Preaching
James 1: 2-4
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the
testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work,
that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Hard times come to make you stronger, not to destroy you.
Hard times: are opportunities God give us to test faith, humility and obedience.
They are not a punishment.
Destruction: it is a consequence of sin, ruin, devastation, punishment.
This means that God allows troubles in our lives to help us grow spiritually; This is not a
punishment or consequence of our sin.
But we are the ones who decide if these hard times is going to make us stronger, or if
it is going to destroy us.
Because the Lord says:
• 1 Corinthians 10:13.
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man;
but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are
able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be
able to bear it.
➢ God doesn´t allow us troubles that we are not able to resist.
➢ Also, with the trouble he makes the way of escape.
• James 1:12
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he
will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
➢ If we endure hard times, we will be rewarded, God will give us the
crown of life.
What is the purpose of these trials?
To be perfected – 1 Peter 1:6-7
6
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you
have been [c]grieved by various trials, 7 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.
God wants that, just as gold is purified when it is passed through the fire, so it is with us when we are put to
the test
Make us stronger – Psalms 66:10-12
10 For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.
11 You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs.
12 You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and
through water; But You brought us out to [b]rich fulfillment.
During the trials we develop abilities and skills that allow us to overcome the world and the enemy, to
strengthen ourselves physically and spiritually.
To prepare us for greater blessings – Job 1:1 – Job 42:10
▪ Job 1: 1. There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man
was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.
▪ But God allowed him to go through a great difficulty, where he lost everything he
had.
▪ But God allowed it because He knew Job could resist.
▪ In addition to this, with the trouble God made the way of escape.
Job 42: 10
And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed
the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
God blessed Job more than before.
➢ He gave him twice the cattle he had before
➢ He also had seven sons and three daughters.
➢ His daughters were the most beautiful in all the land
➢ He gave it many years of life.
We need to understand that God allows hard times in our lives to make us
stronger, to perfect us and to give us many blessings; not to destroy us.
