The Transforming Power of Adversity: Part 2
By Pastor Mitch Horton | June 2003 | Posted in • Archives | (0) Comments
“Trials teach us what we are.” - Charles Spurgeon “Sanctified afflictions are spiritual promotions.” - Matthew Henry “If a bird is flying for pleasure it flies with the wind, but if it meets danger it turns and faces the wind, in order that it may rise higher.” - Corrie Ten Boon
A necessary part of our spiritual maturity is the bearing of adversity. As I mentioned in last month’s newsletter, Jesus bore our substitutionary suffering of sin and sickness, but we must follow His example of bearing circumstantial suffering. Our character is refined when we make a choice to act on God’s Word when undergoing difficult circumstances.
God has promised us deliverance from every trial! Psalm 27:5 (Amplified) reads: ” For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock.” And God promises in Psalm 34:19 (God’s Word translation), “The righteous person has many troubles, but the Lord rescues him from all of them.” He further promises in Psalm 37:39-40, “But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.”
He declares in Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” and He reveals in Psalm 50:15, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
And the wonderful promise to believers from their Lord in Psalm 91:14-16 shines brightly through the clouds of troubled times; “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him My salvation.”
Even Jesus mentioned the fact that we would face hardship while on earth, but that we would come through it successfully; “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have perfect peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage, be confident, certain, undaunted!] for I have overcome the world [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]” John 16:33, (Amplified).
God’s plan is that we practice the word when times of stress and trial come our way. We are to act on God’s word when the “rain descends, the floods come, and the wind blows” upon our lives (See Matthew 7:27). His Word will be the rock upon which we can stand and take refuge in these times!
One important change that occurs inside of us during test and trials is that our character is transformed as we act on the Word and allow patience to have its perfect work. (See James 1:3). Tests and trials refine us “as silver is refined” (See Psalm 66:10), that is they produce heat just like the metallurgist’s fire that brings the defects in precious metal to the surface. And God says to the believer in Isaiah 48:10, “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.” In his epistle, Peter says that the trying of our faith is more precious than gold (1 Peter 1:7). That’s because during our times of testing our character is being sifted and the dross removed so that we can be brighter lights to show the glory of God before men. The deeper that we allow the Word of God to penetrate our lives now, the greater the degree of light will be that shines from us in eternity! (See Daniel 12:3; Matthew 13:43).
Times of adversity reveal the character flaws in our lives. It’s easy to praise and worship, to love others, to be congenial and friendly when everything is going our way, but when the heat is turned up during times of difficulty, the character flaws appear!
The piece of gold or silver may look pure, but the heat of fiery trials brings the impurities to the surface. The value of precious metal to the owner is determined by its purity. And the degree of our use in the kingdom of God is determined by the depth of work that we allow the Holy Spirit to perform when we face challenging times!
Peter says it well in 1 Peter 4:12 (Amplified); “Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange [unusual and alien to you and your position] were befalling you. But in-so-far as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, rejoice, so that when His glory [full of radiance and splendor] is revealed you may also rejoice with triumph [exultantly].”
In my own life, there have been certain things that were brought to the surface of my character during times of test and trial that God has challenged me to change. I would not have realized their depth and severity were it not for the refiner’s fire working in me during those times. And I may not have seen the necessity of change were it not for the light that came as I acted on God’s word during a time of difficulty.
I encourage you to take advantage of the challenges you face in life by allowing the Word to work in you, and allowing the Refiner’s fire to bring the dross of life to the surface in you. As James has encouraged us; “Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing” James 1:2-4, (Amplified).
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