The Battle of the Old Man versus the New Man
The old man is more than the old nature; it is the person you used to be before you knew Christ as Savior and Lord. The old man is all you have ever known. You are so familiar with this person. And people who know you are familiar with this person. Even though the words he (the old man) is whispering into our ears are mostly negative, unconstructive, unhelpful, off-putting, pessimistic, downbeat, harmful, depressing, disapproving, we still seem to believe all that is said versus what God is saying especially in tough times.
In tough time, the old man’s voice is the one that is always telling us to just stop and give up. The old man is saying “Don’t listen to that stuff, because you know you will only be disappointed once again”. The old man is really in a state of damnation therefore, what else is he to say. He is the one who is always in our ear seemingly telling us what is not possible, what can not happen, the reasons it can’t happen and the reason it is not possible. As I’ve said, the old man has been with you so long, the old man provides a false sense of comfort and familiarity.
We learned last week that God has no plans for the old man once he accepts Jesus Christ. That’s why we are told to put on Jesus Christ. God understands the new man is “new” to us. He knows it will take a little time for the new man to override the old man. He knows that sometimes the old man will win out especially if you are not feeding the new man. How do you feed the new man? By reading the word of God and by being in Bible class and Church services, and by being around other like minded Christians in fellowship will all help the new man to reach his/her full potential.
In Colossians 3:9-10 NIV it tells us, “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off you old self with it’s practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its creator. Well, how do we put on our new self? It means to put your words into action. Your conduct must match your faith. Verses 5-8 talks about what the life of the folks were like at Colossi. Paul was not overly critical, but he was very frank with them. He showed compassion because he knows that the new self, the new man is being renewed. It is a process. But, it is one we should seek. We should want to reflect our creator. We should want to have the image of our creator.
Clearly, when you remove something, you should replace it with something else or you will leave a gapping hole for something else. Therefore Paul admonished them to clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. What does he mean by clothe. I love Paul’s writing, first, he tells us to put on Jesus Christ now he tells us to clothe ourselves with those virtues. To clothe means to cover, wrap up, to envelop, to bind, to enclose, to surround, to encircle, to join together, to connect, to combine, to unite, to tie, to fasten, to bring together, to come together, to merge, to become one.. He told them to bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances they may have against one another. He told them to forgive as the Lord forgave them. Then, he said, “And over all these virtues (qualities, character, and moral fiber) put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:12-14 NIV). Once again Paul chose words that talk about clothing oneself. Can you imagine putting on your best outfit or the one you feel is attractive on you, but you leave out the one piece that will hold it altogether such as a belt or the perfect scarf. Without the belt, when you stand, you loose the rest. That’s what he is saying to us—without love, the thing that binds all the others, the others just fall out of place and become ineffective.
The new man has to be transformed (changed) from the pattern of this world as we are told to do in Romans 12;2. Romans 13:14 says rather (he refers back to the things he talked about in versus 11-13) clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
In Ephesians, Paul talks about how the church at Ephesus had been taught to put off the old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful (dishonest, cunning, untrustworthy, lying, devious, false-hearted) desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” Ephesians 4:25-32. Paul tells us we should be imitators of God in Ephs. 5:1. There is no reason for the old man to be so in charge of our lives. He has no authority or real power to do so. We are told in Romans 6:6 that our old self was crucified with Christ. Can you imagine that? Such powerful, awesome words. How many of us were born when Christ was crucified. Yet, we see that our old self was crucified. That is referring to the work that Christ did for all of us on the cross. It truly was as though we were on that cross along side of Jesus. The verse goes on to say, our old self was crucified, with him, so that the body of sin might be done away with.
What is the body of sin? It is our rebellious sin-loving nature inherited from Adam. In Romans 5:18 NIV, it says “consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men (referring to Adam) so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man, the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one Man (Jesus), the many will be made righteous.
Once again, there is no reason for the old man to be so in charge of our lives. He has no authority or real power to do so. Everyday, as we put on our clothes, we must make a conscience effort to put on Jesus Christ. Our virtues, our character our image must really reflect our creator. It can be done, because God has made every provision possible for the new man to live and live life abundantly.
