Perseverance through Trial

Our Topic for Discussion is “Perseverance through Trial”. We pray you will be encouraged and blessed as we share thoughts from the Bible, the Word of God. May the Scriptures bring comfort and hope to all His people suffering trial and affliction today.

The book of Psalms speaks to us of the love, comfort, guidance and protection He will provide for us in the difficult circumstances in life.  God has not promised a world without danger. However, we can rely on His promise to be with us as our constant help and provider through the danger.  In an uncertain world, the book of Psalm 91 offers insight into the provision available to us.

Reading from Psalm 91

Our Father in Heaven gave Noah warning of His plan to judge the world. He gave him instructions and provided for the safety of Noah and his family through the floods that were to come.  Today our families that do not know Him are also blessed to be in the “ark” of the safety through our prayers for them.  All must make their own decision whether or not to follow Christ.  He will move through our prayers and ministry to them as we persevere in our walk with Him.

We find the story of Noah and the Flood in the book of Genesis – chapters 6-9.  Noah endured persecution and hardship as he followed His Lord’s instructions and built the ark of safety.  This book is a story of a world “: flooded with wickedness”.  Two key verses in chapter 6 reveal the heart of God in this situation. Genesis 6:5,6 “God saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that He had made man on the earth. And His heart was filled with pain.”

Here we need to stop for a moment to meditate on the Scripture.  Are any grieving over the cruel unjust actions of another – maybe even a victim of crime?  – And the Lord’s heart was filled with pain.  God is an emotional God, one who can feel pain – for His heart was filled with pain.  There are some among us today whose hearts are filled with pain and grief. At these times we can feel God is distant, unconcerned with our situation in life.  We can lose sight of our faith and move away in our relationship with Him.  We may read of a terrible crime in a media report, we may have even suffered as a victim, but for every shocking event reported, God knew and saw.  God had to watch. He is omnipresent and omniscient and He is not unconcerned. His heart is filled with pain. 

We can feel overwhelmed in our turmoil – as if we are drowning – our faith is shaken, He calls us to reach out to Him, but we are sorely tested and tried. Our emotional response may be to turn away and we can feel we are drowning in our torment.  But Jesus would come as one in a boat loaded with scuba diving gear.  The resurrected Saviour wants to bring resurrected life to your situation.  You may feel you are floating out in the ocean with no support and ready to go ‘down for the count’. But Jesus comes. He is the God of Revival. 

We look for Revival in our nations and across the world.  Our vision can be so large that we can miss the visitation of Christ to the individual.  He comes with His mercy and peace – to the one who suffers.  And sometimes it is hard to grasp the significance of this visitation of His presence in lives to minister and bring comfort.  But, how real is the tangible sense of His love, particularly to the broken hearted and the poor in spirit.  For the God of Revival is interested in one suffering person.  The Jesus of wholeness comes with comfort and peace.

Ps 85.6
“Will you not revive us again
That your people may rejoice in you.”

Isaiah 57.15
"For this is what the High and Lofty One says
He who lives forever whose name is Holy.
I live in a high and holy place
But also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit.
To revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Jesus would come to us with compassion, empathy and gentleness, He will walk with us; provide for us the necessary things to sustain us on our journey of life. He comes not only to share with us in our time of sorrow. He comes to bring the power of revival into our hearts and spirits.

In our confusion we may turn away from the ‘ark of safety’ God provides. Reflecting on Noah’s situation in the physical ‘ark of safety’ we concede that the living conditions may not have been pleasant.

God’s answer to the “flood of wickedness” was loving patience, longsuffering and a warning to turn away from evil. One last chance was given – Noah preached the warning of God as he built the Ark, with no response, no new converts.  And God sent a worldwide flood

Genesis 7:24
“The waters flooded the earth for one hundred and fifty days.”

The travellers in the Ark were looking forward to their deliverance. Genesis 8:15,16 “Then God said to Noah – Come out of the Ark”  Our commitment to persevere until God speaks must be the same as Noahs. The outcome would have been different if Noah, choosing to escape from the stench and constraints of this physical ‘ark of safety’ had called out ‘Abandon Ship!’ There was nowhere else to go. This was the provision of the Lord. God did not have another plan. Are we tempted to abandon the provision God has made for us – a close relationship, even Christian fellowship? Conflict and strife, broken relationships weaken our faith and cause us to want to ‘abandon ship’.  We need to persevere trusting Him who is the Author and Finisher of our faith, to enable us to come through the flood, pass through the storm to the safety He provides.

Romans 8:37-39 concludes our Thought for the Day
“Now in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”

Thank you Brother, thank you Sister, for taking the time to share in this ministry today. I pray the peace of God that passes all understanding will be over your life today and the healing grace of God comfort all that mourn.  Jesus Loves invites you to share your prayer requests and comments. Please contact us for prayer support

May God bless you
Your sister-in-Christ,

Anne Elise Imani

www.JesusLovesOnline.Com