Bible Devotions for Living

Life comes with problems and difficulties and as a believer you can even expect more struggles.

You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! (Jn 16:33)

¹³ Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. ¹⁴ How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it. (Mt 7:13-14)

You may face problems with people, tests of your faith, health problems, temptations, struggles against your sin nature, or many other struggles. Scripture tells you that the proper way to react to your trials is to rejoice (Jms 1:2)! That sounds odd until you understand more about trials. Let’s talk about it.

Trials are God’s Tools to Perfect You

Trials are not random things that just ‘happen’ to you. They are tools in the hand of the Almighty to shape and mold His children (you) to be more like Jesus:

We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image … (2 Cor 3:18)

Think of how a sculpture transforms a giant hunk of granite into a beautiful image. The sculpture will use hammers, files, sandpaper, and lots of other tools to shape that rough and formless hunk of rock. He will sometimes saw off large chunks, chisel in details, and sand off rough edges.

Now think of yourself as that hunk of granite that God is going to shape into the image of Jesus. He will use many different types of tools to hack off what’s not needed, chisel in details, and smooth out rough edges. Each of those actions will be uncomfortable for you, the granite.

ALL your trials and difficulties are being used to mature and perfect you.

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God … (Rom 8:28)

Even Jesus was perfected through suffering:

⁹ But we do see Jesus—made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace He might taste death for everyone—crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering in death. ¹⁰ For in bringing many sons to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—all things exist for Him and through Him—should make the source of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Heb 2:9-10)

God may test your faith (Jms 1:3), move you through a fiery ordeal (Isa 48:10), prune you by cutting some things out of your life (Jn 15:2), send you into battle the devil (Mt 4:1-11), or many other types of struggles but they all serve the same purpose … to perfect you into the image of Jesus.

² Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. (Jms 1:2-4)

Yet He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold. (Job 23:10)

For You, God, tested us; You refined us as silver is refined. (Ps 66:10)

You need to know that silver is refined by putting it in a container over high heat to burn off impurities. The silversmith knows the silver is pure, and the impurities burned off, when he can see his reflection in it. Think of God refining you over the heat of trials to burn off your impurities so He can see a reflection of Himself when He looks at you.

Know that God is With You During Your Struggles

Another thing to remember when going through life trials is that God is right there with you through the whole thing and is in control. He will help, strengthen, comfort, and protect you through them.

God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. (Ps 46:1)

fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isa 41:10)

Blessed be the … God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction … (2 Cor 1:3)

He also controls the devil, so he doesn’t go too far (Job 1-2; 1 Cor 10:13) with you: 

… God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it. (1 Cor 10:13) (See also Job 1-2)

This scene from the Bible shows a picture of God’s people going through a scary trial:

³⁶ And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat … ³⁷ And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. ³⁸ But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mk 4:36-39)

Jesus is right there with you in the storm so don’t be afraid. He has everything under control.

Choose to Rejoice in Your Trials

When going through a life struggle and trial, remember that God is allowing that struggle in to perfect you. So, rejoice in your trials!

Also, keep in mind that Jesus is right there with you as you go through your trials.

So, change your perspective on trials and rejoice in them instead of dreading them:

Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials (Jms 1:2)

³ And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, ⁴ endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. (Rom 5:3-4)

Think about it

How do you typically react to life trials?

Do you understand better now the purpose of your life trials?

How do you think God uses your life trials to perfect you?

Do you think you should rejoice in your trials? Why should you? How can you?

When you are going through the ‘high heat’ of a trial, does it help to think that God is burning off impurities to see His reflection in you?

Don’t be surprised when trials and afflictions come (Ac 14:21-22) and remember they only last a short time while the benefits last forever (2 Cor 4:17-18)

It is necessary to pass through many troubles on our way into the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:21-22)

¹⁷ For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. ¹⁸ So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor 4:17-18)