Why Does God Allow Trials in the Life of the Believer?: Providing Comfort to Others

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God, to find out how to know God personally go to know God.org K NOW know God.org would you do me a favor sure this message was someone who needs to hear it so so so we can convert other third trouble will be able to give them the same comfort when trials fall Greg Maurice's receive the comfort of God when they pass it on to others. You comfort you have been comforted with perhaps the hardships of the day preparing you greater opportunities tomorrow or something.

So more than save it on remember doing what today's insiders were passing out in more than a whisper today. Pastor Greg Laurie points out that God sees our trials.

God reaches out to comfort us in our trials that he wants us to reach out with that same comfort to someone else was about how we can be the hands and feet of God like your long vision.

All right. Well, you're in the book of James said chapter 1. The title of my messages. Why does God allow trials on the life of the believer. This is from our series. What every growing Christian needs to know. Let's pray together.

Father tonight. We don't want to just get information we want to find hope, especially for those that are here and those of your listening and watching who are feeling rather hopeless or feeling quite despondent. They feel like they're just in a black hole. They don't know how to get out of it. They don't know why certain events are happening in the life it makes no sense Lord as we go to Scripture.

Help us to get clarity.

Help us to get perspective and help us to be reminded that you are in control of our lives that we don't have to be afraid you of your purposes and you have your reasons for trials in our life as we will discover in this message. So speak to us as we open your word. We ask this now in Jesus name I met no why does God allow Christians to go through trials and testings. I mean it happens to all of his things are going along wonderfully and suddenly without warning or so would see one problem after another comes tumbling into our life. Things are looking bleak and then the cloud just sort apart and the sun shines again and everything is better. Why do we go to those hard time. Why do we go through those emotional lows. Why do we go to those days of difficulty. Why do these things happen to us. That's all you look at now.

James chapter 1 organ reverses 2 to 4, my brother's rights. James counted all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the test of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work in you that you may be mature.

Lacking nothing. God allows trials in our lives, so we will grow up spiritually. Let me read on from a more modern translation was on the desk with all kinds of trials and temptations crowd of your lives.

My brothers don't treat them as intruders friend 11 translation don't treat them as intruders but friends realize they come to test your faith in the produce in you a quality of endurance. Let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed and you'll find you become men and women of mature character men and women of integrity with no weak spots. The testing of your faith will produce perseverance or steadfastness or staying power. Even another translation translates it as heroic endurance like that translation. Another translation spiritual toughness so that the testing of your faith produces spiritual toughness, heroic endurance staying power.

God wants iron to enter your soul is number two God allows trials in our lives. And that's true, but human things look bleak all things work together for your good in God's glory. Again, even when things look bleak all things work together for God's glory and your good and sometimes something will happen. You think this is the worst thing that can happen then as time passes suddenly look back and actually that was a good thing.

Actually, the Lord used that to make a very needed change in my life.

All things can work together for good. Again we love that verse Romans 828 all things work together for good to those who what love God.

Another called according to his purpose and that brings me to my next point .3 God's ultimate purpose for us in trials and really a life is to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ.

We say that again God's ultimate purpose for us through trials and really in life is to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ. In his usual method for this is heavenly pressure wide to produce a family like this.

Yes, we love Romans 828. But we forget that after that is Romans 829 and those two verses together get the big picture again. Romans 828 we know that all things work together for good to those that love God, another called according to his purpose. Verse 29 for whom he foreknew he also did predestined that they might be conformed into the image of his own dear son, God's long-term goal for you is to become like Jesus.

So there are things we go through in life and it's bad they stay bad and are always bad, right they never are good tragedies that wasn't good. Now maybe good came out of but it never becomes a good thing but we got doesn't say a bad thing. Always will become a good thing it said so because all things to work together for good. But here's the bigger picture. Some of the things that God is doing in your life are not to be discovered until we get to have you realize that all those things were designed to make you more like Jesus. So some benefits of trials. We will see in this life and other benefits of trials will not be seen until the after life.

Just know this God is at work. Point number four. Suffering can bring glory to God.

Suffering can bring glory to God. God can be glorified through just intervening to do numeric on me. Maybe your second and you go to the doctor. They say you have cancer and there's nothing we can do and you might as will get your affairs in order, because you may only have a few months to live. And then you go to church and you say I need prayer.

