“Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” Hebrews 10:36 NLT
Dear Friend, are you facing a trial? Let’s be honest, if you are not facing a trial now you will be soon. That is the nature of human life. But somehow, trials seem to catch us off guard, don’t they? Why don’t we expect and prepare for them? Perhaps we don’t expect them because once they are over, they can be summed up in a sentence and filed away.
Consider this scripture:
“After two years went by in this way, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And because Felix wanted to gain favor with the Jewish people, he left Paul in prison.” Acts of the Apostles 24:27 NLT
I’ve read that passage before, but this time “two years” caught my attention. Two years summed up in a sentence. What were those years like for Paul? No true freedom, but his needs were taken care of by his friends. At least the ones willing to acknowledge him and visit.
How did he feel knowing that the only reason he was kept in prison was to please the Jews who still wanted him dead? What did he pray for as he slept on the cold floor of the dark prison amongst who-knows-what kind of vermin and insects? How many times did he share the Gospel and with whom?
After two years Paul was not released but sent to Rome by his appeal for Caesar to decide his case. The trial didn’t end, it just took a different shape. Paul was a pro at expecting and walking through trials. He understood that when he finally saw Jesus face-to-face, they would be summed up in a sentence and forgotten.
I don’t know if I have gotten any better at expecting trials, but I have gotten better at going through them. Here’s how.
Remember this will all be summed up in a sentence soon. We lived in a downstairs room in my parents' house with two toddlers for three years. There. One sentence to describe a time that seemed to go on forever when I struggled and cried and learned so much about God and myself. What you are going through now will be summed up in a sentence someday. What are you learning?
What you are learning now will serve you in the future. My most difficult seasons, like those three years at my parents’, are often the times when I learn the most about God and who I am in Him. I have weathered storms that overwhelmed me, like breaking both wrists in a fall on Mother’s Day.
As difficult as those seasons were, I wouldn’t change a thing. I have learned to find strength and peace in God rather than anything else. I wouldn’t know what I know or be who I have become without them. He has come through without fail and I have learned to focus on what is most important.
The hard times clarify what matters most. “Survival Mode.” That’s what I call the strategy for getting through the hardest times. When life is so difficult you aren’t sure how you will get through the day you will tend toward the activities that are most necessary just to survive. Eat. Sleep. Work. Pay the bills. Be with the people you love who love you.
“Survival Mode” became necessary when I broke my wrists. I had to determine what I needed most. Did I need to carry my purse and all the “just in case” things I keep in it, like a small umbrella? Ummm…no! Did I need to go through my normal hair and makeup routine? No….and by the way, I couldn’t even open the products I use or hold a hairdryer. Survival mode causes me to evaluate and adjust my thinking and my actions. In the broken wrists season, I used a belt bag to carry my phone and a few necessary items. I got a haircut that fit with the wash-and-wear routine I needed while my wrists were healing.
Now that my wrists are functional again, I’ve reinstated my regular routines, but I did buy a smaller purse. How often do I need an umbrella anyway?
Dear Friend, it may seem like what you are going through will never end, but it will. Hang in there! It will be summed up in a sentence soon, but what you are learning about yourself, God, and what matters most will stay with you. It will be worth it. I promise.
Key Question: When will this trial end?
A Scripture to Consider: “Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” Hebrews 10:36 NLT
A YES Challenge: Take a few deep breaths in God’s presence. Ask Him to remind you of some past trials that are now summed up in a sentence. What sentence will describe your current trial when it ends?
Prayer: Lord, my past seasons of trouble can now be summed up in a sentence, but at the time they felt like forever. Help me to honor You in the way I walk through my current trials. Help me learn as much as I can about You and myself. Change me, Lord. Help me remember my trials will end, and the Gospel is what matters most. Amen.
