Wisdom involves viewing things from God’s perspective and responding to them on the basis of the truth of the Word of God. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to intouch.org/tv.
more important than God removing the
difficulty of pain and suffering more
important to him than that is that you
and I learn something that we benefit
that we walk away from whatever we’re
going through in life being able to say
deeply within our heart honestly thank
you dear God for all you’ve brought me
through thank you dear God for what
you’re in the process of teaching every
today on InTouch wisdom in the midst of
trials are you going through some trial
in your life that you don’t understand
you don’t know why it had to happen to
you you look back and you ask one of the
questions what did I do to deserve this
you can’t come up with an answer God why
have you allowed this in my life can’t
come up with an answer and to be
truthful and honest what you want most
of all is out of this I want to escape
it I won’t freedom from it I wanna I
want all this pain and hurt and
disappointment and hopelessness and
helplessness and all the things that I’m
going through
naturally I just want out of all this as
quickly as possible do you think that’s
the will of God you say well sure it is
because he’s a good God
well maybe in a few moments you realize
that God has something far more
important from his perspective than
simply getting you out of this
difficulty hardship a trial because what
I want to talk about in this whole
message today I want to talk about
wisdom in the midst of trials how are we
to respond how does God respond what is
he up to in allowing all these things to
happen in other words do you want to
benefit from it you just want to get
bitter and resentful and hostile toward
God because of it there’s a choice I can
benefit from whatever difficulty I’m
facing oh I can get bitter
blame somebody else blame God and missed
the whole point so I want you to turn if
you will to the book until the back of
the New Testament in first Peter and I
want us to look at this first chapter
and the first few verses here because
he’s talking to people writing the
people rather who are going through some
very difficult times they’re being
persecuted because of their love of the
Lord Jesus Christ and their devotion to
him and that’s where they’ve got some
questions listen to what and read Peters
awesome response to what they’re going
through and so he begins in this first
chapter beginning in verse 3 listen to
what he says blessed be the God and
father of our Lord Jesus Christ who
according to his great mercy has caused
us to be born again to a Living Hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead he says we have a Living
Hope this is the mercy of God to obtain
an inheritance which is imperishable
undefiled and will not fade away
reserved in heaven for you that is for
you who protected by the power of God
through faith for a salvation ready to
be revealed in the last times now watch
this in this you greatly rejoice even
though now for a little while if
necessary you have been distressed by
various trials so that the proof of your
faith being more precious than gold
which is perishable even though tested
by fire may be found to result in praise
and glory and honor at the revelation of
Jesus Christ
and though you have not seen him you
love him and though you do not see him
now but believe in him you greatly
rejoice with joy inexpressible and full
of glory now think about it for a moment
I don’t know what you’re going through
but more than likely you’ve asked a
couple of questions
why has this happen to me and God why
don’t you remove this
and remember this more important than
God
removing the difficulty of pain and
suffering more important to him than
that is that you and I learn something
that we benefit that we walk away from
whatever we’re going through in life
being able to say deeply within our
heart honestly thank you dear God for
all you’ve brought me through thank you
dear God for what you’re in the process
of teaching me in this many people don’t
want to be taught many people just want
a quick escape but a wise mental woman
does not want to go through heartache
and suffering and trial and all the
things that can happen to a person and
just come out empty hopeless and
helpless and thinking again wonder what
God is up to in my life and all this do
I believe that God loves me enough that
he’s up to something good so from the
viewpoint of wisdom what are the
purposes for these trials in our life
and the first one is simply this as he
says in this first chapter of first
Peter listen what he says he says and
this you greatly rejoice even though now
for a little while if necessary you’ve
been distressed by various trials for
what reason he says look right now
you’ve gone through a difficult time
so that and all of that to this purpose
what is that that the proof of your
faith and that is not proof in like we
think that but but prove that is being a
proof that’s what that word means and
all of that our faith would be approved
with proof that is strong being more
precious than gold which is perishable
that he says in God’s eyes look at this
your faith is more valuable as far as
God is concerned than gold and silver
and all the rest so he says one of the
