The Lord Tries Our Faith

Good Morning,

Psalm 11:5  “The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.”

There are two positions we can see from this passage:  God tries or God hates.  Neither is very comfortable, but one is obviously preferred.  

When the child of God faces his darkest hour, he is near to the Father, held tightly in the Almighty hand.  When the wicked man prospers, he is foolishly, yet often ignorantly, dangling over the flames of Hell, hopelessly condemned for eternity.  The faithful person may feel the chastening of the dear Father, but the godless person will feel God’s wrath.  Trials will perfect the Christian:

James 1:4 “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

Rom. 5:3  “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;”

While trials help the believer,  even the prosperity of the fools shall destroy them (Proverbs 1:23).  Yes, our father tries His own, yet those trials are for blessing, improvement, and to glorify our Saviour.   The medical issue, auto accident, or unwarranted anger of others against you are all under the watchful eye of our Father.

Psalm11:4  “... his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.”

The Father may leave the godless to their own means, but His dear children are under the loving care of their Lord.  

Remember Lot:  his world of ease and apparent prosperity was temporary and was followed by great sorrow.  Referred to as "Righteous Lot,” we can consider him an Old Testament saint, yet great suffering accompanied his vain choices because he sought the things of this world rather than the things of God.  

Remember the plotting of Haman against Mordecai (in the book of Esther)?  How grand was Haman?  How powerful and threatening he seemed to be.  But at "such a time as this" the parts of the story fell into place, and Haman was hanged while Mordecai reigned.  

Being a child of God, we are safe; for no one can harm any of His dear ones.  Trials are filtered through His loving hands, and evil is held off by Omnipotent arms.   Yes, we read in Psalm 11:5  that "The LORD trieth the righteous..."  but we can be comforted in the fact that every trial is overseen by the Lord.  

Pastor Goddard