Our Trials Strengthen Us by Nina Keegan

Our Struggles serve a purpose 

There was a scientific study done concerning a monarch butterfly...

As the butterfly was struggling to emerge from its cocoon, the observer felt compassion and decided to help it along… He used an instrument to help Cut the butterfly loose from its struggle and from its cocoon.

The butterfly emerged so beautiful and brilliant in it's wing coloring.. seeming so effortlessly capable..

Then shortly after the butterfly tried to fly, it just couldn't seem to get started.. it began stumbling and trying vigorously to flap its wings..

Then, it eventually became exhausted in its efforts and died. Later, the scientist would learn that in the struggle to get out of the cocoon a slime is wiped off and cleansed  from the butterflies' wings.. this slime HAS to be removed in order for the monarch to fly. But because the scientist had helped it emerge from the cocoon, the slime remained weighing down its wings and the beautiful butterfly could not fly.. it could not survive.

Friends…STRUGGLES ARE GOOD FOR US!

James 1:2-5King James Version (KJV)

2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Our struggles on their own do not move the hand of God but they move us to seek Him, they change us and then we seek God for change.. thats when God moves.. through our struggles we pray.. we become relentless and we are wholeheartedly seeking relief, action, deliverance, healing.. when we are broken in the presence of God.., we are simultaneously becoming strong because we are being stretched in our faith and strengthened in our knowledge of who God is to us… A recognition of God our Father, the ultimate GREAT I AM  begins to resonate in our very being. We become delivered into the perfect harmony of God's divine plan ...that's when He can work with us, that's when he can mold us and shape us in a way he couldn't do before our trial began.

Our trials are always beneficial to us, through our struggles we will learn of God's compassion, his mercy and his grace! He is ready and waiting to communicate with us and to help us but we first must seek him, and if you're like me, a whole lot of seeking goes on in the trial! God is God and we are not and knowing what I know now, I would never change a thing about the trials I've been through in my life… I am grateful beyond measure for the ability to witness the closeness of God on a whole new level in my life. Yes, our trials serve a mighty purpose! All glory to God!

There's nothing like coming into the presence of God and when we have nowhere to look but up, that's when he can use it all.   Nothing is ever wasted that draws us closer to God .He can use us and all of our brokenness to glorify Him!  In our brokenness He responds, in our pain, He binds our wounds!

Our struggles make us move, they make us step out of the boat into the storm and contend for our victory, our Bible becomes our arsenal as God dictates his plan, his love, and he plants the seeds of victory… Right there in the middle of the torrential down pour! 

We look to Jesus and his finished work on the cross for the price has already been paid for our struggle... now it's time to learn that for ourselves. This brings us a deep compassion for others going through similar things and allows us to be used by God to help others because we have seen personally how intensely close He is to the brokenhearted.

We can see that through the struggle God is always there, He never leaves us or for sake's us.. but He guides us through it and we become stronger and more equipped for the world.

There is a novel by Charles Dickens that it is called 'A  Tale of Two Cities'

In the book it says it was the best of times and it was the worst of times...

That's how I see trials..

They are so bittersweet, they can be some of the worst times of our lives and yet the best at the same time… Because the glory of God and his nearness to us during our times of deep hurt and pain, is something I would never trade. It sets the foundation and a precedent for an expectation of God's response to us his children when we are in need.

Because we are in the world we will have trouble but the Bible says to take heart Jesus has overcome the world and when we have overcome the trial through the blood of Jesus we will know that He is always faithful and the next time a trial pops up in our lives, and it most assuredly will, we will expect our faithful God to move in the exact same way because our God is unchanging and He loves us with an everlasting love!

Your trial is temporary but your struggle is real… Let it make you stronger in the one whom holds your future in His victorious palms!! All glory to God! 

God bless you all!