DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONALS: SEPTEMBER 29 TRIALS AS INGREDIENTS OF FAITH (2) SCRIPTURE: 1 PETER 1: 7; ISAIAH 40: 29
As studied yesterday, without trials of faith, there will be no Christian faith. Trials are to be seen as real ingredients of faith. Christians are never to take away their minds from trials and temptations. When we are tempted, tried, and come out of the problems, we will understand, first, how defendable God is to us. Secondly, we will get the awareness of how to resist same trials at another time. If we do not face trials, we might not know the powers in the word of God as that which “fails not”. A young Pastor was driving to Jos in Nigeria. At a point, his car vied off the road and fell into a ditch of 300 meters above sea level. The vehicle tumbled over six times before resting down the pit. He came out without a scratch. He would say later that the accident made him understand why God said “if you pass through the fire, I will be with you… (Isa. 43:2).
Another illustration is that of a young girl who switched from the family’s Orthodox Church into tongue-speaking church. Her father subjected her to all sort of inhumane punishments for her to turn back. She endured it all in faith. Time came when her mother was struck by mysterious sickness that defiled all treatments. Death came knocking. Everybody became frightened. One afternoon, the girl was provoked and entered into dangerous prayers, praying in tongues which the father told her never to try it in the house. She fearlessly continued. Suddenly the mother stood up, called for food. She ate, went and bath and was instantly healed. The event made the father to grant freedom of going churches of the choice of the children in the house. This girl had a different understanding of the powers of violent prayers from that day. God who gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak (Isa. 40: 29); gave this girl strength to hold on till she won freedom for her siblings.
A lady who left her traditional religion and embraced Christianity was taken to a bush by her brothers to kill after several months of public torturing. Getting to the designated place of killing her, she told the brothers to allow her say her last prayers. She finished the prayers waiting to feel the sharp edge of the knife on her neck. After a long wait, she looked up to see the brother’s hand hooked in the air. God come to intervene. The other brothers were gripped with fear. She then commanded the brothers to drive her to a Police Station. The hand of the brother hooked up till they got to the Police Station. In the presence of the Police she commanded the hand to drop, and it did. This incident increased the lady’s faith in God and made some of the family members to embrace Christianity. The beloved, that trial you are crying about might be God’s plan to bring more souls to Christ.
PRAYER:
HOLY FATHER, grant me resilience that will equip me with faith to endure trials all through my Christian life on the earth in Jesus name.
bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch
