Experiencing God Through Trials

Experiencing God Through Trials

Then Job replied to the Lord :

“I know that you can do all things ; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked , ‘who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’

Surely I spoke of things I did not understand , things too wonderful for me to know .

“You said, ‘listen now and I will speak ; I will question you , and you shall answer me !

My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes .”

Job 42: 1- 6

No man in the Bible has received so much severe trials as Job. He received a series of heavy blows of life involving the loss of his loved ones, livelihood and properties. Finally Job was afflicted physically. Satan afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. In all these trials, Job has remained firm in his faith in the Lord. He even said, “though he slay me. Yet I will hope in him.”

But Job’s anguish is indeed very intense that he wished he had not been born at all. The anguish is indeed tremendous that Job wished his death. These agonies are furtherly intensified by his friend’s false judgements and accusations on him. But God has not remained silent for so long. He brings out a deeper revelation of Himself to Job. After the trials, Job has now an experiential encounter of God who he just used to hear about . Job’s trials have brought him into a face to face encounter with the Great and Awesome God of the Universe. After this encounter, Job will never be the same again. He has met the Almighty face to face. If he did not experience severe trials in life, he will never know and encounter God as intimate as possible. His trials indeed have brought him into an experiential encounter and revelation knowledge of God.

Truly trials could be considered as blessings in life. Let me relate to you the testimony of my longtime friend and high school classmate Mary Ann Molina Besinga who had gone through much trials in her earlier life. She was just in her early twenties when she was diagnosed with life threathening leukemia. Because of this condition, she lost many of the things she held dearly in her life. She lost her beloved boyfriend and her precious job. Inspite of all these sufferings and losses she never rebel against God . She never question God’s sovereignty in her life. Instead she remain in trusting that God will see her through in this ordeal. She consider it as an opportunity to give glory to God. God is good and faithful indeed. After much prayers of Maryann’s loved ones and Christian friends , after two years of intense bout with leukemia, Mary Ann finally received her healing. After this trial, MaryAnn became more intimate with God. MaryAnn has indeed experienced Him in a very intimate way. He is not just a theology, He is real in MaryAnn’s life for He healed her. If MaryAnn had not experience this trial, she would have not known God more intimately. She experienced God through the trials and sufferings. Now she has a revelation knowledge of God not merely head knowledge. Today Mary Ann has her own family and blessed with a Christian publishing business.

There are times in our life that we have to go through sufferings and trials to experience intimacy with God. Only through this way, God will be revealed unto us in a deeper and more intimate way. For Job it has brought him into a revelation of God he had not known before. Through trials and sufferings , we can receive a fresh touch and visitation from God. It is God’s utmost will to bring each of His precious children into a face to face relationship with Him. So the next time trials come our way, let us look at it as opportunities to grow deeper in our knowledge of God.