The Bible says that there's any sick among you call for the elders of the church you will lay hands on that person pray for them and anoint them with oil. The effectual fervent prayer of an evangelist will accomplish much. You know, and so you going to get prayer and then you going to get rejected and suddenly the test revealed the cancer is gone and the doctors Figured out what happened America call God still does things like that today we hear stories like this all the time he intervenes.

He does the miracle he provides that sum of money that is needed. He comes through in some amazing way.

~Sometimes God is glorified by removing the problem in resolving the situation how many of you had looked like an insurmountable problem that was overruled by God. He interviewed a piece about most of you, that's fantastic.

Thank God.

When that happens, then there are times when God will be glorified not by the removal of the problem but by leaving it there and having you worship him just the same event. A powerful testimony. That's what happened to Paul and Silas were thrown into a prison for preaching the gospel in the Bible says. At midnight they began to sing praises to God and the other prisoners were listening, I don't think that ever heard singing in a hellhole like that before Paul and Silas were able to give God glory. At midnight 10 then of course you remember that they been treated so badly by that Roman jailer to whip them had a hard heart. But then the earthquake came a miracle happened.

All the prisoners could have run free if they wanted to and that Janet was about to kill himself because he knew if he lost his prisoners. He would be executed by Roman Paul said don't harm yourself role here that jailer said, Sirs, tell me what must I do to be saved is see their testimony on him over because they give God the glory. Not after the earthquake, but before and that's the time to give God the glory. So let's say you're the person to get the. The unfortunate diagnosis, you're the person that has a tragedy before you.

You're the person that here's the bad news is while give God the glory when he fixes it, no, no, you give God the glory. Now right now you because he still in control is gonna work it ultimately together for his glory in your good is going to make you more like Jesus. Okay so you got your problems and unwanted diminish what you're going through because you failed to my poems or the bed with her stool problems Greg okay give me that it problems the problem of trials at trial. Whatever this big small somewhere in the middle okay but now here's the question. Can you somehow give glory to God to that. Can you find a way to remember that God is still in control of your life and he's gonna work it out for his glory in your good ultimately can you use it as an opportunity to proclaim Christ to others and sometimes he will remove the affliction, sometimes so be glorified in you master Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment.

It's a blessing we hear the people are listening to Pastor Greg's messages on the radio.

Pastor Greg I listen to a new beginning every morning on KPT radio in Portland, Oregon.

It's a wonderful way to start my day.

Thank you for sending me your Christmas card last year with the pictures of your family. It's a good reminder to pray for you and your family.

God bless you. Are you being impacted by the teaching hereunder new beginning. If so, why not drop Pastor Greg an email and let them know. Send it to great@harvest.org doing today what you're thinking about. Again, that's great@harvest.org Pastor Greg continues now with his message called why does God allow trials in the life of the believer number five. And lastly, trials and suffering can be used by God to prepare us for a special tax trials suffering can be used by God to prepare us for a special task. God's getting you ready for something God can use these experiences of life to transform us. You know it when you've gone through something and survived it. You can be a great comfort to someone else was going through it and when the Lord called our son Christopher home to heaven.

I reached out immediately to people who had lost children and I knew if you one of those people was John Corson, Pastor friend for years and can I just said John help me and you know I'm not some big concert with all the answers.

I'm a father who lost his son and I'm in pain like any other father would be and you know John was such a comfort. I think just to see someone that survive such a thing functioning is brings a measure of hope. So when you've gone through something you think why did God allow me to go for this answer may be what we don't know but I know this you can sure bring a lot of hope to somebody else that's going through it because when a crisis it you when that doctor says you have cancer when when the loved one dies and looks like your world just ended.

Have someone say to get through this because I've come to the same thing and let me share with you what the Lord is shown me to you. Have a message like nobody else has.

So you don't ever want to waste your pain.

God allowed it. Now God wants to use it over in second Corinthians 1 office. He comforts us in all of our troubles.

Listen to this. He comforts us in all of our troubles, wife so we can comfort others when their trouble will be able to give them the same comfort God is given us. We can be sure the more we suffer for Christ the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ to you comfort with the comfort that you have been comforted with so perhaps the hardships of today are preparing you for greater opportunities tomorrow. You might cement on the stuff this message is like so depressing when you have to talk about things like this didn't you tell us something that it's more positive.

I got to the kind of positive to think that God can take the worst things and work to real life stimuli can handle suffering at all. In fact, I don't do suffering well then you're not going to do life or you can live in a state of basic denial listen. Denial is not just a river in Egypt. Okay, reality is hardship is going to come your way.

