How to Convert Trials to Testimonies II

A friend sent me a text on WhatsApp, I felt reluctant to read it because I thought it was one of those usual fun messages that I do receive from some of my contacts. At last, when I decided to read it I discovered that it made sense. Part of it reads: “You need people who will mock you so that you can run to God. You need people who will try to intimidate you so that you can be courageous…….. before you get a breakthrough, something must break so that you can get through”.This made a lot of sense to me.
In my previous post I talked about Hannah, how she was threatened with barrenness, provocation from her rival and criticism from Eli the priest, instead of clothing herself with self-pity and look up to her husband for sympathy, Hannah looked up to God who has the power to transform trials to triumphs.

Today, as I sat quietly in the sitting room watching the television, I listened to a powerful message from Joyce Meyers as she spoke on the topic “quitting is not an option”. She talked about how Joseph moved from the Pit to the Palace and how every Christian can do same. It cost Joseph 13 years of suffering before he finally landed in the palace.
What is threatening your life sister, if you had the opportunity to rewind your life, what would you like to change? I once heard a sister said if she had the opportunity to rewind her life she would have done it so that she would start her life afresh. Do you feel the same thing? I have good news for you, you may not have the power to rewind your life but God has the power to reverse your situation.

As I pondered over the words of Joyce Meyers, the Holy Spirit led me to the letter of James 1:1-12.When I read through these verses carefully I discovered that my WhatsApp message was in line with this passage. verse 2 reads,

What an irony, how can suffering be a thing of joy? It all depends on what we value most. What we value determines how we respond to trials. If we value comfort more than character then trials would upset us. If we value material and physical things more than the spiritual things then we would not be able ‘to count it all joy’ when we face trials.

We all know that trials make life very uncomfortable for us, but when we put our trust in God, he gives us the grace to be able to rejoice in suffering. Not that we feel happy that we are suffering; but we experience the peace of God which provides comfort to us and we are able to say ‘ it is well’.

When we evaluate those trials in the light of what God is about to do in our lives we would wait patiently for the manifestation of the blessings they will bring.Joseph did that when he found himself in the house of Potiphar; when Potiphar’s wife wanted to force him to have sex with her, he fled. He understood that if he compromises, he won’t arrive the palace. We must look beyond the present happenings and tell the devil that we are too much to be victims of circumstance.

The Scripture in 1 Cor.10: assures us that ,

The journey may be tough, but we have assurance that God will lighten the burden and brightens the way so that we don’t get weary and give up.So let us look up to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right-hand ofGod.(Heb.12:2).James 1:12 says, .So the cross comes before the crown and suffering before glory. Don’t quit, or give up, your testimony is coming soon.