How Do You Handle Trials?

I was just checking the programmes on TV, winding down to go to bed when I came across John Bevere's teaching ~ The Messenger on one of the Christian channels. He was 20 minutes or so into the teaching and was more or less rounding up. It was as if God wanted me to hear the bit he was talking about when I tuned in.

The bit John was talking about was encouraging the listeners not to complain during trials and he quoted Malachi 3. I was able to hear some of what he said, but I also read the whole chapter as well. And I was amazed and enlightened from what I read.

Malachi 3: 14 - 15 show how 'God's people' moaned and whinged about their trials, comparing themselves to the world and their judgement was that the world is better than them.

“You have said, ‘What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the Lord Almighty that we are sorry for our sins? From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.’”

These are the people that are supposed to be believers, who know and love God. But majority of believers are 'Christians' when all is good, but when the going gets tough, they are ready to look back like Lot's wife did. And we all know what happened to her.

But God has words of encouragement for His own people that choose to stand for Him, even when all is falling apart around them:

Daniel 12:10:
"Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials. But the wicked will continue in their wickedness, and none of them will understand. Only those who are wise will know what it means."


Malachi 3:16 -18:
"Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name.  
“They will be my people,” says the Lord Almighty. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”"


Revelation 22: 11-12:
"Let the one who is doing wrong continue to do wrong; let the one who is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live righteously; let the one who is holy continue in holiness.
Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds."

Trials are to make us stronger amongst all other things. Though the devil might want to use these trials to bring us down, but the Lord said He will turn it around for our own good.

I will conclude with a quote from Arthur W. Pink:
"Satan is ever seeking to inject that poison into our hearts to distrust God's goodness - especially in connection with his commandments. That is what really lies behind all evil, lusting and disobedience. A discontent with our position and portion, a craving from something which God has wisely held from us. Reject any suggestion that God is unduly severe with you. Resist with the utmost abhorrence anything that causes you to doubt God's love and his lovingkindness toward you. Allow nothing to make you question the Father's love for his child. "