The LORD trieth the righteous—– Psalm 11:5
God has been referred to as “the great First Cause”. As such every event, even the tough trials of life can be traced to Him. As Spurgeon said, “Out of the golden gate of God’s ordinance the armies of trial march forth in array, clad in their iron armour, and armed with weapons of war. All providences are doors to trial. Even our mercies, like roses, have their thorns”. It is true, and the evidence is everywhere.
Many have drowned in a sea of prosperity, as well as in rivers of poverty. Every road before us has its dangers. The promotion you seek might prove your undoing, whereas the demotion you experienced just might be a blessing in disguise. Your strong healthy body might cause you to pursue that which would lead you away from God, whereas the sickness that weakens your body might be the very thing that strengthens you spiritually. Being rejected by others might enable you to discover that you have a friend in Jesus. The hardships forced upon you could be the things that exercise you unto godliness. Let us then not curse that which God has decreed to be for His glory and our good. Instead, we should pray for strength to endure our trials, not escape them.
The good Lord “trieth the righteous” because He knows that in doing so there are blessings that could not be had any other way. Just as the ore must be purified by the fire and the wheat must be threshed to remove the husks, we must experience difficulties to be made different. With God in control there is profit in our pain, and gain in our grief. Holiness, from whence happiness comes, doesn’t come from sitting back in an easy chair with everyone catering to all our desires. It comes from being tossed into the fiery furnace of affliction and discovering that God’s grace is sufficient. As the potter glazes the clay to harden and beautify it, God subjects His servants to trials so as to make them vessels fit for the Master’s use. He gazes upon upon it throughout the process, knowing exactly how much and how long the heat must be to accomplish Hid purpose. You can trust Him! He is in control and He has good for His purpose.
