In our women’s Bible study we are investigating what the Scriptures have to say about being thankful for times of testing of our faith. If you recall, in my last post I said I had two pages of Scriptures, both Old and New Testament, that touch on the subject of tests of our faith and many speak to what our response should be. We went through some of those verses in this week’s study. Carolyn, who agreed to lead a few weeks of Bible study, contributed more pages of Scriptures, some of which were the same as I had copied out and others I did not have.
Everyday Tests for Everyone
James 1:2-4 was one most of us know: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Another group of verses, perhaps not so well known, is from 1 Thessalonians 2:3-4: “We sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know.”
Obviously, whatever the source of the trials and afflictions, we are not to be taken by surprise nor discouraged by them. And we need to encourage one another in them. We are even to count it joy to suffer because the testing of our faith can produce wonderful outcomes in our lives, such as endurance and completeness/maturity in our spiritual lives, as well as character and hope, as Paul says in Romans 5:3-5. “We also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
The topic of tests of our faith reminded me of a post I published in two-parts on my blog a few years ago and I’m re-posting the first part here.
Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!
Well, maybe not tigers, but definitely lions and bears. That’s what David said, “When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth.” He went on to declare, “When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it” (1 Samuel 17:34-37).
Now, I’ve seen a bear close up. Sure, it was at night and all I could see was a big round, furry looking thing lumbering swiftly away from me (thank goodness it was going in the opposite direction!), but I knew it was a bear. We saw its tracks in the snowy yard the next morning and followed the trail of garbage up the hill into our neighbor’s yard. No sheep, just garbage. Hungry bears apparently are not fussy about their meals. From the size of that behind and the paw tracks it left, I’m glad it wasn’t running toward me!
A lion and a bear. Running after it. Grabbing the sheep from its jaws and then grabbing the beast by the hair and killing it. That is an amazing feat. Done not once but twice. All in the line of duty. Just part of the ordinary life of a shepherd.
David was responsible and dependable. He could be trusted to take care of business, in this case, sheep-keeping: guarding and guiding [and defending].
David was faithful to fight and do what he had to do; he did the right thing, even at great cost to himself. He may have had the scars to prove it. He used the weapons of his profession—the sling and stones and staff—becoming adept at their use. In the process of fighting the lion and bear he grew skilled and strong. His faith in God grew as well, for David knew he didn’t do his fighting alone. “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear ….”
David was faithful in his everyday, ordinary life.
We all live ordinary lives. We all face our lions and bears, those trials and difficulties that come into our lives, perhaps threatening our livelihood or even our life. These are the enemies that come to snatch away our lives, enemies that threaten to destroy us. Are we being faithful to fight them with the weapons given us—prayer and praise and the Word of God? Are we becoming adept in their use and growing in strength, growing in our trust in God? Can we say as David did, “the LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear …”
It is only in our ordinary, everyday lives, faithfully facing the enemies that would destroy us—our lions and bears—that we learn to fight, becoming skilled and strong in spirit. Ordinary life is where we learn to trust the LORD.
What bears or lions are you facing today: Health issues, fearful job or financial challenges, death or disease of a loved one, divorce, addiction? So many beasts that would tear us apart and destroy us. Only by wielding the weapons of prayer, praise (yes, praise) and the Word of God, in the power of God’s Spirit, can we successfully defeat such enemies.
But that’s not the end of the story. Fighting lions and bears has another vastly important function in our everyday, ordinary lives. For only then will we, like David, recognize and be fit to face the giant, Goliath, who defies the Living God.
More on that next time we meet.
I want to remind you of another topic of study: the Lord’s Prayer and how Jesus taught us to pray. Offered in 10 weeks via Zoom, Teach Us to Pray will begin on January 24, 2022, meeting at 10 AM Pacific Time.
If you are interested in joining us for this study, please register through the link below.
We hope you will join us!
Click Here to Register for Teach Us to Pray.
If you have any questions, you may email jacqueline@jacquelinegwallace.com.
Please note, you will receive two confirmation emails after Registering:
1) an email request to Confirm Your Subscription. Please confirm to be included in the Zoom Bible study.
2) If you do not see the second Confirmation email letter in your In box after 30 minutes, be sure to check your Spam/Junk folder.
