His Trials

Trials. We're told to count them as joy (James 1:2).

How? How can we consider something so heartbreaking, frustrating, even life-destroying something to rejoice in? To be happy about?

Well consider the alternative: Life is hard. No wise person can say any different. You can choose to complain, question, blame, become anger or bitter at God. Or you can trust that there's a reason. That He loves you more than anything and will make everything ok because He can do good DESPITE them.

You can also use them as an opportunity to grow. My father was an amazing man, but I don't believe he'd be 1/5th of that man if he had not persevered through the trials God placed in his life

I want the same to be said of myself, and my husband, Nathan. While my prayers might not change the situation, I trust they they can help Nathan's outlook on things. Nate falls on the positive side of things more often than not, but life is bound to get harder and I can't imagine the things we'll have to face.

Suffering keeps us from becoming selfish, shallow, compassionless people. It's a true test of character that we an look with gratitude, hope, patience, peace and most importantly, Praise.

"God's purpose for our trials is often to bring us humbly before Him to experience a breaking in our inner, independent, self-sufficient selves, and grow us into compassionate, patient, spiritually-strong, God-glorifying people."

However, as a praying wife it's important to NOT not take the burden for him, trying to fix it. There's a reason God has placed it upon him. That being said, I disagree with the author and will do everything in my power to carry the burden with Nathan. I can't be his Life, but I can't be his backbone. I can pray, encourage, support, and help him. The danger, I know, is not getting in God's way.

Whatever he's struggling with, I can pray for the Holy Spirit to come in them with His transforming power. I can pray for Nathan to draw closer to his Heavenly Father and press into the pain to find Jesus there.

"Trials can be a purifying fire and a cleansing water." Trusting God makes the difference between getting burned and refined; drowning or becoming renewed.

• Pray that your husband will stand strong in his faith and wait for God to answer.
• Only God knows the depth of the burden. We may understand the specifics, but God measured the weight.
• Don't seek to minimize or protect because God has a great, eternal purpose through them.
• Support him so that he can come out of the battle a winner. 

      Dear Jesus, I pray that as we face trials Nathan and I can consider it joy because we have You in our lives and our hearts. I pray that will can grow closer to and more like You while drawing closer to each other as well. Help me to do what I can for Nathan in those times while also being care to not get in Your way. Help me to trust You and stay calm. I thank You Savior that You know exactly what we're going through. I praise You for allowing us to approach the throne of grace with boldness. I pray that You strengthen Nate's heart and allow him to wait on You. I pray that You're building him up now so that when trials due come, he can stand firm in You, his foundation whom he knows well. Help him to remember that "thou he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholds him with His hand" (Psalm 37:23-24). Amen. Thank You Father.

1 Peter 1:6-7 (New International Version 1984, ©1984)

⁶ In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Psalm 71:20-21 (New International Version 1984, ©1984)

²⁰ Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter,
   you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
   you will again bring me up.
²¹ You will increase my honor
   and comfort me once again.