Facebook post 287 (Sent Tuesday December 27, 2022) Often as troubles, trials, and persecutions overwhelms us, we wonder why our knowing, faithful, caring, heavenly Father allows us to suffer so long, before He comes to our rescue, until He opens our spiritual eyes, so we understand 2 Corinthians 1:3-7. He does this for us to personally experience these things, so we learn to give them to Him, as commanded in 1 Peter 1:6-11, for this is the only way we can testify to others going through these same problems, how God brought us through them; thus, they like us, trust it to God instead of giving up on Him.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7—3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with His comfort through Christ. 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.
When we first begin experiencing troubles, trials, and persecutions, it seems obvious God is testing our faith, but then the Holy Spirit reveals to us, our faith comes from Christ Jesus, as stated in Hebrews 12:1-4; thus, we now know Christ’s faith is not being tested, but His faith is being strengthened for, in, and through us, to not only trust Him during these problems, but to see Him overcome them for us, so we can testify to others the awesome goodness of our God.
1 Peter 1:6-11—6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So, when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise, glory, and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 8 You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls. 10 This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. 11 They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when He told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and His great glory afterward.
Hebrews 12:1-4—1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off all weights slowing us down, especially the sin that easily trips us. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility He endured from sinful people; then you will not become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
If our Lord Jesus, the resurrected Christ, could joyously and thankfully endure His years of persecution, then surely Him being in us, and us being in Him, we can trust Him to safely bring us through every problem, test, trial, and persecution we encounter in our journey of life.
Christ Jesus who gave us His faith (Galatians 2:20), strengthens His faith in us as He teaches us to joyfully and thankfully experience a taste of what He suffered for us, so we will not give us, quit, and go back to what we think is the comforts of a life of sin, for it was not then, and still is not a comfortable lifestyle, so learn from Christ Jesus, to trust Him and never go back on Him.
Jim Nabors
