Trials: Flying, Sprinting, Enduring

Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)

"But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."

I am reminded today of something about which I have written before. It is in reference to the passage above and the way God may work during trials.

Notice in the passage above that Isaiah did not stop the phrase "with wings as eagles." There is a reason for this...a very important reason.

Many today promote a "gospel" absent of trials and heartache and sickness...and they promote a life full of happiness and wealth and blessings. I do believe that living the Christian life is a blessing, but that blessing is NOT in earthly wealth, etc. Here, Isaiah shows us that God actually has...and will...work IN us as we experience trials...even as He may work WITHOUT us (outside, in the circumstances) in these instances.

First, we see that there are times that we will SOAR ABOVE our trial. In these times, God miraculously works...letting us "rise above" those trials: in these times the trial has almost NO EFFECT on us at all!

Second, we find that there are times that we must go through the trial, yet we VERY QUICKLY "run" through the trial. It is a SPRINT...a quick, fast, speedy advancement through the trial! We might breathe a bit harder, but there is actually a sense of accomplishment...at times...involved in this type of experience.

Third, we discover here what is often the most REWARDING type of trial. We tend to believe that SOARING is the most rewarding...yet, the truth is, we actually increase strength in GREATER PROPORTION when we face STRONGER RESISTANCE! In this trial, we are not able to SOAR: nor are we able to RUN. Here, we find that we can only WALK...with the promise that, in so doing, we will NOT faint! In other words, the Lord says "Walk with me. I promise you that you will indeed make it through. But this slower process allows us more time of intimacy...because you will be relying MORE FULLY on Me! Do not despise this slower process...for it is HERE that you can truly discover the wonderful truth of ENDURANCE and PATIENCE and TRUST in Me."

We must also remember this: there ARE trials that lead us “unto death”. In other words, should the Lord “tarry”, as the term has been used, then there will come the trial of DEATH. And even then, we are to ENDURE to the end. But, as a Christian, that DEATH is but a pathway to ETERNAL LIFE WITH JESUS! So, again, we find that even in the WORST POSSIBLE TRIAL, the believer has that “BLESSED HOPE”!

Regardless of what you are facing, God will bring you through it. If the trial is due to your own failure and sin, then simply REPENT, allowing God the opportunity to show His grace and mercy to you again. Each time we do that…REPENT…we experience ANEW the wonderful love of Jesus! It is often this way: when we did wrong when we were only small children, we received DISCIPLINE. But, after DISCIPLINE came a time of LOVE shown to us by our mom or dad. Jesus is much the same…caring enough to discipline us, but using that time to show His love to us as He once again is able to embrace us as we confess and repent of our wrong…of our sin.

Today…you may SOAR ABOVE the trial. Or…you may only be RUNNING SWIFTLY through the hardship. Or…you may be slowly moving forward (even feeling that there is no progress at all) during this trouble. But, in each case….

…THERE IS AN END IN SIGHT! We just may not possess the SPIRITUAL VISION to see past the circumstances to be able to SOLEY FOCUS on the light shining through the end of the tunnel!

So…stay strong! Stay in the Word of God! Stay focused on Jesus! And do not despise this time…use it to GROW IN THE LORD!

In Christ,
Ron