Job 5:6-9 (New American Standard Bible), "For affliction does not come from the dust, nor does trouble sprout from the ground, for man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upward.  But as for me, I would seek God, and I would place my cause before God; Who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number."

Man is born for trouble, but as a believer, I place my cause before God.  We are all human, born into a fallen race and a corrupt world.  Tests, temptations and trials of all sorts will befall us throughout our days.  We have looked at trusting God even in the midst of our trials.  We have looked at having an attitude of thanksgiving even in the midst of our trials.  We have looked at analyzing our religious teachings and beliefs even in the midst of our trials.  With all of these things in mind, we can now ask why we are going through our trials.  The difference now is that instead of asking with an attitude of "woe is me", we can ask with an attitude of partnership and anticipation.  We can look forward to refinement and spiritual growth.

We must examine ourselves to see if we have grown to the point that we can agree with Scripture, James 1:2-3, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance."  Remembering that joy is not the same as happiness, can we embrace our trials and rest in the peace that only God can provide?  We can rest in the arms of God if we also agree with Peter, 1 Peter 1:3-7, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,  so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;"

Only with a proper attitude and understanding of our trials can we truly understand their purpose and experience growth through them.  Our prayers should be two-fold with respect to trials.  First that we come before God with humility and a contrite heart, seeking his will.  Second, we need to embrace the trial and seek how we are to respond and grow in faith as we endure.  We can also seek how we are to be a blessing to others throughout the time of testing.

This will be a 4-week Sunday school class: February 8, 15, 22, March 1.

Cornerstone Church of Blaine

• Part 1 -Thy will be done.  Do I truly trust God?
• Part 2 -Having an attitude of thanksgiving.  Can I truly be thankful in ALL things?
• Part 3 -Do my religious teachings apply to real life hardships?
• Part 4 -What is the source of my trials and why must I endure them?

The above lessons can be found online at my web site, www.truthdrivenllc.com .  Follow the forum link to the Spiritual section, Sunday School.

Perseverance - Overview
Perseverance - Part 1 - Trust
Perseverance - Part 2 - Thanksgiving
Perseverance - Part 3 - Religious Teachings
Perseverance - Part 4 - Why

Following is the introduction to the lesson.

Part 4
What is the source of my trials and why must I endure them?
Sunday School, Cornerstone Church of Blaine
March 1, 2009

In Part 1, Trust, we discussed the fundamental importance of trusting God fully. We looked at the questions, "Do I fully trust God?" and "Can I honestly and expectantly pray, Thy will be done?" We discussed what Paul meant when he said, "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." We looked at what was meant by "working out our salvation", which is speaking to our responsibility to walk obediently in the process of our sanctification.

In Part 2, Thanksgiving, we explored a two fold purpose for thanksgiving. First, it will enable us to be better at trusting God as we focus on His blessings that we enjoy, and second, we must trust God to be truly thankful. To the first point we can say that reviewing the blessings we enjoy will help us to reflect on the provider of those blessings. As we do so, our confidence grows in God as our provider. To the second point we can say that to give thanks to someone we don't trust, although we claim to, is a backhanded compliment. It is saying, "Thank you, but..." How sincere is that kind of thanks? Thanksgiving is a result of, as well as a support for, our loving, trusting relationship with God, our Creator. The real questions in this lesson are, "Do I really have an attitude of thanksgiving?" and "Can I truly be thankful in all things?"

In Part 3, Religious Teachings, we will explore how we apply the teachings we receive to our daily lives. I believe that we tend to receive teachings of many types and compartmentalize them, meaning, we see them as points of knowledge, but we don't apply them to our way of living. As we face the pressures of living our lives, we sometimes give in to popular beliefs rather than doing what we know to be right. Why do we do this? Our culture can play a part, as well as the peer pressure we feel from others. We also carry baggage in our decision-making based on how we were raised and what we were taught. Sometimes we will claim to believe something, but our actions will bear out another story. Our true beliefs will be seen in our actions. An examination of this conflict is the three part series, Know vs. Believe. It can be found in the Sunday School section of the forum at my web site, Truth Driven LLC.

In Part 4, Why, we will look at the reasons we have trials in life and why we must endure them.  Enduring the trials is actually one of the purposes for them.  It is a refining process.  As we go through our struggles, our true beliefs and attitudes are revealed.  Our actions or reactions do not surprise God, and the revelation is not for Him, rather it is for us.  We learn where we really stand and what our beliefs really are.  We then have the choice of living in stubbornness and pride or of turning to God in humility and dependence.

We need to first realize that trials and struggles are essential to our growth as Christians.  Our Christian maturity must be tested and reevaluated, again revealing to ourselves where we are at in the process.  Think about the times that seemed closer to God with more yearning and prayer time.  Were these not the times of testing and struggle?  Very little is learned in the times of ease as we grow complacent and turn to things of pleasure in our lives.  When do we depend on God the most and learn to not trust in the ways of the world?  James instructs us to embrace our trials that test our faith.