The God-sourced Trial

16.01.10
Any normal person would prefer a life full of blessings and not full of trials.

How does one decide what is a blessing and what is a trial?

A simple definition would be:
A blessing is getting something you want
A trial is not getting something you want, or getting something you don't want

In other words, when our lives are filled with getting what we want, and everything is going smoothly with no obstacles...then it is a blessed life.

If things are just not going our way, and there seem to be one obstacle after obstacle, or difficulties after difficulties and even failures after failures...then it is likely that we would say that life is devoid of blessings, or full of trials.

Are trials the opposite of blessings?

I know what the theological answer is, but in reality it is difficult to see things so clearly, at least for me.

When things are not going smoothly...when they can be going so much more smoothly, when doors are not opening, when they can be flung open just like that...when other people are getting breaks all the time, and it doesnt happen for me... When life is not of blessings all the time but on the contrary, full of major and minor invonveniences...it is easy to be discouraged, and give up. Especially when we believe in God, because deep down we still think God can make it happen just like that...then why doesnt He?

It is all the more difficult when you consider the trial(s) to be from God. In other words, the God-sourced trial.

In the Bible, there is no clearer God-sourced trial than what was given to Abraham in Genesis 22.

In Genesis 22, Abraham was told by God to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Now, I would call that a trial! But think about it, who is the source of this trial?

God!

If God didnt say such a thing Abraham would not have to go through this trial. If God didnt give him this trial, Abraham would not have to suffer sleepless nights and agonize over the impending loss of his son. If God didnt command Abraham to do this, Sarah wouldnt have to break her heart saying goodbye to Isaac that morning, witnessing father and son set forth on a journey and knowing that only one would come back.

God was the who started it all!

If only God didnt give such a trial...

We are encouraged to run to God in time of trials, but how do we run to Him when we know for sure He is the source of the trial? It is easier to feel betrayed by Him then to feel comforted by Him.

Why did God do it?

The answer was given in the Bible. God wanted to test Abraham. And Abraham needed to pass the test. God needed to know what was in his heart, that Abraham truly feared God (verse 12). That Abraham would put God before his own dreams, his own desires, his own son (verse 16).

Does that help us?

Knowing the reason behind the trial?

I often thought it would. At least in my trials...as long as I can understand why they happened, then I can accept them...and grow.

Edmund Chan had an equation for this. He developed it from:

Pain + time = growth (With time, all pain will go and lead to growth. But we all know this is not true. Pain with more time leads to more pain!)

How about:
Pain + time + insight = growth (of course! if we understand why we had to go through it, everything will be alright!!)

If you are going through a difficult time, and I tell you it is all because God is testing you and He wants to know what is your heart...does it help you?

I have read enough books about trials to discover when mothers weep over their dead sons, or husbands over their sick wives, to know they all say the same thing when told they are being tested by God..."I wish God will find someone else to test". Forcing ourselves to accept some reasons about 'testing' or 'letting go' sometimes just doesnt solve the problem or alleviate the pain, but often it produces intense guilt even in the midst of grieving.

So if insight is not enough, what is?

There is another component to the equation as given by Edmund Chan. It is:
Pain + time + insight + obedience = growth

What is that obedience?

In Genesis 22, growth didnt simply come by knowing what the reason for the trial was, as given by God in verses 12 and 16. The Bible gave another perspective that completed the picture and points us to what truly gave birth to growth. And not just personal growth, but unprecedented spiritual multiplication (verse 17-18).

This perspective is given in Hebrews 11:17-19:

"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death."

"...and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death."

What intrigued me about this verse was that it said Abraham recieved Isaac back from the dead. Did Isaac die? No! Was he dying? No! Throughout the whole episode, Isaac did not suffer a scratch (well...maybe from the firesticks he did) but he was never mortally wounded and then saved or nursed back to health.

God stopped Abraham and provided the ram instead.

In God's eyes, Isaac was never in danger.

But in Abraham's eyes, Isaac was given back to him from death. What does that mean?

It could only mean one thing - Abraham really believed Isaac had to die. And when he didnt, it was as if Abraham recieved him back from the dead.

Why did Abraham believe Isaac had to die, because God said so.

It was as simple as that. Of course there were theological explanations for this whole episode and we could explain it from the point of redemption, propitiation, substitution etc etc.

But my focus was on the obedience of Abraham.

You see, if it was me, I would have a different view. I would complain that this was a God-sourced trial. It wasnt just something that happened as part of life, like an earthquake, or a global financial crisis or a rainy day...things that happened to everyone. It was something put there by God! If God hadn't ordered it, then I wouldnt have to suffer the pain and the uncertainty and the shame. Even if I know the reason, I still would have preferred not to suffer this trial.

But Abraham was different, and he was commended for his faith. What was the difference?

Abraham believed in the necessity of the trial.

In other words, whether he knew the reason for the trial or not he simply obeyed God because he believed the sacrifice was necessary. Isaac really had to die. In other words, if God didnt think it was necessary for Isaac to die in the first place, He wouldnt have told Abraham to do it.

Abraham was prepared to sacrifce Isaac not only because he had to, but because he believed it was for the best. That is the only way I can explain Abraham's perspective of recieving Isaac back from the dead, even when his life was never in danger. To Abraham, Isaac was as good as dead the moment God said so, and when he didnt die, Abraham recieved him back from the dead.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." (James 1:2)

The truth is, you and I would never embrace trials unless we believe not only in the reasoning behind the trial, but also the necessity of the trial. And the necessity of the trial often does not come from the strength of the reason, but simply because God said so.

On other words, when we consider again the equation:
Pain + time + insight + obedience = growth

Obedience simply means....trusting in God that he knows best.
And agreeing with God that the trials are necessary.

Even when he didnt understand it completely, Abraham agreed that Isaac had to die. And he obeyed...because he trusted God.

When God calls for an action that demanded pain, the man of faith does not see it as an optional thing. He doesnt sulk and complain that if only God had not called, there wouldnt be a trial. He agrees with God that the action is necessary. In other words, faith means agreeing with God that he knows best and that even if He is the source of the trial, it is necessary and it is for the best.

Trials, even the God-sourced ones, are necessary. Why? I don't always know. But I believe they are necessary and I trust God.

Are we able to see all the trials in our lives as necessary?

When things dont work out and 'trials' happen everyday instead of 'blessings', can I still rejoice in God because I know every single obstacle is put there by a loving God who knows exactly what is best for me?

I was encouraged tonight by Genesis 22, and encouraged by Abraham. Instead of turning away from God when I face one 'trial' after another, and feeling that I want to distance myself from Him when I encounter one disapppontment after another...and going through depression because of a chronic absence of blessings...I could simply trust in a wise God who knows the necessity of trials in my life.

The trials are necessary.

God knows best.