From Trials to Triumph

From Trials to Triumph

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

Trials test us and squeeze us, whatever is in us will come out during a time of testing and pressure. The purpose of many of the trials we face is to strengthen our faith and to solidify our faith to a deeper level in God so that He gets the glory.

James 1:2-4 - My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.


Notice James said to “count it all Joy” when facing trials and testing. The Joy is not because of the trial but rather what you are becoming as a result of the trial.


Trials also bring us closer to God, making us more like Him, It is by His Spirit that we become more like Him but its in the trials that we surrender more completely to the Holy Spirit. Through trials we become victorious in our lives as well as the Kingdom.


Acts 14:22 says “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”


Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 that he suffered in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches


In Acts 16 Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned for doing the work of the Lord, instead of complaining and murmuring they chose to pray and worship the Lord, in spite of their situation and trial, they forgot about the pain from the beatings and the cold darkness of the cell they were in. and instead they raised their voices and praised God. As a result, the Word says there came an earthquake that shook the prison gates, not only setting them free, but also setting the others around them free. Furthermore, the jailor seeing the power of God manifested, got saved along with his entire household!


When we worship God and pray in the midst of a trial, God will not only deliver us from the trial, but He will save others and set them free because of His plan and purpose being worked in that situation.

In Daniel chapter 3, Shadrach, Meshach & Abed-Nego refused to bow down to the false gods decreed by the king, as a result they were thrown into the fiery furnace, but instead of being incinerated they were unharmed, dancing in the midst of the furnace with a fourth man with the likeness of the Son of God. God not only saved them in the midst of their trial, He showed up with them in the midst of the trial.

2 Corinthians 4:8,9 says - We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed …


We may get knocked down, but we will not be knocked out! We are overcomers in the Name and Power of Jesus Christ.


Paul said in Romans 8:18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us“.


Wow! What a statement … that what we are going through, doesn’t even compare to what we have to look forward to, what we are now, will not even be able to be compared to what we are becoming in Christ Jesus!


2 Corinthians 4:17 - For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,


Paul stated first of all that our “affliction is light“… even though it may seem too much and larger than life when we are going through it, in comparison to Eternity it is light.


The second thing Paul stated was that it is “but for a moment”… it wont last forever and again, in comparison to Eternity it is but a moment in time.


The third thing stated was that it is ‘working for us a greater weight of glory” … believe it or not there is a purpose and a reason for the trials we go through, there is Triumph waiting at the end of the trials.


Philippians 3:8 - Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ


We should count all things loss or unimportant compared to the knowledge of Knowing Christ Jesus and His sufferings.

To gain Christ is the ultimate goal and of the greatest importance.


The trials of Joseph …………….


Joseph faced trials of his own, he was betrayed by his brothers, stripped of his family name, sold into slavery, imprisoned and wrongfully accused of sleeping with his masters wife. Though through it all, he forgave his brothers and saved a land in famine.


Genesis 50:19,20 records Joseph saying to his brothers after all was said and done “Do not be afraid, for I am in the place of God”. but as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. In order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive“.


Our trials are much the same … to bring glory to God!


The trials of Job ……………….


Much like Joseph … Job also endured trials and persecutions. He lost his family, his friends, his livestock, his land and even suffered attacks on his health. To the point that he cursed the day he was born .. But through it all, he never turned his back on God. Even when his wife told him to curse God and die, he would not do it. He endured and he ultimately triumphed … receiving back double what he had lost


Job 42:10 And the Lord restored Jobs losses when he prayed for his friends, indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. V12 Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning.


Though we may lose much in trials .. We will gain much more in the triumph!


The trials of Jesus …………..


In Matthew 27 Jesus endured the shame of the cross, He was beaten, spat upon, cursed, mocked, thrown to the ground, trampled, pierced and crucified. He could have called thousands of angels to avenge Him and set Him free, but instead He humbled Himself, endured the shame of the cross and was crucified for me and for you. He went from a trial … to triumph!


Hebrews 12:1-3 - Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.


Jesus overcame His trials, so that we can overcome our trials through Him!


Conclusion ………..


Romans 8:35-39 - Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “ For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


No matter what we go through, the trials and tribulations, nothing, absolutely nothing could ever separate us from the love of God. Even in our darkest hour He is there with us, His love is with us .. His Holy Spirit is in us guiding us and leading us through the trials as we journey on our way to triumph in Christ Jesus!


Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose