About Jesus  -  Steve Sweetman

Trusting Through Trials 

Our western world's "I want it all and I want it right now" cultural attitude infects western Christendom more than most realize.  In many respects the western church is no different from first century Judaism that was so far removed from God's will that it did not realize it was out of His will.  It had no clue how far it had strayed from God because it disregarded the word of the Lord. 

This "I want it all right now" attitude has penetrated Biblical theology by the heretical intrusion of an ultra faith prosperity teaching that is more hedonistic than Biblical.  "Name it and claim it" as it is sometimes called is more of an expression of a worldly arrogance than Biblical humility.  The "we are kids of the King" mentality that insists that "we deserve it all right now" is simply unbiblical. 

If you are a kid of the king then you are His servant and subject to His will.  Jesus does not bow to you but you to Hm.  Included in His will is that you trust Him more than you presently do.  1 Peter 1:3 - 7 explains how this works.  God "has given us a new birth into a living hope ... an inheritance that can never perish ... kept in heaven for you ... In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials ... These have come so that your faith (trust) ... may be proved genuine."   

I know the circumstance for Peter's admonition. His readers were suffering intense persecution for their association with Jesus.  They certainly were not living the good life as we would call it today.  The phrase "suffer grief in all kinds of trials" makes that clear.  Still, Peter's admonition is relevant.  If we claim to trust Jesus our trust will be tested through trials.  At this point many get confused, disappointed, discouraged, and even angry.  They wonder where the blessings are that were promised by preachers of prosperity.    

The words "hope" and "inheritance" in Peter's admonition suggest a future expectation of blessings that are not presently possessed.  In other words, we don't get it all right now.  What we do get right now are some trials that test our trust in Jesus.  Of course, we also get Jesus to help us walk through the trials.  If we don't get angry and walk away but allow Jesus to guide us through the trials we will have learned how to trust Him more than we presently do.  

Hebrews 6:13 states that it's through trust and patience that we inherit what has been promised.  The words "trust" and "patience" suggest that it takes time to see God's promises realized in our lives.  There's no way around it.  We don't get it all right now at a snap of the fingers, no matter how holy your fingers may be.  It's through patient faithfulness to the Lord Jesus in the midst of the trials where we learn to trust Him more than we presently do.    

Salvation history is a process that began with God's first promise in Genesis 3:16 and ends with the creation of the new heavens and new earth in Revelation 21.  Until the last salvation promise is realized we bow down to the will of our Lord through every tough time of life.  As hard as it may seem, trusting through trials is God's will.