A trial? GOOD!!!

Okay, so maybe that's not exactly how I feel. But it got your attention right?
:)
One thing I always struggle with is why God allows certain things to happen. I think we all do. I think of godly people who pass away "too early," people who have cancer, broken homes, fires destroying a chuch building, etc. ... I know in my own life I look at some of my trials and I think "oh ... God allowed me through that so I can be a better counselor and understand more things...relate to more people" Sometimes that is the only reason I can come up with to "justify" some of what life has dished out. But then I think ... couldn't God just make it so no one had to go through "bad things" - then I wouldn't have to relate to anyone. Basically, what's the point behind all this hard life stuff? Follow me?
Anyways, tonight I was reading Hebrews 11, the "faith chapter." I have some big decisions to make tomorrow, so I decided to take my Bible and pen and paper and make a list of all the things that were accomplished by faith (I REALLY need faith right now!) Wow....I came up with quite a list. If you have a Bible and look at verse 4 and following, you will find a list of all these amazing accomplishments. I'll list some of them. But first, keep in mind this isn't anywhere near all the things God has done. I often wonder what happened that was never recorded in the Bible? Cool to think about. Please don't rush through the list - think about the impact each event made in our history.
Enoch never died; Noah built the ark and basically saved the human race and all the animals; Abraham went to the Promised Land, then later offered his own son as a sacrifice, believing God would somehow save his son; Sara had kids; Moses feared God more than man; people passed through the Red Sea on DRY LAND (my favorite); Jerhico's walls fell down; people were raised to life; kingdom's were subdued, lions' mouths were closed .... this list seems unending. Wow! God really rewards those who have faith!!! Right ..... ???
But wait...
Then I kept reading. uhmmm.... God?
In the middle of verse 35, the tone changed. Now, those who have faith are tried, mocked, scourged, imprisoned, stoned, "sawn asunder" (anyone know what that means? please enlighten me!! :) tempted, killed, afflicted, and tormented. That's just to name a few. Doesn't that seem backwards? They had faith - and this is what happens to them? Kind of like what I said earlier - cancer takes a loved one, a family falls apart. How is this a reward for faith?
But wow ... God speaks of those people, the people who endure enormous trial, and say, "Of whom the world was not worthy..." It's like those people are special treasures. A step above the rest. It also says that they "obtained a good report through faith." You see, when we can trust God and have faith when He chooses to take home a loved one that we have endlessly prayed for - THAT is faith. It may make no sense to us. It may feel like the opposite of all that is fair, just, and earned through prayer. But the truth is, when you can have faith in those difficult situations - you obtain a good report. You obtain a reward so special that God is going to wait to give it to you so He can give it to you personally in Heaven. God sees so much faith potential in you, and knows the only way to bring it out is trial.
It's wonderful to see faith panned out - when you pray that the Lord would heal your relative's cancer, and He does. But when you pray, and God doesn't heal your relative - it's so easy to get mad and blame God. Wonder why He has helped others but doesn't seem to be helping you. But God is in control. And remembering that even when all seems wrong, that is a special faith.
I am no expert on trials. I'm no expert on God. He is far too big, far too great, and far too infinitely wise for me to even begin to understand why He does what He does. I cant understand or relate to every circumstance, and I certainly can't reason why He allows certain things to happen. All I know is that He says all things work together for good to those that love Him.
I can say that God taught me tonight that when we have faith when a situation seems senseless and confusing, God sees that. God rewards that. It is the empitome of humbleness on our part - to say that God knows better how to control my life than I do.
When trials come, I find it easy to either run FROM God or run TO God. I fervently pray that I will always run TO God. He is so worthy of our trust. Let's learn to give it!

9/21/06