Recently I answered a letter to the Ministry asking the biggie: Why did this happen to me? In this particular case, a grandmother and her pregnant granddaughter were in a horrific car accident because someone ran a red light going 55mph. They survived, including the baby who was delivered prematurely. They have serious injuries, but not life-threatening. They will be okay physically, but there is the nagging premise that this is not supposed to happen to Christians who are obedient and faithfully cover their families in prayer and Scripture—Is it?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to why bad things happen to good people—good Christians who love God and serve Him faithfully. But it is not helpful nor wise to question one’s faith or God’s faithfulness in the midst of traumatic circumstances like this.
I do not say this glibly, as two of my children were in serious car accidents in which they could have been killed. When my son hit a deer on an interstate going 70 mph, demolishing his vehicle, at first I was upset that it happened, because I had been praying Psalm 91 over my family regularly. Then the Lord spoke to my heart: “I did keep my Word to send angels to watch over him. He could have been killed or suffered life-altering injuries.” I quickly realized how foolish I was to be upset with God.
I think the question I had to answer, and perhaps others who are in such a quandary, is why, I as a Christian, thought that such a thing should happen at all. The inference is I didn’t reserve for this to happen to me or my family. On a very personal level, I went through this countless times after I seriously injured my spine, leaving me in constant intractable pain. Subsequent surgery did not help, but increased the pain along with a pervading sense of hopelessness. For years I was obsessed with Why did God allow this to happen to me? After all, I had served God all my life, was baptized in the Holy Spirit at age 7, preached my first sermon at age 9, went on the evangelistic field with my father at age 13, was ordained at age 30, and was active in multi-faceted full-time ministry. Now, my ministry had come to a grinding halt, and I was plunged into a pit of despair. The facts were, my ministry duties suffered a great blow as others struggled to take up the slack. Eventually, they carried on without me. This only added to my despondency.
I finally had to give up on the why questions, because they only added to my suffering. As long as I wallowed in that, I could not go forward. In retrospect, I think that whenever a Christian falls into the Why has this happened to me? syndrome, it is generated from the belief I am a child of God, and I don’t deserve this. But this is tinged with self-righteousness, which is exactly what Job’s problem was.
Job said, “God has multiplied my wounds without cause” (Job 9:17). He reproved God: “You know that I am not wicked” (10:7). “I am clean without transgression; I am innocent” (33:9). “I am righteous, and God has taken away my justice” (34:5). In the end, he humbled his heart before God who spoke out of the whirlwind: “Will you condemn me that you may be righteous?” (40:1-8).
Trials are one of the ways God humbles man.
Moses said to Israel: “The Lord your God led you these 40 years in the wilderness to humble you, and to prove you, to know what was in your heart” (Deut.8:3). We may think we know what’s in our hearts, but this is not always the case. Trials of faith bring it out. And this is not just an Old Testament concept.
When Jesus told Peter that he was going to deny Him three times that night, Peter was adamant: “Though all men be offended because of you, yet will I never be offended! I will not deny you in any wise!” Peter was saying: “They might—but not me!” Jesus said: “Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.” The Greek word for desire means to demand. As in the case of Job, Satan took a personal interest in tempting Peter. God allowed Peter to fail because of his self-boasting (Lk.22:31-34). But Jesus had said, “And when you are converted, go and strengthen your brothers.” He gave him the hope that he would come out, and that he would be able to minister to others through his experience. This is another valid purpose of fiery trials. Paul explained in 1Cor. 1:3-4:
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. Who comforts us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”
Ever wonder why Paul endured so many extensive and severe trials? He clearly stated twice: “Lest I should be [self]-exalted, because of the abundance of revelations given to me.” Whenever a person receives great wisdom from God, he is prone to become “puffed up,” or to “think more highly of himself than he ought.” God allowed Paul to suffer “a thorn in the flesh—a messenger of Satan to buffet him—lest I should be exalted above measure” (2Cor.12:7-10).
God could not allow the great revelations He had given Paul to become besmirched with human pride. He kept pressure on Paul by allowing him to be continually buffeted by the messenger of Satan, which kept him humble and totally dependent on God. It was not just Paul’s ministry and reputation that were at stake—but that the revelations to the Church should not be degraded by self-aggrandizement. As a side benefit, Paul enjoyed a continual resting of God’s power on his life, and this made his sufferings all worth it. Therefore, he said he “gloried” in his thorn, because God’s strength was showcased in his weakness. Paul repeatedly said, “Knowledge puffs up.” A thorn is a good tool for deflating a puffed-up ego!
Jesus Was Not Exempt
“For though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered” (Heb.5:8). Jesus said that in this world you shall have tribulation (John 16:33). Christians are not exempt from trouble. Jesus said that our Father sends rain on the just and the unjust (Mat.5:45). But God never wastes our sufferings. They humble us, teach us obedience, and strengthen our faith: “But the God of all grace, who has called us unto eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you” (1Pet.5:10).