It's not a matter of if it's a matter of what trials are going to come that some of you are young you think live in faith. And yet, that's because you're young but you will some of your older news that I've used quite a few already. In fact I'm in one right now. Take here's what we need to remember so we don't get freaked out when we hear about hardship in the lives of others. God gives you what you need when you need it. God gives you what you need when you need it, not necessarily before. Listen, but never after, not necessarily before, but never after. He will give you the strength he will give you the words he will give you the power to do what you need to do when you need to do it. So don't panic God's in control is gonna work it out for his good he'll give you what you need when you need now. Final thoughts everything I've said is for only a follower of Jesus. You're not a Christian. You're listening to this message. Actually, this doesn't really apply to you.

Romans 828 again all things work together for good to those who love God and all the called according to his purpose for the meta-womanhood of the love God or doesn't believe in God or doesn't want God all things are not working together for good. Let me take it a step further. All things are, working together that because not only is your own life that I have troubles every life does in the rain falls on the just and the unjust. The Bible says everyone is getting out calamity. Everyone is going to face hardship everyone to lose love once the Christian can hang on to God, knowing that the Lord is in control will accomplishes purposes, but the non-Christian.

There is nothing there. There's no person that can fix it. There's no there's no way to resolve it and that is why you need Jesus. Listen to this. Sometimes God allows hardship in our life. Wake us up to our spiritual need. The psalmist said before I was afflicted I went astray.

But now I have kept your word and maybe something this happened you recently.

It is been like your wake up call a close brush with death yourself.

Maybe someone close to you guider or maybe something dramatic And your wife, your husband walked out and you are Starbucks close before you got there. I don't know I'm joking about that. Of course, but here's the thing, whatever is happened. Maybe it's got you to start looking up same. Maybe I need God. Maybe you need to start thinking about my life spiritually, yet that's what you should be doing.

You need to think about Kim and how much he loves you and how you can run to him just phenomenal little child falls and hurts himself. One of the deep they run to their parents get specific, they run the mommy and daddy's around, though, except that they really want mommy right and mom takes a little one in your arms and hugs them and kisses them in reassures him and maybe kisses their hand or wherever they were hurt or whatever it was that their knee and tells him it'll be all right will listen.

We fall were hurting, you can run into the arms of your father which is ready to receive you and will receive civil what if I've been a mess of my life and all these things are happening to me because I made wrong decisions. What God still receiving.

He would receive if they let me help you. First of all let's get you right with me first to forgive you of your sin and I will start changing you from the inside and you can go back to what looks like a tangled mess.

I could never be resolved, and you watch what God I don't know what's teacher life is in right now but I know what the answer to your problems are. It's not admitted to who it's Jesus Christ you need to come to him still throw his arms around you will forgive you but you must take God I'm sorry for my sin, you must turn from it you must put your faith in him and him alone and he will help you Jesus showed us how much he loved us when he went to the cross. 2000 years ago and died there in our place in spilled his own blood so we can have our sin forgiven and come into a right relationship with God. If you don't know God in a personal way of Jesus is not living inside of you.

You don't have the assurance that you will go to heaven when you die you feel as though you're all alone in life. Listen, you can come to Christ right now.

Something to pray and I want to give you an opportunity to ask Christ to come in your life if you need do that and there might be some that will you're a believer but you been running from God. In this brought a lot of added drama into your life. It's for a lot of problems you didn't have, and you wouldn't have had otherwise. But you counted brought this on yourself, your reprint what you so maybe you need to come back to the Lord cycled Jonah. You know, he was told that will preach to Nineveh he said no what the opposite direction of the storm K. Maybe you're running from God in the stormers, remember that the Lord was there for him even in the storm will be there for you so you need to come to Christ to come back to him. Here's an opportunity to do it. As we close in prayer. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for your love. Thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross in our place and then to rise again from the dead. Now, Lord Jesus. We pray that you will speak to hearts here help people know that there is forgiveness but there's a second chance in life no matter what they've done wrong that you will accept them and forgive them.

Help them to come to right now we pray, Jesus prayer Pastor Greg Laurie and if you'd like to make a change in your relationship with the Lord today. Pastor Greg will help you before today's addition of a new beginning.

Concludes now the title of today's presentation is why does God allow trials in the life of the believer. For an instant replay. Look for that title. When you go online to harvest.org again go to harvest.org or for a CD copy. Call 1-800-821-3300.