reasons that we’re going through it is
for God to do what he’s going to do
something to your faith he’s going to
strengthen your faith one of your
greatest assets is your faith because
it’s by your faith and how many times we
go to the scriptures and we find verses
in the Bible about prayer and linked
with that of
a trusting God and so God tests us by
allowing us to be persecuted hurt pain
suffering all kind of loss whatever it
might be
and as he watches us walk through that
and he as he sees our faith growing and
we persevere and we don’t quit we don’t
give up we don’t grow bitter and
resentful and hostile toward other
people because of what’s happening to us
what happens our faith grows and the
greater your faith but stronger your
personal relationship to the Lord now a
second thing is this the testing of our
devotion to our loving the only loving
when everything’s going my way can I
honestly say that I love Jesus Christ as
my personal Savior and it’s often times
we find out where we are test our
devotion when I feel pain more than I
think I can bear can I still say god I
truly love you it’s those tests in which
we find out who we really are what we
like then of course there is the purpose
of purifying our life and when I think
about God purifying us think about this
pain is that it has a purifying factor
in it there’s something about pain that
purifies it reaches the depths of our
soul in our spirit and brings us to the
reality and the truthfulness about
ourselves and a person can go along in
life and so to get along as they would
think and I’m doing violence a Christian
and lot of things in the life that
shouldn’t be there and all of a sudden
the bottom drops out of the life there’s
pain suffering heartache troubles and
trials and then what do they do they
want to cry out to God to help them and
most of the time what is he going to do
he’s going to start not with the
physical ailment he’s going to start in
the spirit in the heart what’s going on
in your life and many people prolong the
suffering because they will not
acknowledge that God is in the process
of purifying their life now another
reason is that God takes an opportunity
to do what to show himself
strong in our life we go through trials
and heartaches and we thank God how am I
going to handle this and God steps into
that situation and demonstrates his
awesome power and he demonstrates what
he’s able to do and what he’s willing to
do what he can do in your life if you
willing to listen to him so God has
purposes he doesn’t let these things go
by without specific purposes and so
that’s one of them then his purpose is
to provide christ-like character in our
life so if we stopped right there we’d
say well God have any purpose in all
this yes he does and that’s some of the
purpose and I just add one more and that
very clear in 2nd Corinthians chapter 1
verse 4 listen to this verse 3 says
blessed be the God and father of our
Lord Jesus Christ the father of mercies
and the God of all comfort who comforts
us in all our affliction so that we will
be able to comfort those who are in
affliction with the comfort with which
we ourselves have been comforted by God
he says one of the primary reasons he
allows these things and I’d like to do
what to equip you and me to be able to
help other people through that
difficulty for example let’s say that
you’re going through some real bad
difficult in your life maybe it’s maybe
it’s a physical thing some pain who do
you want to talk to somebody’s in
perfect health never had a problem at
all in their life wonder why you where
you are and no you don’t if you’re going
through something in your finances and
you don’t know which way to turn you
want to turn to somebody who has been
there who has wisdom and knowledge about
their finances you can take any aspect
of life because God listen God intends
to watch this he intends that you and I
profit from all the hardships disasters
that happened in our life he has
something good in every single one of
them now if you believe that and I
certainly hope you’re doing and
and you can look at the description lots
of scriptures then I should be able to
walk out of here saying you know what
enough of this complaining and moaning
and groaning and feeling like a victim
and blaming somebody else God’s up to
something good in my life oops I know it
hurts God but but I know Europe for
something good in my life you know
change attitude now watch this just
physiologically
when you’re added to you gets right it’s
amazing the effect that has on your
physical body I’m not saying you think
yourself into healing but I know this
when I understand that God is up to
something good even though I’m hurting
whatever the source of it may be there’s
going to be a feeling there’s going to
be a sense of encouragement because you
don’t see it it’s just isolated pain
isolated disease or isolated loss or
somebody has attacked you for something
you see God working in your life in an
awesome way now we need to we need to
wisdom to discern the proper response
how am I going to respond to these
things and as we said you can be bitter
and resentful hostile what’s the right
way so let’s think about it for a few
moments we can rejoice when we are
convinced that the following things are
true that God is in control of the time
and intensity of my trial very important
