In the Absence of Trial
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)
It’s through grace that we have been saved. It’s through his matchless love that each and everyday we are cared for. In the times when we are facing trials that feel like they take everything out of us, the closeness we have with God can feel matchless. But when we are in a season in our lives absent from trials, we almost lose that connection with God if we are not pursuing him in the right way.
Our relationship with God is one that is so precious, yet powerful and it needs to be nurtured and cared for just like any normal relationship in our lives. When we are in a good season in our lives and we don’t pursue God we may find temporary happiness, but when we do pursue his love we find a matchless joy.
1 Peter 1:8-9 says “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
I absolutely love this verse, it perfectly describes the limitless joy that we find in the Lord. Even though we don't see him, we feel him, and there is nothing more real than him and how He moves in our souls. It’s easy to be lukewarm in our relationship with God when things are going well for us, but there is so much more joy and satisfaction in experiencing true joy with him. There’s nothing like looking at the beauty in the world and the people around you and knowing the creator of all that is the lover of your soul.
So today, where do you stand? Is your life absent of trials at the moment? Of course we are all always going through things, but when I say absent of trials I generally mean, absent of very hard things you could be facing. You’re in a place of happiness. Or do you feel like you’re going through the washer over and over again, like you can’t get a break. Well I have good news, in both those positions, you can find a completely fulfilling joy in the Lord.
Even though you would think that most struggle the hardest when they are facing things, ist actually the other way around. Most struggle when they are not facing anything at all, because they start to lose their foundation. They start to slip away from God due to their own doing. You can find yourself in a uneven place feeling unfulfilled. You start living looking for a satisfaction and foundation in the world that is not there. But when you start to embrace God just as much in the happy seasons as the sad ones you will experience a whole new side of your relationship with God that you have never experienced before.
Pursuing God in the good times is giving him all the happiness that you feel and letting him turn it into true joy. You will find that joy if you give God the amount of time a day that he deserves. Spending time with him could be reading, worshiping, praying or just talking to him throughout the day. It letting God into every moment. So today I challenge you, wherever your at, just let God in and let him begin to mold your heart so you can experience his joy in all new ways today. Watch and be amazed by all he can do.
