Sometimes when we go through something hard, we think, surely it’s going to be easier next. But what happens when it just gets harder? Today I am going to share some encouragement when difficulties increase and why we can trust our good and Sovereign Father.

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When Hard Things Get Harder

Truth about Trials:

• They happen.

• Sometimes trials do come through our own sin or the sin of others, sometimes they come through other means, like nature, or illness, or sometimes it is through something else, but in it all – God is sovereign and it is part of His plan – just like Job confessed – no purpose of God’s can be thwarted

• God puts us through trials to test us and refine us

• James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

• 1 Peter 1:6-7 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

• These passages teach us that trials also produce good things in us

• It is clear through narrative Scripture that trials also tools God uses to turn our hearts to the Lord, reveal sin or unbelief, humble us, exalt the Lord, prepare us for what is next, teach us the Lord’s comfort so that we will be able to comfort others, and even a stepping stone in the overarching Sovereign plan of God – just think of Joseph and how decades later after going through so many unjust moments was able to save his family from famine.

When going through trials it is critical to have good theology of our Sovereign God:

• God promises he will never leave us or forsake us, so in the midst of hard, God is with us

• God promises that we will never be separated from the love of Christ Jesus, so even when things are hard we must remember that we are loved and cared for

• The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials according to 2 Peter 2

• The Lord hears us when we call up on Him

• And again, no plan of the Lord’s will be thwarted

The Horse And His Boy

The truth is throughout Scripture – God is not preparing us for easier things. He’s preparing us for harder things. He has prepared good works in advance for us to do, and a lot of them will involve a lot of hard work, a lot of courage, and all of them will require faith.

There is a beautiful picture of this in The Horse and His Boy by CS Lewis. It’s part of his Narnia series, and I haven’t read it in over a decade, but my husband reminded me of this truth in that Book – Things didn’t get easer for Shasta they continually got harder to prepare him for the next thing.

“I am the Hermit of the Southern March. And now, my son, waste no time on questions, but obey. The damsel is wounded. Your horses are spent. Rabadash is at this moment finding a ford over the Winding Arrow. If you run now, without a moment’s rest, you will still be in time to warn King Lune.”

Shast’s heart fainted at these words, for he felt he had no strength left. And he writhed inside at what seemed the cruelty and unfairness of the demand. He had not yet learned that if you do one good deed your reward usually is to be set to do another and harder and better one. But all he said out loud was:

“Where is the King?”

The Hermit turned and pointed with his staff. “Look,” he said. “there is another gate, right opposite to the one you entered by. Open it and go straight ahead: always straight ahead, over level or steep, over smooth or rough, over dry or wet. I know by my art that you will find King Lune straight ahead. But run, run: always run.”

-C.S. Lewis, The Horse and His Boy

That You May Know Me Better There (Tumblr Account) by Heather

Article: https://elizajanelewisgirl.tumblr.com/post/132416308536/the-horse-and-his-boy-the-harder-task

Personally, I think the whole story revolves around this moment. I think all of us have come to this moment in our journey of life and faith, or perhaps we believe that a moment will come, when we think we have arrived, when we’re finished, or when we’ve earned a rest. But the truth is that as long as we are alive, we’re not done. The farther we come it doesn’t get easier. Instead we’re given the harder task. God is not preparing us for easier things. He’s preparing us for bigger and better and harder things. When we come to this realization, like Shasta, we feel dashed. We “writhe” and the unfairness of it all. We feel we have no strength left. And yet we find that we do. It is when he’s given this harder task that we see just how far Shasta has come. He doesn’t voice any of these frustrations. He doesn’t balk at the task. He only says, “Where is the King?”

Be Strong and Courageous

Recently I was reading in Joshua and Moses had passed the mantle on to Joshua. He was the next leader and after 40 years of wandering, after slavery before that. . . it was time to enter the promise land. This is where we can miss it – this is where we can be thinking – easy does follow hard! All Joshua had to do was walk into his inheritance.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Great blessings often come through hard work, tasks, and even trials.

A Few Reminders in the Midst of Hard

When we go through trials we can remember:

• Who God is

• His commandments and truths

• That he is strengthening us, building us and refining us

• He is preparing us for His good works

• He will never leave us and He loves us

• When we die, we will be with the Lord and he will say to his beloved”well done good and faithful servant.”

Resources

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