that understand that that he’s in charge
he’s in control the time of it and the
intensity of this pain or disaster
whatever it might be
secondly that he has a specific purpose
for allowing it if I can really believe
that he has a specific purpose for
allowing it that I’m going to be able to
walk through it with confidence and
assurance and I’m going to be able to
benefit from it but I must believe that
thirdly that it’s designed to meet a
specific need in my life let’s say
you’re going through a difficult time in
your life let’s say that your loved one
has walked away from you or the person
that you owned the marriage just walked
away who are you going to talk to
– about how you respond somebody who’s
happily married never had a problem
everything just fantastic no you’re not
you’re going to somebody who’s been
there you’re going to somebody who’s
walked a path that you don’t want to
walk but you’re walking it it’s not not
something you chose but it’s something
that you’ve had to deal with and so is
to meet a specific need in your life and
you know what happens one of these days
God begins to use you in the very
specific way watch this carefully
remember this
whatever pain suffering heart a hardship
you go through not only does God have a
purpose but it’s part of his equipping
he’s equipping you and what does that
say so you can feel what the other
person feels since you’ve walked there
and God’s worked in your life and you’ve
been through the pain to hurt the
disappointment and the shame or whatever
it might be you’ve been that you know
how that feels
then somebody can say well here’s what
I’m going through I don’t know how to
handle that when you can say I’ve been
there it is amazing I have been there
for words a powerful you see what do you
and I go to Jesus my merit I have been
there look at the cross
he’s been there why do we read the
epistles and Paul wrote in prison
because he could say I have been there
and when you and I go through those kind
of trauma times in our life he is
equipping you and preparing you to be
able to say to others I have been there
the trial is going to be to my benefit
if I respond in faith if I’m trusting
him lord I don’t understand it I don’t
like it
but I’m going to trust you Jesus that no
matter what and though you’ll work it
out to my benefit and then of course do
our running truly believe that correct
that that God is developing cry
like character in my life and if he is
when these things hit maybe that I have
to say to somebody would you please
forgive me for wrong in you now watch
this my willingness to ask for
forgiveness is part of his character
building the person to whom I say it
it’s part of their character building
because they have to decide whether to
forgive me or not
you see we’re also in a mingled
intertwine God is up to something good
in every single aspect of our life even
listen even in our failures he’s up to
something good we sing that song when
the fall down he picks me up he does and
if I should ask you this morning how
many times if you have been picked up by
God we don’t have enough fingers and
toes because he’s picked us up so many
times you know why he’s not giving up on
us and he doesn’t want us to give up on
him
and these trials will also help us
measure our spiritual growth and I can
look back in my life just like you can
and it may be something you’re going
through today you had to go through five
years ago you didn’t thought oh god I
couldn’t handle it watch this carefully
God guards every aspect of our life and
he knows exactly when you can handle
what he’s going to put on you because
remember his goal is never to defeat you
but to develop you into Christlikeness
and so he’s governing every single
aspect of our life don’t waste your
sorrows your heartaches your pain your
suffering your discipline don’t waste
that by wrong response but just telling
Lord I don’t understand it
I don’t like it it hurts this wouldn’t
there wouldn’t be my choice but father
I’m gonna trust you you know what’s best
for my life you know what you want to do
with my life you know however you want
to use me in somebody else’s life so God
if you just enable me
I will persevere and keep walking your
path no matter how deep in the belly it
goes I will be walking on the path
trusting you to take me through all the
way to the other side I don’t know what
you’re going through in life but if you
will just take what you’ve heard and
applied to your heart your life will
change and you’ll be grateful to God
that you’ve listened and that you
responded if you’ve never trusted Jesus
as you save you you’re on your own
and that’s not going to work if you’re
willing to trust him as your personal
Saviour everything will change you do
that by confessing your sentiments
listen you’re a sinner you’ve sinned
against the Almighty God you’ve rebelled
against him acknowledge it ask him to
forgive you nothing cause you’re gonna
do better because when Jesus went to the
cross the father placed all of your
rebellion and difference in sinfulness
on his son nailed into the cross shed
his blood and the shedding of his blood
paid your sin debt in full he’ll
transform your life it’s a decision you
have to make now trust that you’re wise
enough to say Lord not my will but your
will be done
amen and father how grateful we are
they will never