Trials are going to come. We
can surely speak of the difficulties we face at the workplace, home, or even in
our own hearts. At times it seems that
once we get through one difficulty another is waiting in the shadows to unexpectedly
pounce upon us. No one on this earth
would say that they have never had one trial or another in their lifetime. Trials are inevitable. They will always come.
There is no one in the Bible, other than perhaps Job or Christ,
who had more difficulties, pain, and trials in life than the Apostle Paul. This week we will read in Acts 27 Paul’s very
adventurous (and I use that term loosely) trip to Rome. He is a faithful follower of Christ and it
seems that no matter where he turns there is always another trial awaiting him. This time it is a shipwreck. Paul could very easily become frustrated with
the path on which the Lord has taken him since his conversion on the road to
Damascus. But his response to this trial
is a teachable moment for us all.
If we were in his place, how would we respond? What can Paul’s response teach us about our
own faith through trials? James, the
brother of Jesus, says in James 1:2-3, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you
meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith
produces steadfastness.” What does it
even mean to count it joy? What does it
take for us to lean upon our faith in times of trouble? And is God still present with us in the midst
of trials? Where does He come in this
story?
May God use our time together this week to teach us about trials
and our response to those trials. May we
be prayerfully prepared for His Word to guide, teach, and direct us this week.
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