Day 26: Trials Revisited

Reading: Psalm 16:1-11

So many times in life we will face struggles and hardships, and when those come, there can be a temptation to turn away from God and find another way to be gratified. Unfortunately, many don't realize that true gratification can't be found anywhere but in God. We read in this Psalm that David refuses to turn away from God, even in the midst of his endless struggles. He says he will not even speak the name of other gods, for following them brings on a whole other slew of problems and hardships in life.
We can apply this logic to the things of today's world too. When we turn to other things to grant us happiness in life, like drinking, drugs, sex, and other "pressures" that we encounter from others, we will always be left empty in the long run, seeking more. These things can also lead to greater hardship in life. Be careful where you turn when struggles come your way. It might come back to create more problems.

Where do you turn when troubles hit?




What do you do to feel happiness in your life? How does this help you in the long run?




Reading: Matthew 18:10-35

Though our hardship is never a direct link to punishment for our sin, we can sometimes find that we brought suffering upon ourselves. Jesus points out some examples in this reading.
Abusing our freedom. We are all gifted freedom from God. We have the freedom to decide for ourselves what we want to do with our lives and what we will do with different situations that arise. We read the parable of the lost sheep, and see that when the sheep wander, they lose the protection of the shepherd. When we wander from God, we lose His protection as well. When we wander and do things our own way, we run the risk of getting hurt and facing struggles. But we also get from this reading that God will seek us nonstop until we are found again.
We can also cause further hardship in our lives when we don't handle conflict well. Jesus tells us how we should handle conflict, but many times we abuse these words and instead gossip, avoid it, or blow up. All of these poor choices for handling conflict can cause us to face harder days in that relationship and in other relationships because we then carry a horrible reputation. Handle conflict well, and it can be something that is easily put aside.
Finally, Jesus gives us quite a lesson in forgiveness. Forgiveness is a huge topic in today's world, as it is something people don't like to practice very much. But Jesus warns us through this story that if we don't forgive others, He won't forgive us. How often do we abuse this gift of forgiveness by falling into the same sin over and over again, and always count on God's forgiveness to pick us up, but as soon as someone in our lives wrongs us over and over again, we can't even look at them anymore? Though it can be frustrating to deal with people like that, can you imagine God's frustration with you? Yet He loves you so much, He'll welcome you back every time. Forgive others if you want His forgiveness.

How have you brought hardship upon yourself in the past?




How do you handle conflict typically?   




Reading: Job 1:1-3:26

If anyone in the Bible had hardship, it was Job. He went from the good life to nothing in the blink of an eye. Job, who was blameless before God, still endured great suffering from Satan. And though Job faced trial and loss after trial and loss, he never once blamed God for it. In fact, he worshiped God in the same way as he has when he had his life together. Job says to his wife, who encourages him to curse God and die, "I accept good things from God, why can't we also accept bad things?" This act of faith may seem unrealistic to you, but it's to show that trials can come no matter how close to God you are. Satan is still out there, chipping away at the closest of followers. We need to realize that in times of struggles, we can't let Satan have his way, and we must hold on to the faith we have in Christ. He will deliver us in the end and we'll come out stronger. As Job's story unfolds, you'll see more and more the man he is and the support he has.

When have you felt your world crumble around you?




What was your reaction to the constant hardships you faced?




When trials come, they can be hard to understand. Sometimes, we may never understand. The question we must consider when we do encounter trials though, is where will we turn? There are so many things in this world that can sway us from God, but we will always end up empty in the long run, and some of the things we turn to can cause us further struggles. Being faithful to God and taking the good and bad to Him is what we need to remember when our world seems to crumble. Turn to Him and He will rescue you.