THE TRIAL OF YOUR FAITH

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God THROUGH FAITH unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  Wherein ye greatly rejoice THOUGH NOW FOR A SEASON, IF NEED BE, YE ARE IN HEAVINESS THROUGH MANIFOLD TEMPTATIONS: THAT THE TRIAL OF YOUR FAITH, BEING MUCH MORE PRECIOUS THAN OF GOLD THAT PERISHETH, THOUGH IT BE TRIED WITH FIRE, MIGHT BE FOUND UNTO PRAISE AND HONOR AND GLORY AT THE APPEARING OF JESUS CHRIST: Whom having not seen, ye love; in Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” (I Peter 1:3-8).

 

“Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?”  (St. Luke 18:8).

 

The most valuable possession one may have today is not gold or silver or costly gems or real estate or any of the material things that this world regards as precious.  The most valuable thing that we can have is faith - faith in God and in His holy Word.  All things are possible to him that believes.  God has promised us many wonderful things in His Word, but there is nothing that can be ours of all that He has promised us without having the faith to claim it.

 

Many today are being confronted with great temptations and going through fiery trials of their faith and are finding it difficult to understand and to see God’s will in all of it.  They are becoming discouraged with themselves and with those around them and many have lost hope altogether and given up, going back to their old lives and being overcome by the evil one.  Many, instead of finding the “abundant entrance” into the heavenly kingdom, are barely hanging on by a thread.  They have lost confidence in the One who bought them and Who is able to “save to the uttermost” them that put their trust in Him.  Such ones fail to understand that it is God’s will, once we are His, to purify our faith that it be steadfast and unmoving: able to stand up to any trial.  Sometimes it may seem that our faith is non-existent under the pressures that come our way, but as we remain faithful we find that the Lord of course knows best and we are made a little stronger by what we go through.  We find that each trial prepares us for something maybe a little more demanding down the road.

 

We are fast approaching a time of great tribulation that is coming upon the earth to try men’s souls.  It will be a time when, more than ever, we will not be able to afford to be wishy-washy in our faith.  Jesus said that it would be a time of tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time.  Men’s hearts will fail them for fear, and for looking after those things that are coming on the earth.

 

Even today, as people are so rapidly casting off the traditional values and morals that their parents and grandparents believed in, the Christian man or woman is being placed under increasing pressure to conform to a “new moral­ity” by relatives, schools, business associates, government, etc.  Even in my own lifetime, I have seen such changes in people’s values that I never would have dreamed could take place in just a few decades.  Anyone that upholds and practices the commandments and principles of God’s Word and of decency, honesty, and good common sense, is considered old-fashioned and out of touch.  Some even preach that one cannot reach the lost unless they con­form themselves to many of their practices.  Woe to such ones, their faith has already been made shipwreck!

 

I am greatly burdened for our children and our young people who must face this tide of wickedness and perversion in their formative years.  No matter how much we may shield them, yet the spirit of the world is an influence upon their lives that they must learn to overcome.  How important It is for us to lay a solid foundation in their lives through the Word of God, teaching it and enforcing it with all diligence, speaking the truth in love, and chastening as necessary with love and patience.  Above all we must set the example of faith and obedience for our children to see and follow.  After all, if we do not have and exercise faith in God’s Word how will the children learn to trust the Lord?

 

In God’s Word we find the wonderful account of a man whose faith was greatly tried in an hour of deep need.  His name was Jairus.

 

“And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought Him that He would come into his house: for he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and. she lay a dy­ing.” (St. Luke 8:41, 42).

 

That’s just what we do when we have a problem or an urgent need that’s confront­ing us.  We fall down at the Master’s feet and beseech Him to help us in our dis­tress.  This is the beginning of our faith - to take our burdens to Him.  That’s just what Jairus did.  He had heard of Jesus and of His power and he believed the reports that he had been told and that Jesus was the only one that could possibly help his daughter to recover.  So in faith he went to Jesus and besought Him to come help his little girl.  Jesus, in turn, had compassion on him and they started out for Jairus’ house.  When we fall down before the Lord and earnestly beseech Him, He has compassion for us too; and how many times does He give us some direct promise or assurance that He’s heard our plea and will act on our behalf to deal with the situation that’s troubling us?  We are then full of faith and hope that God will act and take care of things.

 

While they were on their way to Jairus’ house there came one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house saying, “Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.” (v. 49).  Can  you imagine how he must have felt?  After being lifted up with such hope that his daughter would be healed, and now she was dead. His only daugh­ter, and now . . . what could Jesus do?  Oh, beloved, that’s just where the enemy of our soul defeats us so many times.  God gives us a promise that He has things under control, and then circumstances shift on us, the problem intensifies, and our hope and our faith are crushed.  Death seems to set in, and it looks like even Jesus can’t help us now.  The trial of your faith!  The fiery trial - meant not to destroy your faith, but to PERFECT it!  It’s one thing to believe God will deliver you FROM the fire, but it’s something else again to believe God will deliver you IN THE FIRE!  Those three Hebrew boys in the book of Daniel knew that God was able to deliver them from the burning fiery furnace, but God did a new thing!  They went into the furnace bound, but they came out LOOSED!  Hallelujah! (Daniel 3:17, 24, 25).

