THE HEART IN A TRIAL

The heart is exposed in the trials we face. May Jesus be the heart found in them all.

O my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 63:8

What are the lessons our trials bring? What is God trying to teach us and show us through them? There are trials that seem far too big to walk through and then there are trials that we accomplish every day. But no matter the size of the trial, where are our hearts amidst them?

I have recently faced a trial of repeated failure. Failure is not a nice thing to go through, especially if you're like me and have faced it repeatedly within a short period of time. But yet, through the failure, I am at peace. I am rejoicing because God is in control. I trust Him and I know that His will for me is on purpose. I endure the failure because I want to rely on Jesus more. I am patient too, because I know that God blesses those who wait on Him. All of a sudden, this mountain of a trial has become a small rock in the road. Why? Because I have surrendered it to Jesus. Do you see the wisdom God's Word brings?

Throughout our life, persecution is a target set on us believers. Are we embracing the persecution with faith or with fear? FAITH, friends. That's what I want to encourage you with today. Without faith - the mountains stay firmly grounded and the fig tree lives without purpose. Jesus teaches us this when He curses the fig tree in Matthew 21:18-22.

Then Jesus told them, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don't doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it."

So when we face a trial that is as big as a mountain, are we praying in faith for God to take the trial away from us or are we praying for our hearts to be grounded in faith for Him to lift that mountain and throw it into the sea? Yes, God can definitely take a trial away from you, if it is in His will, for we know that if we pray for anything by faith we will receive it. But He can also let us go through the trial to strengthen our faith in Him. God wants to draw us closer to Him and He uses trials the world brings to do that. God does not want us to stumble and fall away from His grace but He does want us to seek Him and His will, so that His glory can shine and that our lives can be found in Him.

If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for Me, you will find it. Matthew 10:39

When we start by surrendering our lives to Jesus, we find Him. Before Jesus' crucifixion when He was praying in Gethsemane, He asked God to take the cup of suffering away from Him.

"My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not mine." Matthew 26:39

This cup of suffering Jesus was about to endure was not a trial of repeated failure, loneliness, financial issues, relationship or health problems. It was a cup of death offered to a sinless man who healed the sick, who loved the unworthy and who ate with sinners. Jesus endured and overcame the greatest trial ever recorded so that you and I may know our trials have victory. It is because of this act of unconditional love that we can have hope of victory today.

The heart Jesus had while He walked the earth was to unite us back with God again through His love. He demonstrated this on the cross and He suffered blamelessly so that we may have His heart. The reality of this is that no matter the trials and sufferings we face, our surrendered lives before God allows our hearts to match Jesus'. Can you see now why we need to lose our lives to find Him? And why we surrender our trials to God? Because God's perfect love is demonstrated over and over again when we endure the cup of suffering set before us. We get to know firsthand the reality of God's love in all its fullness! Can I get a Hallelujah!!

If everything was good and perfect we wouldn't know God's love. We wouldn't know Jesus and we wouldn't be needed. We would just be the fig tree bearing no fruit - purposeless and cursed. Jesus saved us from that curse and He gave Himself to us so we may know Him and His Father (Matt 10:40). Surrender your trials. Surrender your desires. Surrender your life. Surrender your sins. Lay it down and find your heart in Jesus. May your heart in every trial glorify and reflect the goodness and love of God forever and ever! Amen.

Father God, we come to You in the Name of Jesus. Thank You Jesus for preparing our hearts to endure the cup of suffering we drink from. May we praise Your Name and glorify You in every trial we face for we thank You for giving us victory! Lord may we seek Your heart more so that our lives are not lost to the world but are found in You. Thank You Father for encouraging us through our trials and for letting us experience Your love in all its fullness! In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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