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shall not thy teachers be removed
into a corner any more, but thine
eyes shall see thy teachers" (Isa.
30:20).
Why will God so severely afHict
Israel? Because He !oves Israel and
wants our people to turn from their
mounting sins!
There are various ways in which
God tries us. God tried and tested
Abraham by commanding him to of–
fer up bis son Isaac. Abraham had to
be willing to give up bis only true,
legitimate son in order to obey bis
Creator and receive God's incredible
promises. Actually, God didn't want
Abraham to slay bis son. He only
wanted to test Abraham to see if he
loved Him, bis Creator, more than
anything else (Gen. 22).
How does God try and test us?
How does He learn what is really in
our heart?
We have already seen that God
sometimes afflicts us in order to
humble us or teach us an important
lesson (Ps. 119:71; II Cor. 12:7-10).
God Chastens Us in Love
Yes, God Almighty has to chasten all
of His sons and daughters-just as
we have to correct our children:
"And ye have forgotten the exhorta–
tion which speaketh unto you as unto
children, My son, despise not thou
the chastening of the Lord, nor faint
when thou art rebuked of him: For
whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,
and scourgeth every son whom he
receiveth" (Heb. 12:5-6).
The apostle Paul then goes on to
show that if we "endure chastening,"
God will deal with us as with
sons.
But if we will not receive this lov–
ing correction, then what does God
call us? He bluntly calls us spiritual
"bastards"! We are not really God's
sons at all but ·are merely pretending
to be His sons.
Does godly chastisement cause us
to bear good fruit?
Notice why God chastens us.
"Now no chastening for the present
seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the
peaceable fruit of righteousness unto
them which are exercised thereby"
(verse 11).
God has ordained that this life will
34
not be an easy life- for a very good
reason. He knows that if we have no
severe trials and tests we become
spiritually soft and flabby!
A comfortable roan is a compla–
cent man . A comfortable roan
doesn't want to change-doesn't
want to alter the status quo! Why
should he? He is quite happy to 1et
things continue as they are. Why
change when everything seems to be
going along so very smoothly?
. God Almighty knows that we need
trials to stir us to action- to stir us
up enougb to overcome our spiritual
letbargy!
God promises a special blessing on
those who steadfastly resist and over–
come temptations: "Blessed is the
man that endureth temptation: for
when he is tried, he shall receive the
crown of life, which the Lord hath
promised to them that !ove him"
(James 1:12) .
How We Are Tried
What are sorne of the main ways in
which we are afflicted? Ways by
which we are caused to go to our
knees to God in beartrending prayer?
What are sorne of the trials which
cause us to really cry out to God (as
unto a merciful and loving Father)
for help and strength to overcome our
trials and tribulations?
Persecution is one of the main
ways by which God's people a re
drawn closer to Him.
Physical necessities often cause
God's people to have to go to Him in
prayer. When we don ' t have the ne–
cessities of life (food, clothing, shel–
ter), we are often brought to our
knees before our heavenly Father.
Weaknesses, physical infirmities
and sickness are often the means by
which God brings us back into line.
When we are told that we may re–
main an invalid for the rest of our
life, or when we know that we may
actually die of an incurable disease
·(unless God miraculously heals us!) ,
then this sobers us, brings us to our
senses. Such a shock often causes us
to get down on our knees in heartfelt
prayer, beseeching our compassion–
ate God for mercy- for health and
healing (U Kings 20: 1-7).
Overpowering temptations are of–
ten the means by which we are
brought to the realization of how
weak and wretcbed our human na–
ture is. Through strong and persis–
tent temptations (fears, worries and
anxieties; lust and covetousness;
hatred and maljce; envy and jealou–
sies), we are often sent to the throne
of grace for additional strength to
overcome our wretched nature (Roro.
7:14-25) .
God has solemnly promised to de–
liver us from all of our temptations–
if we will only rely upon Him. "There
hath no temptation taken you but
such as is common toman: but God is
faithful , who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able; but
will with the temptation also make a
way to escape, that ye may be able to
bear it" (1 Cor. 10:13).
When we really repent of our sins
and turn from them, accepting the
blood of Christ as the means by
which our transgressions are washed
away, then we are assured by God
tbat sin will no longer rule over us–
will no longer domínate our lives.
God promises: "For sin shall not
have dominion over you: for ye are
not under the [death penalty of the]
law, but under grace [pardon] "
(Rom. 6:14). Once we are forgiven
our sins, God has solemnly promised
tba t sin will no longer reign over us
-will not control our lives!
A true Christian must continually
suffer hardships and temptations of
eve~y
sort. But God will not Jet them
overcome or defeat us as long as we
steadfastly look to Him for complete
deliverance: "For he hath said, 1 will
never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So
thatwemayboldlysay, TheLord ismy
helper, and I will not fear what man
shall do unto me" (Heb. 13:5-6).
Is it God's will that His children be
kept under a certain amount of pres–
sure? He knows tbat we need to have
continua! trials, tribulations and per–
secutions in order to toughen us up
spiritually-in order to show us how
weak and helpless we are so that we
will always look to Him and rely on
Him for everything!
Pressure ls Essential
There are severa! analogies in the
Bible-analogies which clearly show
us why God permits us to have trials
and tribulations.
The
PLAIN TRUTH June-July 1979