We can take your call anytime around-the-clock 1-800-821-3300 gastric everybody in here in studio with my friend Darrell strawberry know most of you have heard of Darrell and he's obviously a great athlete, a well-known celebrity.

What I love about Darrell is he takes a platform that God is given Kim to share the gospel and I've seen Darrell in action. So Darrell, thank you for just being who you are and thank you for writing this brand-new book, turn your season around, you know, one of the things you talk about in this book. As you talk about how we have seasons in light. The Bible says to everything there is a season, and Ecclesiastes.

You see, there seasons of submarines heartache and despair that can serve as God's batting cage for teaching you how to persevere and endure and wait for his healing and deliverance so you know little bit about batting cages tell us how that works and maybe there's someone listening right now who is in this season of suffering, or a season of difficulty or some other challenge. So tell us about what it's like to be in God's batting cage. Well it is a really good place when you finally get to God's batting cage, there are different seasons of life that we all go through even you in the storm, a storm on the way are you coming out of the store and then as part of life. It is probably like just baseball you play baseball you go through a season and you have a high at the beginning the first month, then you have a telehealth in the middle and then you pick it up at the end of the year and you finish up strongly depends on how your first and the reason for turn your season around was a lot of media used to write about me having first half of the season. The first two games are probably just had a subpar season your for so far, but they forgot that I have a second half of the season and that's just the way it is with God you know in your life you know is is having a second half for your season where you can have the first tough six months and then you have another six months ago and got to turn things around.

Within those next six months. If you don't give up if you don't print this aside baseball you know and the reason I use this book so much like baseball trying to season around nine image nine chapters.

This is because you don't have to struggle you got house valleys you have some difficult road to get through and those that end up excelling at the highest level they persevere they don't quit.

Nicotine the going to continue to pursue and uses a new MS what is the same God.

You have to continue to pursue a forgot even though it's been a hard time even like this pandemic has been a hard time grasping what it do what I just saturated myself again with God. He got closer to God in the middle pandemic to keep me keep me healthy. You got to stay home before God, and I think that's the best. The real key for a lot of people to see what what else did you do us surrender myself every day and what I do I get up and I worship God, and I think God is recycler base for what I do every day. I had participated dorsum new every day when I was in the struggle had brought out to the batting cage. I didn't hit on the ball field and I would just talk to me I would hit the ball away coffee over and over and over my hitting coach would make me do it just that one place until actually getting hit once I got a hit boom I would take off.

I'll be back in another group is the same way with your walk with God, that's so true. You know, the apostle Paul seemed to be a bit of a sports fan to Darrell because he uses sports analogies all the time talked about running arrays wrestling in their spiritual battle that were in and he said you know that we were running a race. You need to put your eyes on Jesus, and cast out the excess weight and persevere through it so folks appear going through a storm right now then you need to get a copy of Darrell strawberry's new book, turn your season around how God transforms your life and would be happy to send this to you for your gift of any size. They help us continue to teach the word of God and proclaim the gospel. So again, get your copy of turn your season around from Darrell strawberry and we won't be mentioning this much longer. So writer set a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org will pressure you talk today about the importance of coming to the Lord, or coming back to the Lord. And yes, no, Dr. somebody listening who like to do that. Okay.

Can you help them take that next step.

Yes, I would be delighted to you that want to make this commitment or recommitment to Christ.

I want you to pray right now and if you mean this prayer from your heart. God will hear you. The Bible says draw near to God and he'll draw near to you. And that's a step you be taking now pray this after me God. I know that I'm a sinner and I'm sorry for my sin but I thank you for sending Jesus Christ your son to die on the cross in my place though I turn from my sin and I choose to follow you this day forward as your disciple.

Thank you for accepting me. Thank you for forgiving me in Jesus name I pray, amen. If you prayed that prayer and minute from your heart.

God is hurt you and he is forgiven you.

We have some materials that we would like to send to you at no charge that will encourage you in this commitment you've made to Jesus Christ. Yeah, that's right, the materials are all assembled and what we call our new believers growth packet will be glad to send it to you if you get in touch with us right away.

It's free of charge. Just write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's a 24 seven phone number 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click your words know God Pastor Greg continues his series.

What every growing Christian needs to know helpful study on avoiding temptation see even Jesus was tempted.

It's how we respond makes all the difference. More next time you beginning possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor great free daily email, devotions@harvest.org