to God in
our trials. It’s better to cry before the
Lord and shed some tears in our trials than to hold it in and cause ourselves
to have a breakdown. Psalm 25:2 O my God, I trust in Thee: let me not be
ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. We don’t need to be ashamed when we’re trusting
God. Even though the answer is delayed
– though others watch and wait to see if God is really going to answer, to see
if there is really going to be a change – God will not let us be ashamed that
we trusted in Him. Despondency could come upon one if they allow
it to: But it doesn’t have to. If we put
our faith in God, putting the trial in His hands, we can be encouraged right in
the midst of the dark. What type of a testimony
would we have if we told others we were trusting God, yet our faces were downcast
because we were despondent and discouraged? CRYING ISN’T UNBELIEF! Oh we may cry, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t
believing God. David was believing God,
yet he shed many tears. He was weary of
his crying while he waited for God to bring deliverance. He was facing a hard time, something that was
very difficult to endure. He trusted God
– yet, while he waited on Him to fulfill His Word, he shed many tears. It’s not wrong to cry. It’s not wrong to get down to pray and let the
tears flow down your face. Talk it over
with the Lord. It always makes a difference
when you do. Psalm 69:13–20 But as for me, my prayer is
unto Thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of Thy mercy
hear me, in the truth of Thy salvation. Deliver
me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate
me, and out of the deep waters. Let not the waterflood overflow
me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon
me. Hear me, O Lord; for Thy lovingkindness
is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies.
And hide not Thy face from Thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.
Draw nigh unto my soul, and
redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.
Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries
are all before Thee. Reproach hath broken
my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but
there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. Doesn’t that fit? When we go through those hard difficult times
often there is nobody to comfort us, nobody to care. But, thank God, He cares, and will never leave
us. Psalm 119:82 Mine eyes fail for Thy word,
saying, When wilt Thou comfort me? Our eyes can fail for His Word as we watch
for the fulfillment of the promise. BELIEVING AGAINST HOPE In the time of great distress and adversity
we need to get right in God’s Word. It’s
through the Word that we find comfort – through the written Word, through the
spoken Word – where we watch for the fulfillment of the promise, even though it
may take a long duration before the answer comes. In Romans chapter four, verse 18, we read
where Abraham against hope believed in hope.
And that’s just exactly what we need to do when
we face a hopeless trial of long duration. When it looks like all hope is gone, we can
still hope in God; still trust in the Lord; still believe that the Lord is faithful
to His Word. It’s often a waiting time. It might even be years before the answer comes.
Like David, we may become weary, longing to come out of it maybe quicker
than what the Lord has intended. But during such a time of waiting, when there
seems to be no hope, we can still hope in God, knowing that He is faithful to
His Word. What He says that He will do,
He will do! . . .
in His perfect time. Yes, we can have faith in God in the midst
of all the adverse circumstances we may find ourselves in. If we keep our faith in God, and we hope against
hope, and we believe and trust God: then He will bring us through. He will
not fail us. He will not cause us to be
ashamed. Even if we have to go through a difficult
time for a long duration, we can know that God has not forsaken us; we can know
that He is a God of His Word and that He does all things well. We can rest assured that He will not suffer
His faithfulness to fail. Yes, He is faithful;
and He will not, cannot, fail. When a trial is of long duration it can become
very wearisome. We can shed many tears. But we can also know that God is good, that
He keeps His Word, and that we will see the end when . . .
against hope, we believe in hope. |