I
don't know about you, but I don't automatically think of scripture with every
event in my life. However the other day, as it does on occasion, it happened
that a scripture popped into my mind, in an unusual place.
The
occasion was when my wife and I were having lunch at our favorite Chinese
Restaurant. With the meal we received the standard "Fortune Cookie".
You know that little cookie with the small piece of paper inside with your
supposed future or life lessons described, usually in vague terms. Mine read,
"Put up with small annoyances to
gain great results".
The
scripture that immediately sprang to mind was 1 Peter 1:6-7, where Peter encourages us with these words:
"In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may
have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the
proven genuineness of your faith, of greater worth than gold, which perishes
even though refined by fire, may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus
Christ is revealed". (NIV)
The
human side of me says, "I love God and I don't need a test or a trial to
prove it". God says however, "Yes, you do!" Personally I don't
like the trials in my life. I just want my life to flow along smoothly without
any bumps in the road. I like it that way, but it's been rare where there has
been a period of time in my life that has been without some kind of trial which
tests the strength of my faith.
Another
scripture that comes to mind is Hebrews 12:11-12 where the writer
reminds us that: "No discipline is enjoyable while it is
happening, it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of
right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a new grip with
your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees". (NLT)
Personally,
I'm looking forward to more "peaceful harvest of right living". God
expects us to show continual growth in our spiritual lives. That's why the
testing? To strengthen our reliance upon God for our help. To grow to a point
spiritually that we can say with the apostle Paul, "I no longer live, but Christ
lives in me." (Galatians 2:20)
So,
putting up with small annoyances is only one way our faith is tested, because
they can easily turn in to big problems. When they do, how do deal with that
"refining" of your faith? Isaiah put it this way in Isaiah 26:4, "Trust in the LORD forever, for
the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal".
So
how are you doing? Personally, I'm still struggling and still growing and still
learning to "trust in the Lord
forever", because he is "the rock eternal."