Victory In Battle
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Victory in Battle |
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Day To Read |
Scripture |
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All Scripture NIV (New International Version) |
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Monday |
Psalm 20:1-5 |
May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. May he give you the desire of your heart and make all of your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your request. | |
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Tuesday |
Psalm 145:13b-21 |
…The Lord if faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and lowing toward all he has made. The Lord is near to all who call on him to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him: he hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name forever and ever. | |
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Wednesday |
Psalm 20:6-9 |
Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed, he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. O Lord, save the King! Answer us when we call!. | |
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Thursday |
Psalm 21:1-7 |
O Lord, the king rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories you give! You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips. You welcomed him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head. He asked you for life, and you gave it to him length of days, forever and ever. Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty. Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken. | |
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Friday |
Psalm 21:8-13 |
Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes. At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the Lord will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them. You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind. Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed; for you will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with a drawn bow. Be exalted. O Lord, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might. | |
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Saturday |
Psalm 3:1-6 |
O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” But you are a shield around me. O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. I lie down and sleep. I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousand drawn up against me on every side. | |
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Sunday |
Psalm 18:1-3
Psalm 18:46:50 |
I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise and I am saved from my enemies. The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O Lord; I will sing praises to your name. He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever. | |
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DEVOTION
We must give God praise after he has given us the victory. When we look at what God did for David in Psalm 21, we see that he gave him:
- Joy in victory
- The desire of his heart
- All of the request from his lips (answered prayers)
- Rich blessings
- A crown of pure gold on his head.
- Life, and length of days for ever
- Multiple Victories
- Splendor and majesty
- Eternal blessings
- Joy at the Lord presence
- Stability
The Lord knows how much we can bear. He is there for us as stated in Psalm 145. The Lord is faithful to his promises, and he loves all that he made. The Lord will keep you from falling. If you are down and out and feeling the pressures of life, God will lift your bowed head
When circumstances make it seem as though we are losing the battle and/or feel all alone, and feel as though everyone is against us. Think again. God is not. He is there for us. As described in Psalm 3. God is always for us. When circumstances and problems don’t go our way, turn to God. People who are observing your battle might think that God has abandoned you and might even say that God will not deliver you. They are wrong. The Lord will show his power. We are not alone. God is the shield that is around us and will lift our heads.
Usually in a crisis, we might not be able to sleep. Some, worry about what is going on around them as if the worrying is going to change anything. Not David. He laid down and went to sleep. He slept peacefully – even though there was an obvious uproar going on in his life. David knew who his sustainer was. Imagine being surrounding by tens of thousands on every side. What would you do? Would you be like David and not fear. Would you trust in the Lord. That’s what David did. So, we encourage you to stand firm in the battle knowing that God will bring about a just result and will sustain you throughout the ordeal. In the end, he will allow you to have joy, respond to your prayers and give you multiple victories. There is complete victory in God. So, go on, give him the praise He deserves and He will give you the desire of your heart!
He Did It Just For You!
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Date to Read |
Scripture (New International Version) |
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Monday |
Mark 11:1-11 |
| As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, “Why are you doing this?” tell him, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.” They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna! “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest!” Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. |
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Tuesday |
Matthew 27:27:44 |
| Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: This is Jesus, The King of the Jews. Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him, “He saved others, “they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, “I am the Son of God.” In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
Romans 5:8-10 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! |
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Wednesday |
Matthew 27:45:51 |
| From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” – Which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in tow from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
John 15:13-17 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. |
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Thursday |
Matthew 27:54:61 |
| When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happed, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Jesus, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons. As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
John 10:11-18 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father. |
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Friday |
Matthew 27:62-65 |
| The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, “After three days I will rise again.” So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.” “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting a guard.
Romans 10:9-11 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” |
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Saturday |
Matthew 28:1-8 |
| After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: “He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings, “he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” |
Devotion
Every Easter Sunday, we put on our best outfits and we all come to church. Even if we haven’t been to church in a while, we feel that Easter, Mother’s Day and Christmas are days we must go to church. It is true this is a time of reflection. A time to look back and give thanks for the awesome gift that God gave to each and every one of us.
It is true that Jesus paid the ultimate price for something he never, ever deserved. Unlike us, he was without sin. This is precisely why he was able to pay this extraordinary price. However, Jesus was willing to pay this price and He did it freely and without regret. God paid with the life of his Son—the ultimate price for our sins. When we believe in Him, it means we are trusting in Jesus and have placed our confidence in Him that only He can save us.
We can be certain about God’s love for us when we consider what, how and when Christ did for us. He gave his life for us when we were yet sinners. Meaning we had not turned to him or given our lives to him. His death was very real and it was very painful for Him. Even though he could have in an instant removed himself from the cross, he refused to do so, knowing what His death would mean for us. When Christ gave His life for us, we did not care about Him or even know Him. If He did all of this for us then, imagine what He is willing to do for us now that we have accepted Him as Lord and Savior over our lives.
Salvation—becoming a Christian is very simple. It’s as close as your mouth and heart. If we can believe in our hearts and then say it with our mouths that Christ has risen, then the Bible says we will be saved.
It is indisputable that Jesus rose from the dead. As Philippians 3:10 says, I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. How much did God love us? So much that He gave His one and only Son to die for us, and He did it just for you!
