My DrEaMviLLe

        Ok, one more passage about TRIALS which I really like, very true & thoughtful… It reflects our daily lives… Apparently, many think that, if he/she is a Lord Jesus Christ’s follower, his/her life wouldn’t be as tough as it used to be, or that he/she will only have joy in the days to come. But I can tell you, that kind of thinking is wrong, because God puts us through all these tests so that we’ll be able to gain something from them… I myself have experienced not only His miracles (passing my STPM, winning contests), but His tests (mom’s demise, handphone was stolen, things go wrong) as well. Mostly, a test of faith… Yes, God promises us good times, but all the afflictions are to make us a better person, truthfully… However, He does promise to be there during our hardships. Therefore, we shouldn’t blame God when things go wrong. Satan will always be there to give us a difficult time. So, being a Christian, should we only expect blessings & miracles from God, but not trials? Of course NOT! So, read on to clear your doubts & for a better understanding…

Job 2:7-10 (from New International Version Bible)

        So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

        His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"

        He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"

        In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

          In the fall of 1982, Deborah Kiley set out with three other young people to deliver the 58-foot yacht Trashman from Maine to Florida. Off the coast of North Carolina, they encountered gale winds and mountainous seas that sank their boat. Enduring 4 grueling days at sea without food or fresh water, the crew clung to life in a rubber dinghy in shark-infested waters. In her book Albatross, Deborah recalls how one of the crew shouted curses at God for their dilemma. Despite her fatigue, Deborah silently recited The Lord’s Prayer and asked God to teach her through this crisis. Later, the same young man drank seawater, became delirious, jumped overboard, and was eaten by sharks. Eventually, the survivors were rescued by a Russian freighter. Each of us responds in different ways to a crisis. Centuries ago, Job was hit by one wave of bad news after another. At one point his wife told him to curse God and die. Job’s response was profound: "Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10). The next time a crisis hits, recognize God’s sovereignty and do as Deborah Kiley did–ask God to teach you something through it. -By Dennis Fisher

O Lord, I would not ask You why, These trials come my way, But what there is for me to learn, Of Your great love, I pray. -D.De Haan

"The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." -Job

                                          Taken from Our Daily Bread; May 4, 2006.

          Here’s another amazing passage on TRIALS from my quiet time… I just think it is absolutely important to know how to handle pressure properly as it is one never-ending thing that will happen throughout our lives… It is time we take a break & really ponder upon how we’ve been taking on pressure all this time. Instead of looking on all the negativity from our trials, we should really think on the bright side, because I am a person who believes everything happens for a reason… Although it may take some time before we finally discover why we’ve been put through all these tests that seem too hard to take… I just hope to share this coming passage with everyone who is being let down by life’s journey that is filled with sufferings & endless pain…

Romans 5:1-5 (from New International Version Bible)

          Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

          What makes a shiny apple look so delicious? The skin, of course. But what is it about an apple that actually makes it delicious? The juice and substance inside. That’s the apple’s real "character". I learned this as a boy watching my mom make applesauce. With a wooden pestle, she would mash the soft, boiled pieces of apple through a metal colander into a bowl, until all that remained in the colander were drab, flattened skins. But oh, the sauce tasted so good! God uses life’s pressures to bring out the sweetness of Christlike character in us. Tribulation (which means "pressure" in the Greek) also helps us realize the awful potential of our sin nature and see it for what it is-ugly and tasteless. Under pressure, all kinds of sins begin to surface-greed, selfishness, lust, pride. Pressure, whether from without or from an unrealistic perfectionism within, is a fact of our fallen world. God controls its intensity and duration so that we can recognize, confess, and renounce those fleshly "skins" that obscure Christ’s character in us. Tribulation is not something anyone seeks. But when it comes, the Holy Spirit will use it to create in us perseverance, character, and hope (Romans 5:3-4). -By Dennis De Haan

All God’s testings have a purpose–Someday you will see the light; All He asks is that you trust Him, Walk by faith and not by sight. -Zoller

"The gem of Christlike character is formed by pressure and refined by friction."

                                          Taken from Our Daily Bread; April 13, 2006.

       Here I came across this meaningful passage about TRIALS when I was doing my quiet time (Bible reading)… We all face trials & tribulations as we walk along life’s paths… But do we handle trials the right way? Many of us tend to grumble and blame God for any misfortune, even though we should be thankful in all situations… Of course, it’s always the case of easier said than done for most of us, including me, at times when life seems hopeless… However, do read on for some serious enlightenment… It may give you a brand new outlook on sufferings and the pain we have to be put through by God who loves us unconditionally…

1 Peter 4:1-3 (from New International Version Bible)

          Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do-living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.

          Affliction, when we accept it with humility, can be instructive, a discipline that leads us to a deeper, fuller life. "Before I was afflicted, I went astray," David said, "but now I keep Your Word" (Psalm 119:67). Peter would agree: Affliction leads us not to live for ourselves "but for the will of God" (1 Peter 4:2). Far from being an obstacle to our spiritual growth, pain can be the instrument of it-if we’re trained by it. It can push us closer to God and deeper into His Word. It is a means by which He graciously shapes us to be like His Son, gradually giving us the compassion, contentment, tranquility, and courage we long and pray for. Without pain, we wouldn’t be all that God wants us to be. His strength shines brightest through human weakness. Has God set you apart today to receive instructions through suffering and pain? Endure this training patiently. He can turn the trial into a blessing. He can use it to draw you close to His heart and into His Word, teach you the lessons He intends for you to learn, and use it to bestow His grace on you. -By David Roper

By faith a Christian can have poise, And rise above all that annoys–Sustained and strengthened by God’s power, To live in victory hour by hour. -Hess

                        "Whatever God teaches us through pain is gain."

                                          Taken from Our Daily Bread; March 9, 2006.