Tested By Fire!
The blessing of Trial.
For Reading and Meditation:
Mark 9:43-50
Notable Verse: Mark 9:49 - “For everyone will be seasoned with fire and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.”
One thing you can be sure about: things go wrong. That is true for everyone, regardless of faith, position or culture.
Yet as Christians we have two distinct differences from other people.
Firstly, more will go wrong. “What? Surely as believers we can expect God to bless us!” I hear the cries.
But think on it. The most powerful angel, with a host of minions, is literally hell-bent on giving us a hard time. Christ said: “If they have persecuted Me, they will persecute you.” We can expect both spiritual attack from the devil, and physical attack from men.
Ok, that’s not particularly good news, one may think. But then there’s the other distinct difference: God has equipped us to face those trials, and will use the trials for His glory and our good.
Mark 9:43-50 gives an idea what these trials do: they root down and root out those aspects of our personality that do not glorify God. The “fire” purifies us.
Paul writes in Romans that we can actually “glory in tribulation”. (Rom 5:3). Trial develops our perseverance, character, and brings about a Christian hope. As each trial comes, is overcome, and passes, we become just a little more like Christ, a little more prepared for the next trial.
And note this! There is no trial, no hardship, no pain, that is not 100% necessary. God is not a malicious inflictor of pain. Every trial that He allow us to face is “needful”. (1 Peter 1:6).
God doesn’t get His kicks out of sending hardship our way, but when He does allow trial to come, you can be sure that there is a good and loving purpose.