True Forgivesness
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Day |
Scripture (all NIV) |
Text |
| Sunday | Psalm 130:1-2 | Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord, O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. |
| Monday | Psalm 130:3-4 | If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, therefore you are feared. |
| Tuesday | Psalm 130:5-6 | I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul awaits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. |
| Wednesday | Psalm 130:7-8
Psalm 103:17 |
O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children– |
| Thursday | Psalm 145:8-9 | The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. |
| Friday | Psalm 147:5-6 | Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. The Lord sustains the humble, but casts the wicked to the ground. |
| Saturday | Psalm 103:8-12 | The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. |
Devotional
If you have ever felt despair, then you can certainly relate to this psalmist. He felt completely alone and isolated from God. At a time of despair, is exactly the time when we need God. Sin can often make us feel really bad about ourselves. We know the price sin costs God, so we know how bad it is. We often can’t wrap our minds around the fact, that God forgives sin.
When we are in despair, we should cry out to God to help us through this period. But, if we are truthful, we will sometimes have a pity party. We begin to see ourselves in ways that God does not! We listen to the little voice in our head urging us to believe that this is too much for even God to forgive. But guess what, that little voice is wrong! God can help us through this time and this (WHATEVER YOU DID—SIN) is forgivable by God. The question is, can we forgive ourselves.
Who keeps records of our failings or our sins. We might, but God certainly does not. When God forgives, he forgives completely—ultimately tearing down any walls that were built between God and us. What about you. When you have been wronged, someone has hurt you-can you forgive them completely. Can you wipe the slate clean and begin anew as though it never occurred. That is what God does with us every day. Can you follow God’s model.
In Psalm 103:12, God demonstrates the complete depth of his forgiveness. As you know, east and west can never meet. God specifically mentions this so that we can understand the true meaning of his forgiveness. You will notice that God did not say this only applies to small sins or minor sins—that’s because it applies to all sin. In fact, there is no small or large sin. Sin is sin. It separates us from God, but through his model of forgiveness, he demonstrates that He wipes the record clean, he separates it from us and doesn’t even remember it. Therefore, we should not have that pity party or make ourselves something that God has not made us.
LESSONS LEARNED
- God completely forgives sin
- God doesn’t remember the sin after he forgives us
- God love for us is from everlasting to everlasting
- We should not have a pity party or wallow in our sin
- God wipes the record clean
- We can talk to God about anything.
- When we pray to God, he is not holding anything against us
- God hears us completely
- Despair over sin in our lives should lead us to God for forgiveness
- We need to accept God’s forgiveness and see ourselves as he views us when we have sinned
- We need to use God’s model of forgiveness in our own lives when dealing with hurts and grudges or holding on to things that people have done to us—let’s wipe the slate clean!
Count It All Joy Part II
COUNT IT ALL JOY!
Part II
Lita A. Reeves
In Count It All Joy, Part I, we defined trials and faith, and gave examples of living faith. In Count It All Joy, Part II, we:
- Further explore those earlier mentioned concepts,
- Discuss the favor of God;
- Ask and answer the question of whether anything is too hard for God;
- Demonstrate the comfort of the Lord in our trails,
- Demonstrate how God turns sour lemons into sweet lemonade, and
- Finally, explain how to Count It All Joy!
When God Gives You Favor!
So, let’s pick it up, where we left off. God will be with you and He will give you favor. What do you mean? Well, let’s look at Joseph. His brothers disliked Joseph very much, they were so jealous of him -–they stripped him of his coat and sold him into slavery. Sounds like it is over for Joseph. Sounds like poor Joseph is never going to get out of this. But, they didn’t know what God had in mind. God can use even the worst of situations; to fulfill his will and purpose. Even though Joseph’s brothers meant it for his harm, God turned it around and used it for his good. Won’t God turn your situations around! Won’t He give you favor. That’s what He did for Joseph. Joseph began to be the overseer in Potiphar’s home. The Bible says that “But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison (Genesis 39:21). Who would have thought being sold into slavery, thrown into jail for 7 years and going through famine, could in any way turn out good. But that’s exactly what happened. You know how it ended for Joseph. Joseph was 2nd only to the King. He was Governor.
Is Anything Too Hard For God?