 

God did not leave Jairus out on a limb with nothing to hang onto - oh, no - and neither does He leave us out there.  Let’s back up in our text and see what the Lord did to prepare Jairus for this test.  The Lord has said that when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard a­gainst him to show His dear ones the victory and power that is theirs through Him (Isaiah 59:19).

 

“And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her liv­ing upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, came behind Him, and touched the border of His garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.” (vs. 43, 44).  What faith this woman had in God and in His beloved Son!  For twelve long years, she had suffered with this affliction. She had spent all her money on doc­tors who couldn’t do anything for her.  Now, however, in her simple but pure faith, she believed that if she could just somehow press her way through the throng, and get close enough to Jesus to touch the hem of His garment, she would be healed.  She didn’t even feel that she needed to bother Jesus by stopping Him and requiring some special word, or prayer.  She didn’t need hands laid on her, or oil poured upon her; no, if she could just touch His garment…!   So, she pressed her way in through the crowd and as Jesus passed by near her, she reached out and her hand fell upon His robe.  IMMEDIATELY she was made whole.  Oh, how we need faith like this woman had.  I firmly believe in the laying on of hands, and the anoint­ing of oil in the name of the Lord for the healing of the sick, but I also believe that God is not bound to work only in one set way, but will work according to the faith of His people.  In the book of Acts there is an account that tells of the shadow of Peter passing over a crowd and healing as many as believed.  Paul sent handkerchiefs out that healed the sick.  As our faith reaches out to God, He responds according to our faith.

 

“And Jesus said, Who touched me?  When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng Thee and press Thee, and sayest Thou, Who touched me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: FOR I PERCEIVE THAT VIRTUE IS GONE OUT OF ME.”  (vs. 45, 46).  There must have been scores of people that jostled against Jesus that day as the multitude thronged Him. Doubtless, many reached out to touch Him for some superficial kind of blessing.  But there was one who touched Him that brought Jesus to a standstill.  That one touched Him IN FAITH!  How did He know that?  Because VIRTUE WENT OUT FROM HIM AND INTO THAT INDIVIDUAL!  Praise God! There are so many today that throng Jesus, that call Him Lord, that go to church regularly, and put on an outward show of godliness; but their hearts are far from Him.  They may be willing initially to proclaim Him King of their lives, but once He starts touching those things that they hold dear they are all too ready to turn away and walk no more with Him.  They are looking only for something surface in their relationship with the Lord.  They labor for the meat that perishes instead of that which endures to eternal life.  Some there are that only want to feel a blessing, or shout and dance and speak in tongues, but they don’t really want to be changed into Jesus’ likeness.  To such there is no real hungering and thirsting for His righteousness, but merely His favor on what they are doing.  To the one who reaches out in faith, though, desiring and expecting a change in their condition and in their lives, to one who really TOUCHES the Lord, there is VIRTUE that goes out from Him to that one.  Whatever may be the LACK in our lives, it is Jesus that is our SUPPLY.  It is His virtue flowing into us that makes us righteous.  It is His virtue that makes us holy.  In fact, true wisdom, sanctification, power, and might - all things come as a result of His virtue - His life - flowing into these earthen vessels.  As we reach out and touch the Lord in faith, expecting to receive, we will find that He will stand still for us and work wonders in our life.  This woman had spent all her living on physicians and they could do her no good, but Jesus helped her IMMEDIATELY.  Many today have spent their living giving to the work of some evangelist or healer or religious racketeer and have not been helped by such ones either spiritually or physically.  If they get their eyes off of man and  onto Jesus, however, and begin to follow the Lamb of God, they are going to grow mightily in God and Jesus will meet their every need according to His riches in glory.

 

“And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before Him, she declared unto Him before all the people for what cause she had touched Him, and how she was healed immediately. And He said unto her, Daugh­ter, be of’ good comfort: THY FAITH HATH MADE THEE WHOLE; go in peace.” (vs. 47, 48).  THY FAITH HATH MADE THEE WHOLE!  There could have been no more fitting words spoken in the presence of a man about to go through a great trial of faith than those spoken by Jesus to this woman.  Yes, there was Jairus standing there all this time, taking everything in; maybe wishing that they could be on their way.  After all, he did have an urgent need of his own, and it was right then that the messenger came from his house saying, “Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master”.  Jairus could have given up right then and there, but, it was in God’s plan that he witness the faith of this dear woman that his own faith might be stirred.  It is true that we, too, are compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses that we might run this race with faith and patience.

