Barbara Brabec’s
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Personal Musings about Life

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October 2024

How God Tests Us to Prove Our Faith

Why does God keep testing our faith? Why does He allow tribulations in our lives that cause us to suffer? As we grow as Christians, we begin to see the lessons God taught us when we were in the valleys of life.

A friend who told me she felt God had tested her faith several times said, “Sometimes I get tired and discouraged. I keep reminding myself that God never gives us more than we can handle, but I wonder why He keeps testing how much that is?”

Good question! We rarely understand why life is so difficult at times, or why certain things happen—or don’t happen—but once we break through to the other side and view the situation from a different angle, we might begin to see that God has taught us some valuable lessons in the process. Time after time, He runs us through the fire, so to speak, to test our faith and strengthen us for some new challenge that awaits us.

This verse in Romans 5:3-5 reminds us that “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Pastor Greg Laurie put it this way in one of his sermons: 

“God allows tribulations in our life because He’s trying to squeeze the best out of us. Just as we get through one trial successfully, God tightens the vice, and once more we are tested. You don’t get oil from an olive or juice from a grape without squeezing, and that’s what God is doing in our lives. Take comfort in the fact that your life is a constant challenge, for it means God has His eyes on you!”

To Grow in Faith,
We Must Be Refined

One can accept Christ and become a Christian in a moment, but to grow in faith, we must constantly “be refined,” and we learn best when we’re going through difficult times. You may not want to hear this, but God will keep testing your faith throughout your life. I liken it to the making of a fine sword which must first be put into the fire to make it malleable. Then, using a hammer and an anvil, the blacksmith beats it relentlessly and keeps sticking it in and out of the fire as he gradually sharpens, refines, and finishes it.

As for the trials you have suffered or may yet go through, “These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:7).

“I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering” (Isaiah 48:10).

Pastor John MacArthur reminds us “There is no such thing as meaningless suffering. The Lord is always refining us, always sharpening us for the building of His church.”

David Jeremiah’s Latest Test of Faith

Dr. Jeremiah had another big test of faith in September of 2023 when he woke up one morning unable to get out of bed or move anything on his right side. His leg was dead. He soon learned at the hospital that he had a rare disease—an infection of the sheath that goes around the spine. He joked a bit when he said it had a short on-ramp and a very long off-ramp.

Of course, he published a book about what he learned during this latest trial, which caused plenty of suffering. In speaking about that book, Keep the Faith, Dr. Jeremiah emphasized that we must be crushed to be used by God. “Adversity in your life may mean that God is up to something. Disruptive moments are often Divine appointments.”

He was in the hospital for a month with many tests and MRIs before starting physical therapy to learn how to walk again. Vowing not to let his physical condition control his life, he was still doing PT in July of 2024 and getting back to preaching. But he joked that he had to sit on a stool that almost made it look like he was standing.

To hear him speak about how he got through this latest disruption to his life and what he learned during this journey, watch his inspiring “NEW Keep The Faith Interview,” in which he says, “I’ve learned how important it is to learn how to live each day unto itself and not to worry about what’s going to happen next.”

In Summary

The more we are tested, the stronger in spirit we become, and the more dependent we become on God to take care of us. Which is precisely what He wants us to do.

Whether you’re still in God’s waiting room or out of it after a long wait, brace yourself for your next appointment with the LORD, because He won’t be through with any of us until He calls us home. As Oliver North once said in a TV interview, “God doesn’t promise a smooth passage—just a safe arrival.”

Recommended Articles:

• Trials: God’s Refining Process. As we trust God to use our pain to purify our hearts, our character will come forth as gold.

• Why Does God Test Us? A discussion of James 1:3 and 1Peter 1:7.

MUSINGS posts are published on the first of each month and announced in the monthly email edition of The Brabec Bulletin. (Subscribe here.)

Your subscription includes my mid-month TIDBITS Bulletin—short takes on things I've found noteworthy, with links for more information if I've piqued your curiosity. Note that TIDBITS bulletins are not archived, but to sample earlier archived issues of the Brabec Bulletin, see below. Selected MUSINGS posts are archived here and identified as such in the Table of Contents. Comments to this post are invited and emails are always welcomed and answered as soon as possible.

Visit the HOME page for Timely Quotes and links to Featured Articles of the month. Thanks for linking others to Barbara Brabec’s World.

Last Twelve Brabec Bulletins

~ Published in 2024 ~

October 7, 2024: Exploring Your Special Interests and Creativity: How to stimulate your subconscious mind * Things you may be collecting and their worth * Inspiration for inventing a new gizmo or gadget & How to be more creative.

September 5, 2024: The Real ID Card and Healthcare Cyberattacks. What you may not know about the Real ID card—which will soon be a national tracking system—and how cyberattacks against the healthcare system are affecting hospitals, doctors, and consumers.

August 5, 2024: Food, Glorious Food! A Collection of Food Tidbits, including a recipe for “Goopenpucky” and a shot of humor.

July 8, 2024: The Benefits and Power of Journaling. How journaling changed my relationship with my kid sister, based on an idea you might want to try. Plus inspiring articles to help you journal with purpose. 

June 5, 2024: Good-to-Know Medical Information. Barbara shares her research and experience with The Short Life of Medical Records, Breast Cancer Signs, Symptoms, and Exams, and Perspective on Knee Joint Replacements, with something to laugh about at the end.

May 6, 2024: COVID Hasn’t Ended—Help Yourself by Staying Informed. This issue features a timely COVID-19 Quick Reference Guide, New COVID-19 Variants and Strains, and Barbara’s Study of Five Bad Colds

April 4, 2024: Understanding Copyrights and Public Domain Works. Why thousands of copyrighted works fall into the public domain every year and how this may affect your creative output.

March 5, 2024: The Time-Honored Tradition of Saving and Sharing Recipes. Adapted from one of Barbara's unfinished books titled Stories in My Recipe Box: Kitchen Tales, Cooking Tips, and Old Family Recipes.

February 6, 2024: Are You Getting Enough Sleep? Good sleep is more important than you may realize. Here’s how to get all you need, with special tips and resources for insomniacs.

January 19, 2024:  What are Your Plans for the New Year? Are you where you want to be in life? Or do you feel you need to get your act together this year?

~ Published in 2023 ~

December 7, 2023: Are You a Workaholic Heading for Burnout? What Barbara missed the summer she let the demon on her shoulder convince her that her work was so important she couldn't take time to enjoy life.

November 10, 2023: My Last Garage Sale Experience. Amusing stories and surprises, what sold and what didn't, disposition of unsold goods, and reasons to be thankful.

Copyright © 2024 by Barbara Brabec. All Rights Reserved.