Even when victory looks like defeat or even when you can’t see victory because of so much defeat. You’ve got to believe God. Look at Sarah and Abraham. You know how much they wanted a child. But, Sarah was barren. She had gotten to be up in age and thought it was over for her. She then devised a plan to get children. You know how that ended. Never, ever step out on your own. Always wait for God. God will help us with our problems. In Romans 8:26, Paul tells us that even when we don’t know what to pray for, the Holy Spirit prays for us in our behalf and God hears him and answers according to His will. God told Abraham and Sarah that he was going to give them a child. They both laughed at God and just really couldn’t believe God. Sarah was beside herself with laughter. But, God told them he was surely going to give them a child. They couldn’t see beyond the circumstances that were at hand. God didn’t ask them to do that. He only asked them to trust Him. Finally, He asked them is anything too hard for him. I’m asking you that same question this morning. Is anything too hard for God?
Whatever your problem is or whatever your test or whatever your storm – do you believe it’s too hard for God. I’m telling you that God is able. He can handle your little trial. I’m trying to tell you that you can count it all joy. You don’t have to give in or despair. All you’ve got to do is hold on. We are more than conquerors. We know that all things work together for our good. Maybe you’re down to your last dime and you’ve got bill collectors calling – I’m telling you to hold on—God can make it good. Maybe you’ve lost your job and you just can’t seem to find another one—I’m telling you to hold on, God can make it good.
It’s all Good!
Whatever your problem is – God can make it good. If God is for us, who can be against us. To receive the promises of Romans 8:28, we must love Him and be called according to His purpose. God works in all of our situations – not just the good ones. When we are going through trials, sometimes we began to do the very thing that Peter tells us not to do. Peter said … think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as thou some strange (or uncommon odd or different) thing happened unto you…” Peter said our trials are going to be fiery – which means difficult or almost unbearable. When the trial is most intense – when it seems that all hope is gone. I’m here to tell you to stay in it. When it’s at it’s most intense, the Holy Spirit is right there comforting you and praying for you. When it is at it’s most intense, God is there.
Maybe you are in what feels like a fiery furnace and it seems unbearable. Do you know that God is right there with you? For example, you know about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. You know the ones who wouldn’t bow down to the golden image created by King Nebuchadnezzar. As a result, the King tossed them into the furnace. Did they want to go? No, but they said, our God is able to deliver us and will deliver us out of your hand. And, so they went in there. What did God do – He delivered them. They exercised faith and God was faithful with them.
We’ve already defined what trials are and now I want to talk about the purpose of trials. James said in James 1:3 that trials come to worketh patience. The word worketh means to fashion or create a useful or desired product by expending labor or exertion on. Worketh means to bring into a desired form by a gradual process of cutting, hammering, scraping, pressing or stretching. So, one reason trials are sent is to create or give us patience or perseverance. Let’s look at another reason we have trials. They are sent to try our faith. The word try is best explained as to test or to check-up or to examine. They are sent to measure our maturing and examine our faith under direct pressure. So, another reason we have trials are so that are character can be tested. God wants to show us how we hold up under pressure and to show us who we really are.
Comfort In our Trials
Let’s look at another example. Paul also put it this way, he said …The God of all comfort: who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God…” (2 Cor 1:3-7) God is right there. He’s comforting us. I don’t know about you, but I’m glad that God is right there. I’m glad that He knows what I’m going through. I’m glad that as the word says, He’s going to comfort me in all of my troubles. So we also receive trials so that we will know how to comfort and support others in their troubles, and so that we can receive the comforts from God while we are in our own trials.
When Is This Trial Going To End?
How long do trials last? When it’s your turn, they seem to last a lifetime. But, I came to tell you that God said in his word that they would only last for a season. They last for just a little while. Peter said, …”Thou now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that peristheth, though it be tried by fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6-7) This is also another reason why we have trials. Paul said the light afflictions are but for a moment. Yes, it’s going to be hard, and yes, it’s going to be tough, but you’ve got to hang in there. You can count it all joy. Paul tells us in Romans 8:18 that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
How to Count It All Joy?
So, how do you get through trials? Let’s learn from Paul. He says, in Philippians 4:6 – “Be careful for nothing: but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known unto God. So, what shouldn’t you do when you’re in a trial? Worry. Yes, that’s right; don’t worry about this situation or your circumstance. What should you do? Pray, give thanksgiving and let your needs be made known to God. You’ve got to do this while you are in your trials or your storms. He says IN every thing. In Philippians 4:4, Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord always. Rejoice means to experience great pleasure joy or delight originating from emotions being expressed or shown.
My philosophy is the harder the problem—the louder the praise. After all God did make us some promises there. He said that He would guard our hearts and our minds. He has also promised to give us peace that surpasses all understanding. With this peace, you can go through your trials, yet praising God and recognizing who God is. Keep your eye and your focus on God and not on your problem and your situation. God will work through your problem every time. You don’t have to worry or be afraid. Just trust God, believe God, pray to God, and thank God and stand on the promises of His word and watch Him work through your problems meeting your need.
When you look at your problems and trials in relationship to who is in control (God), you can count it all joy.
