On The Hill of Difficulty

       In the book 'Pilgrim's Progress', Christian has to go up the hill of difficulty which he finds to be hard work indeed. This is the experience of every Christian. Each Christians must go through times of hardship. For the last 4 months, we have as a family walked the steep slopes of the hill of difficulty. This trial rates in the top three of all the trials that I have experienced in my life. For a month and a half my wife was on a semi bed rest due to complications in her pregnancy. Then she had to be admitted into the hospital for the remainder of her pregnancy while I took care of the kids and the farm. After 12 weeks in the hospital, we had a baby boy born by c-section. The trial isn't completely over, but hopefully the most difficult part is.

   God has a good purpose for the Christian in all trials and difficulty. There are many lessons to be learned in the storm. The fire of the trial burns off much of the dross of sin. I have learned many things on the hill of difficulty. These lessons I don't want to forget. So I hope to write down what I have learned while on the hill of difficulty. I do this mainly for myself but also in the hope that others would benefit from what I have learned.

1) Having a Biblical perspective on trials is so important.  "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God." Rom 8:28  "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." James 1:2-3 These were texts that I clung to and often repeated to help in my trials. It fortifies the believer when he can look on trials as the bitter medicines of a wise and good God who wants to heal our souls from sin and sanctify us.With this perspective, you really can rejoice in trials and worship God in the storms you go through. Without this Biblical perspective, you will be much weaker and more susceptible to doubts and depression. A lack of clarity of trials will make you fight against God rather than work with him during your trial. This makes the trial hurt more and even can make it last longer. Perhaps some of the problem for us is that we love comfort and ease more than we delight in holiness. If we have a greater desire for godliness than for personal comfort, we will find trials to be less difficult.

2) No one can fully understand the difficulty of your trial. "The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy." Proverbs 14:10 Some may be able to understand what you are going through better than others. But no one can completely feel the weight of your trial. This is because each trial is unique and each person is unique. And this is good. Because while people will not completely understand your trial, God does. In fact He knows you better than you know yourself. So we should turn to God first of all to pour out our hearts to the One who knows us completely. Thus trials will cause us to draw closer with God.

3) In this trial I have learned again that faith without works is dead. Or to put it another way talk is cheap. "If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so, faith, if it has no works, is dead being by itself." James 2:15-17 It is easier for people to say they care than for them to show that they care with real acts of service. Now, not everyone is able to help someone going through a trial in a practical way. Maybe the best they can do is pray for you. An old lady that we know who is plagued by arthritis, phoned me every couple of weeks to see how I was. That is faith at work. But people often will say that they are praying for you and then do nothing to practically help you even though they could. Perhaps they should consider that maybe God could answer their prayers if they would get off their knees and serve the one they are praying for. It is an easy thing to say you are praying for someone, but it is a much harder thing to sacrifice and serve someone. it means so much more when practical help is given not just words. Then you really know someone cares. "Little children, let us not love with words or tongue, but in deed and truth." 1 John 3:18

4) People will disappoint us. This is a given. Sometimes people disappointed me greatly, sometimes it was a lesser disappointment. Either way we should learn not to expect too much from people. Even the best of us is but dust and ashes and quickly prone to sin. Knowing this should cause us to more fully seek our help and comfort in the unchanging Lord of heaven and earth.

5) God will never disappoint us. God is faithful to His promises. I can say by experience that even though I was sad and disappointed in people, never once could I say that God failed me. He provided what was needed time and time again. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change." Psalm 46:1-2 
 "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you, so that we confidently say, The LORD is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" Hebrews 13:5-6

To be continued......

Brad