Remember God's Leading

When you have faced difficult trials have you ever wondered, "Why is this happening to me?"  Life is hard, and like the old Morton salt catchphrase says "When it rains it pours."  The difficulties we face are easily compounded.  The salt slogan originated because moisture in the air has a way of making salt clump together, but Morton salt had magnesium carbonate added so it would still pour freely in damp conditions.  Alas, there is no additive we can bring into our lives to neutralise the pain of a fiery trial.  But we have far more in Jesus Christ who will never leave us or forsake us.  He allows us to go through the fire so He might bring us through further refined for His glory.

An example of this is seen after God delivered the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt.  Being slaves for hundreds of years was tough to be sure, but the decades spent in the desert before entering Canaan were difficult too.  God had a purpose He was accomplishing in unexpected ways, and I suggest the trials God allows into our lives intending to bring us through have good divine purposes as well.  See what God said in Deuteronomy 8:2-3:  "And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. ³ So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD."

At the time of the trial (which may be of long duration) we may not know why God has allowed it or what He intends to accomplish, but in His words to the children of Israel He spelled it out to them.  This is for our benefit, for God nor His good purposes ever change.  He led them for years through the wilderness to:  1) humble them, 2) test them, 3) to reveal what was in their hearts, and 4) to see if they would keep His commands or not.  God already knew what was in the hearts of the stiff-necked people who came from Egypt, but their response to His testing revealed it to all.  He knew they would push back against His commands, but gave them an opportunity to honour Him or go their own way.  God chose to allow His people to:  5) suffer hunger, and 6) fed them with manna from heaven.  The reason God did these things was so they might "...know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD."  God uses difficult circumstances to teach us lessons and truth we don't realise we need to learn.  These trying times are blessings in disguise, for through them God works marvellously in us.

Believer, remember how God has led you - even long before you believed in Him or regarded Him as LORD.  Hasn't He been gracious to provide for us, protect us, and lead us gently?  Hasn't He been gracious to us when we have been stiff-necked and would have preferred to go our own way?  Hasn't He remained faithful though our hearts and minds have been often estranged from Him?  Every day He supplies our daily bread through His Word and sustains us with His presence.  We may not be able to explain why God allows painful trials and seasons in our lives, but remember Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!  Our Good Shepherd leads us gently and will ultimately bring us to His desired end.