Trials turned to gold

During the months of November and December I usually take a couple of detours, departing from my book by book study of the Old Testament. Eventually, I get back on track walking step by step through the entire bible. As we left the book of Deuteronomy, we said goodbye to Moses at the edge of the desert and watched as Joshua takes the reins from Moses and leads the people into the land of Canaan. God fulfills His promise to the patriarch Abraham that the nation of Israel would arrive at the Promised Land; however, the nation of Israel is not completely obedient to God’s direction and therefore suffers the consequences.  The book of Judges, depicts a nation who looks more like a yo-yo, repeating a cycle of being blessed by God through revival, becoming complacent, stubbornly going their own way, suffering trials and tribulations only to cry out to God and start the cycle all over again. This dramatic cycle was completed thirteen times during the leadership of thirteen judges who were to guide Israel for the next 350 years.

The problem was that the inhabitants of the land were idol worshippers who worshipped creation rather than the Creator. They carved wooden idols and set them on the high places, ultimately sacrificing their own children on altars. God knew that if these idol worshippers were not removed from the land, that eventually the foreign women would bring their influence into Hebrew households causing them to turn and worship their gods of wood and stone. In Judges 2:1-4, the Angel of the Lord reprimands the nation of Israel for not obeying His instructions and  gives them over to their own lusts and desires. “But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’”

Have you ever noticed in your own life that, when things are clicking along perfectly, our prayers and worship to God begin to slow down or gradually become nonexistent? We prefer to do things our own way, taking credit for all of our own successes. They are like sand castles that we have built with our own hands standing for only a short time. Its only when the tide begins to turn and the waves begin to pound against our world that we realize our need for God.  When a family member troubles us, a debilitating disease befalls us or a financial calamity hits us, ever notice how quickly we feel the loss of control and cry out to God?

King David is the classic example of this as he would occasionally stumble and sin, fall into trials, only to call upon the name of the Lord who would answer him. Although God always answered him, David would have to carry the heavy burden resulting from his sin. Personal loss, dysfunctional relationships and the loss of his kingdom were just a few results from sin. So why did God refer to David as a man after His own heart? It was David’s habit of always crying out to God for forgiveness and help! In Psalm 51:16, 17 David speaks to God “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. These, O God, You will not despise.”

When we come to God humbly and ask for forgiveness He always forgives us. When we repent, we choose to turn around from our selfish direction and begin walking with God in the direction He is going. That’s why it is truly all about a relationship with God and not just sacrifice. Just like the nation of Israel, we go through cycles where we sin, cry out for help, receive blessing, walk with God for awhile only to forget Him and begin the cycle all over again. What God really wants from us is our lives in obedience to Him. He wants us to surrender our own will, yielding to His will, thereby allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us through life.

So it truly is our trials and tribulations, passing through the fires of life, that turn us into the most precious gold. It’s also like carbon, when it undergoes extreme pressure and heat turns into a diamond! If you are looking for a short verse to sum it all up how about reading what the prophet Micah wrote in the book by his own name, Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O man, what is good  And what does the Lord require of you  But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God.”