Hard Times Benefit Us...Really?!

Why do we suffer hard times?  Good question, huh?  Who, besides God, knows the full reasoning?  We all face trials because, well, that’s life.  But do our hardships benefit us in any way?  Yes, I believe they do.  They teach us lessons, make us stronger, and give us wisdom.  As I read the Word this morning, I ran across another reason that God will allow us to be tested and this reason, in my opinion, is way more important than any we can conjure in our finite minds.

Deuteronomy 8:2 reads, ‘And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no.”  Now, this is being spoken to the Israelites but it is beneficial for us today.  God allowed them to wander those forty years in the wilderness to humble them and to test (prove) them to see what was in their hearts, to see if they would trust Him.  In the end, it was their unbelief that kept them in the wilderness.  They didn’t trust Him to go and take the land that He had promised so they wandered and wandered and wandered.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to wander.  Life is way too short and time too precious to waste wandering and going nowhere. 

The Bible is full of God’s promises to us.  Will we stand on those promises, especially when we are tested, and trust Him to do what He says He will do or will we turn from Him and put trust in ourselves?  He is faithful to keep His promises, but we must stand firm and stay grounded in the Word and in prayer, even when it seems as though nothing is happening.  Don’t miss the amazing plans that God has for your life by being impatient or unbelieving.  That is the position I am in right now.

God has promised me, through a vision and His Word, something very special.  I’ve been waiting for quite some time and it gets difficult sometimes, but I have to hang on, even when I get weary of waiting.  He sustains me and is always reminding me of His promise.  A scripture that He spoke to me pops up almost daily in the oddest of places.  I’ve seen it on the back of a restaurant menu and even on a car!  He is mindful of my heartache and impatience in waiting on His promise, but wait I must, I will trust in Him.  According to His word, He is humbling me and testing my heart and this is a test that I desire to pass.  I know that what He has in store for me is far better than I can ever imagine.  It’s the same for you!  He desires to bless you beyond imagine, but you must be faithful, walk in obedience and trust Him.  Are you willing?