December 09, 2018
God Is Good in Trials
If God is always good, why does He allow His people to experience pain? Although there will be a day when He makes all things right, for now we live in a fallen world filled with suffering. God hasn’t lost control, but if we don’t understand what He’s doing, we could become discouraged or angry when we face trials.
Our heavenly Father sovereignly uses every difficult and hurtful situation to bring about His purposes in our life. That’s why we are told to exult not only in the hope of the glory of God but in our tribulations as well.
Rejoicing in tribulations (not for them) is possible only if we know the glorious things God accomplishes through trials. The good He produces is progressive in nature, moving from one positive result to the next:
Perseverance. When our hope and trust are on the goodness, love, and power of God, we have all the resources we need to keep going instead of becoming disillusioned and abandoning our faith.
Proven character. God uses trials to purify us from sin and increasingly transform us into His image so that our character, conduct, and conversation reflect and honor Him.
Hope. Knowing the good purposes for which God allows pain and trouble in our life keeps us from descending into discouragement. Instead, we are confident of His love and place our hope in what He is accomplishing through His Spirit within us.
Trials in your life have the potential to develop good qualities within you. That’s why you can exult in the Lord, even in tribulation.
Bible in One Year: Philippians 1-4
