Walking Through Adversity

We are in a season of transition and tension, being prepared for the coming of Jesus. When He comes we will be like Him (see I John 3:2). Therefore, this is also a time of becoming more like Him. We will be then what we are becoming now.

He is bringing us into His likeness. He has ways of removing from us everything that is not like Him. His purposes are like a highway in our heart in which there are no obstacles or obstructions. We are to be fully available to Him.

Change happens by pressure. We stay the way we are until the pain of remaining the same becomes too great. God brings trials to pressure us into becoming complete (see James 1:2-4). It is not enough to know an answer to a problem—we have to “walk it out.” Walking through difficulties is the path to perfection.

Circumstances have no power over us. Every problem is an opportunity to be joyful.  Faith is a decision to walk through circumstances that are beyond our abilities.

We spend most of our time trying to get out of situations for which God prepared for us. We take the things we like and avoid what we don’t like. We tend to avoid adversity. Yet who we are is how we respond to adversity.

The issue is not what happens to us, but how we respond to it. The first priority is to fix our eyes on Yeshua (see Hebrews 12). All sin is self-centered. We should look at life, not by asking, “How does this affect me?” but by asking “What is God trying to do?” Faith has a victory mentality, not a victim mentality.

God works through trials. We choose to be obedient (see Phil. 2:7). Our faith is increased when we walk through difficulties. The threat is in reverting to the old way of trying to do it in our own strength.

Ask God to give you the grace to be empty and humble. Say, “I know you are God; I know you are good; I know you are in control.”

God usually does not remove painful situations but gives us grace to go through them. That grace is our victory.

Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den, and his friends into the fiery furnace. We must trust God’s government over the circumstances in our life.

The church will be purified during the tribulation period. Tribulation is part of God’s path to perfection. We will be like Him by the time He comes back.

For the original article, visit reviveisrael.org.