 

“But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, Fear not: BELIEVE ONLY, and she shall be made whole.” (v. 50).  Jesus knew just what Jairus was feeling and thinking.  He knew just what to say, too.  BELIEVE ONLY!  Nothing difficult - just believe.  Oh, how hard we make it for ourselves so often!  We think sure­ly there is much more to it than that!  That’s too easy!  But oh, what a stumbling block that is for so many.  They spend so much time trying to figure things out that they forget to believe.

 

Several years ago, when my wife and I were starting out to follow the Lord, we went through a trial of our faith that was meant to ground us more solidly in Christ.  We were brought to a point where we could see a need in our lives for greater faith, but we didn’t know exactly how to achieve it.  She had been praying for more faith and I had just read in the Word the story of Peter walking on the water.  We were both very earnest and were hungry for more of God.  That very week, we were in a small service in a home and requested prayer for a need in our lives.  We did not mention specifically what our need was, but left it up to the Lord to move as He would.  As the saints began to pray for us, the Lord showed a vision to one sister that was there.  In the vision she could see my wife and I out on a lake walking on the water and our children were skipping along right behind us!  We were walking effortlessly with no fear or doubting.  Hallelujah!  This sister told us that she believed that God was going to impart unto us a greater faith!  Well, that sister didn’t know how God was dealing with us, but the Lord used her to give us the assurance that He was working in our lives.

 

We, of course, thought that after that everything was going to be hunky-dory but, instead, it seemed like everything got much worse.  At first we could not under­stand, but slowly the Lord made us to see what He was doing.  He allowed us to face many different situations - yes, manifold temptations - that we had no answers for or any idea how to solve, only to show us that we must trust Him for the answers and solutions and learn to walk by faith, and not by sight.  We learned that Peter had all kinds of faith when he jumped over the side of the ship and be­gan to trudge out to Jesus on the water, but when he caught sight of those waves and that wind he cried out, “Lord, save me!”  It is keeping our eyes on Jesus and on His promises that will preserve us through the storms and trials.

 

Through all the trials, we hid within our hearts the precious vision that God had given us as a promise of what He was doing.  God is faithful!  He doesn’t leave us in the dark.  He delights for us to know His will.  The problem is that we have either forgotten altogether or neglected to hear what He has shown us.  Our children sometimes act like they don’t hear what we tell them, when actually they just let it go in one ear and out the other.  Usually when that happens they end up getting in trouble and they do learn to listen a little better afterward realizing mommy and daddy love them and are telling them things for their own good and benefit.  God is no less of a Father - He loves His children and wants them to learn to listen.  Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God!  So let’s be careful to HEAR what God is speaking to us TODAY - it may be what we need to keep us TO­MORROW.  Just like Jairus.  God gave him much to encourage him through his own trial of faith.

 

“And when He came into the house, He suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. And all wept, and bewailed her: but He said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed Him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.” (vs. 51-53).  What a picture of gloom and hopelessness!  But Jesus said, “She is not dead”.  To Him death was not an end, but a blessed means of bringing glory to His Father in heaven.  Dear saints, there is no situation or set of circumstances too difficult for God to handle if we have faith to believe and are willing to make ourselves a living sacrifice to Him.  Though everyone around us seems to give up and doubt - mourning and weeping - yet we can have confidence that our God is not yet through.  Even though some may laugh us to scorn and think us foolish for still believing, let’s be steadfast in our faith in our loving Father.

 

“And He put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and He commanded to give her meat. And her parents were astonished: but He charged them that they should tell no man what was done.”  (vs. 54-56).  Praise God!  What a glorious victory!  What a blessed grace!  All the unbelievers were put out.  They could not partake of the glory of God.  What a testimony belongs to those that continue in faith, though!  Jairus was able to reap the fruit of his faith that day, and what a testimony he and his family had from that day forth!.

 

From the story of Jairus we can glean added faith and courage to face our own fiery trials.  We can also receive understanding of His will and what He wants to do in our lives so that we need not be in despair when we must pass through the valleys.  Let’s be like the woman who reached out to touch Jesus.  Let’s reach out in real faith and allow His virtue to flow into us.  Let’s be like Jairus, standing steadfast, not only in the beginning of our faith, but also during the trials; so that we can also see our faith triumph.  May we each earnestly con­tend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints, and contending let us press our way in.  We will always find God to be a faithful Friend and Savior.

 

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” (I Peter 4:12, 13).

 

"And when He was entered into a ship, His disciples followed Him.  And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but He was asleep.  And His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.  And He saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, 0 ye of little faith?  Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.  But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds obey Him.” (Matthew 8:23-27).