Through the Fire

There are two key reasons why you should go through the trials. The first is for growth. You may sometimes wonder how any person can be happy when faced with diverse trials. It could be a terminal illness, unpaid debts, loss of money, jobs or a spouse etc. Nevertheless, the book of James reminds us to be joyful when these situations arise. Why? Because trials are a means to an end (see verse four). Trials build trust in your relationship with God, knowing that He loves you and is working out the best end to that trial. 

The second is that God has made you fireproof and waterproof! So what are you afraid of? In Isaiah 43:2 God says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” (NLT) 

The fire of trials is to refine and burn away every impurity that has held you bound. Look at the three young Hebrew boys who were thrown into the furnace. First, the fire did not burn them. Instead, the only things that were melted in the fire were the ropes that held them bound. Second, Christ was in the fire with them (Daniel 3:25). This episode is an analogy to the verse in Isaiah and to let you know that no trial is enough to sink you. Rather you are to sink every trial through the power of Christ in you. 

Today, welcome every trial with joy, knowing that God is refining and making you perfectly complete and lacking nothing. Be joyful because God allows trials to mould you into all that He wants you to be.