Trials Produce Proof
James’ epistle (1:2-13) deals with trials, showing that they are to perfect us and to prove to us that we can endure with joy: “Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations.” He did not say to enjoy—but count it all joy. This is a bookkeeping term meaning to add it all up and see what it comes to. Because in the final equation, it adds up to bringing joy and ultimately, “a crown of life.” Today, many are teaching that Christians won’t have trials, so when they come, they’re thrown for a loop, and may even become angry with God.
A secondary meaning of count is to reckon. In other words, you make a decision you are going to have joy because you know it is working for your benefit. Notice also that James said when—not if, because it will happen to all. The term fall into means to be caught by surprise—you didn’t see it coming. Often these are the hardest, because we feel like we have been blindsided by God. The Greek word for temptations means to put to the test in order to prove something.
James exhorted: “Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life…” God wants to prove to us that we can endure these trials with joy and receive a blessing in the end. Then, as though reading someone’s mind, he said: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God…. For God tempts no one.” If God allows us to be tempted, He has a blessing and reward in mind. Don’t fall into a snare of accusing God falsely!
“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” The term let does not imply a quick fix. It is submitting to the process that brings progress. Thus, trials produce two things in us: Patience—the divine endowment that enables us to endure and outlast the trial. Proof—the documentation that our faith is genuine, pure, and as precious as gold. God already knows your faith is golden; that’s why He allowed it! Another way to say “knowing this”—Never forget this!
Tending the Pot
Trials by fire are a normal part of a Christian’s refining process, because after you come through the fire, you are ready to go higher. You are ready to be promoted like the three Hebrew boys in Daniel. You can face the fire without distress, knowing it’s part of the promotion process: “For he is like a refiner’s fire…. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness” (Malachi 3:3).
The sons of Levi were the priests and worshipers in the Temple of God. Peter said we are also “a royal priesthood, that we should show forth the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1Pet.2:9). God will also refine us as silver and gold are refined. The refiner sits—He never leaves the refining pot while it is on the fire, in order to keep the temperature perfect until all dross is removed.
A couple was enjoying a vacation in Europe. While shopping in an old town, they visited a quaint shop where handmade jewelry was created by an expert goldsmith. When they entered the shop, they did not see anyone, so they looked around at the lovely items for sale. They decided to purchase an item, but there was no one to wait on them. Finally, they went through the door that led to the back of the shop. They saw an open door to the outside, and there they found the proprietor sitting by a refining pot on the fire. It looked like he was cooking something. He did not acknowledge them, but was intent on tending the pot. They spoke up that they wanted to pay for something, but he kept his eyes on the pot and did not even look at them. Irritated, they said, “Can you please come and wait on us?”
“I can’t leave the pot right now,” he replied. “Why not? What are you doing?”
“I am refining gold. I’m heating it to get all the impurities out of it. It has to stay in the fire at just the right temperature. If it gets too hot, the gold will be destroyed. But if the fire dies down too low, the gold will harden with all the impurities still in it. So I have to sit right here and make sure the temperature stays just right.”
The couple then asked, “How will you know when all the impurities are out, and the gold is ready to be taken out of the fire?” He answered, “It’s ready to be taken out of the fire when I can look at it and see my reflection.” Hmm… I trust you are getting the message of the Holy Spirit.
Peter alluded to this: “Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Christ” (1Peter 1:6-7). It is not that our faith is more precious than gold, though this is true, but the testing of our faith is more precious than the testing of gold! Because if you leave gold in the hottest temperatures, it will turn to liquid and perish, but not our faith! “God is faithful in that he will not allow you to be tested above that which you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1Cor.10:13).
Moreover, we are ready to come out of the fire when we can “greatly rejoice”—praise God and sing while we are still in the fire! Peter said the trying of our faith is only “for a season.” When we come through the fire, you will prove to yourself that your faith is able to endure, and it’s your season to go higher! Even Job said: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him…. And when he has tried me, I shall come forth as pure gold” (Job 13:15, 23:10).
Let me point out, some of us may not get our full promotions “till the appearing of Christ in His glory.” Paul said that we will all stand at the bema seat in Heaven, and our works done on earth will be tried by the fire to see what sort they are—quality—not quantity. The fire will reveal whether they are “wood, stubble, and hay, or silver, gold, and precious stones.” If they are the former, the fire will consume them, and our rewards will be forfeited. If they are the latter, we will receive eternal rewards (1Cor.3:12-15).
In light of this, Peter exhorted: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you” (1Pet.4:12). The Wiseman wrote: “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tries the hearts” (Pro.17:3).
True faith is never destroyed by adversity. It is only strengthened and purified, and when we realize we have no resources of our own to deliver us out of the furnace, it drives us to our knees, and that is where the inner work is done.
Sometimes the pot is hot—but never too hot!
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