Commentary By: Gordon King
Trials and tribulations bring pain and sorrow, they can bring us down into the depths of darkness unknown to us in the past. They can rob us of our dignity, and strip us of our pride and arrogance (which is not a bad thing). They can conjure up feelings of despair and anguish. They can bring us to the point of feeling lost and hopeless.
Who do we turn to when we are in the midst of these difficult times? Which way do we turn and how do we cope?
It’s not the world which will give us peace and comfort, nor is it the world which will pull us up out of the depths of darkness and despair. Only God Almighty can bring us out of the darkness and into the light, only Jesus Christ can give us hope and lead us into eternal life.
I would argue that trials and tribulations are good for us, however dark they may seem, it is through these times that we become closer to God. It is by these trials that we gain knowledge of our Creator, that we see things in a different light so to speak.
Our eyes are opened and our ears hear more clearly when we endure trials and tribulations. Our sense of the spiritual world becomes intensified, and we can hear God more clearly. The things of the spiritual world make more sense, and we begin to see God and the things of heaven above with a new perspective, a heavenly perspective.
The good Lord uses trials and tribulations to bring us closer to Him, to trust more in Him, and to increase our faith in Him. We must use these times wisely and turn towards the light not the darkness! Accept the things of God not the things of this world. Yet, so many people turn the wrong way, they head further into the darkness, heeding the words of the wicked ones.
Psalm 9:9-10
“The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.“
We must focus on God, we must seek Him in all things, during good times and bad times. Jesus Christ is the light, He is eternal life! Seek the Lord in all that you do, seek eternal life. By focusing on Christ then you will become more Christ-like. Feed upon Christ and He will make you more like Himself. Feed upon the world and you will become more like the world, more like the darkness, more like eternal death!
John 11:25-26
‘Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” ‘
Eternal life is Christ, for anyone to have eternal life they must have Christ, there is no other way.
John 14:6
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.“
No one comes to the Father in heaven but through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the life, eternal life, and without Christ you shall not have life. He is the life, He is the bread of life, He is living water.
Seek the Lord and He will hear you and deliver you. Cry out to God and He will deliver you from all of your troubles. The angels of the Lord encamp all around those who fear Him.
Psalm 34:4-10
“I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.“
Blessed are you who trust in the Lord. All those who seek the Lord will lack for any good thing! Do you believe this or do you just read it and think it sounds really nice? These are the words of the Lord, His promises to us, believe them and let them saturate your heart!
God is good to those who place their faith and trust in Him, to all those who believe and fear Him. And although we may endure great trials and tribulations, if we turn to Him then He shall deliver us! He will guide us and comfort us, He will walk with us through the valley of the shadow of death!
For those not enduring trials and tribulations then you may not see God the same as those that do. It is only through these trials that we grow exponentially in Christ. We become more sensitive to the Spirit and the Holy Spirit can work mightily through us. That’s not to say that some can be close to God without great trials and tribulations, there are exceptions, but for the most part I believe this to be the truth.
Joseph, Moses, Elijah, Noah, etc., all endured very difficult and dark times, yet they became very close to God, they saw things which most could not. They saw the kingdom of God, their spirits grew and so did their knowledge of God Almighty! They knew that if they turned to God then He would deliver them and that God had a purpose for their lives.
It’s no different with us, if we turn to God and seek His face then He will also deliver us! He will open our eyes further to the truth, He will make Himself known to us and increase our knowledge of Himself.
Do not despair during trials and tribulations, turn from the darkness and seek the Lord. Know that God is with you, that He shall deliver you, and that you are becoming more and more Christ-like! Blessed are those who place their trust in God. He will comfort you, protect you, and you shall not lack any good thing, these are promises from God!
God bless my friends! Maranatha!
End Time Bible Prophecy 
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. We not only can learn through our trials, but that is the very reason for our trials, to perfect (purify) our faith. Even when our trials are consequences of our own sins and mistakes. The idea is that after a while we learn to submit immediately instead of resisting the trial, but often times it takes an awful lot of trials to get us to that point! When we get there, though, it makes it easier to fulfill that other command which is that we are to give thanks in everything.
Great message Gordon, I needed every word of it, because of the valley of tribulation that I am going through. I am praying for healings in my health but God may have the ultimate healing in mind. Somedays I am so blinded and distracted by difficulties and pain that God is all I can focus on crying out to Him. It is the most amazing place to be when the valley is deep and the canyon walls are solid and high on both sides and I can only look up. Amazing in that my “self” is totally obliterated, “the I in me becomes a loathing person humbled before God incapacitated. You don’t know how much you depend on God’s GRACE until God’s grace is all you have. How can anyone minister the times of tribulation and the deep valleys of despair until they have been there and come through themselves. It is plain and clear that you have. That’s how Jesus can ever be our high priest and who was tempted as we are but without sin. John Bunyan wrote about this in the famous book Pilgrims Progress. Thank you
Sincerely, maranatha, looking up,
Ethin
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Thanks for your comment STLloyd!
God bless!
Thank you Ethin!
You are so right, when we are in the midst of the valley, so deep down in the pit, the only thing we can really see is the darkness and God. However many only see the darkness, for some reason they push God away in their most desperate of times.
These trials and tribulations are very painful, yet through it all we can see the grace of God, we can walk through the valley of the shadow of death with Jesus Christ not only at our sides but inside of us! Amen.
God bless! Maranatha! May the good Lord not tarry much longer, always looking up!
Reblogged this on JUST BEGINING.