Tag: What the Bible says about trials

Bible Verse of The Day – 6-26-20

Psalm 34:19 (NKJV) 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Affliction; Something that causes pain or suffering. Ailment, trouble, indisposition, menace, trouble.

We have all experienced something that falls into at least one of those categories. Maybe we’re even facing something like that right now. They are a part of life that there is honestly no escape from. Stuff just happens, and we all have to deal with it on one level or another.

It’s interesting to note that the Psalmist states that “many are the afflictions of the righteous”. There is an inference here that says righteous people may well face more afflictions than the non-righteous.

This may be quite true, since afflictions sometimes come because of our faith.

Sometimes they may come in the form of persecution for our faith. Other times they may come because we make choices based on our faith and our convictions that put us in precarious situations.

Whatever way they come, the verse above says this about it; “The Lord delivers us out of them all”.

That’s something we can count on.

The thing to remember is that the way out might not always come in the timing we’d like it to, or in the way we’d like it to. That doesn’t mean, however, that it doesn’t come. It just means that it comes in God’s way, not ours.

So, that thing that’s plaguing you right now? That thing that doesn’t seem to want to go away and let your life return to normal anytime soon? Those consequences that came about because of a choice we wish we hadn’t made?

God sees and He knows what’s happening. And if we’re willing to let Him, He is working them out on our behalf, moving things and putting things in place to help us.

All we have to do is to make sure we don’t get in His way and try to “help” Him, derailing the plan He has in place, causing it to take even longer than it already has.

Trust Him. We may not always understand, but He is working on our behalf.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

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Bible Verse of The Day – 3-30-20

James 1:12 (NKJV) 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.

Did you know that if we endure trials, God says we are blessed?

This is an interesting statement.

Before we dig into this a little deeper, though, I have to admit that I was not intending to write another devotional about trials. The Coronavirus pandemic is already wreaking havoc in a way that has most people on edge, and most of us are probably tired of hearing about it and talking about it by now.

Nonetheless, God directed me to this scripture as I sat down to write, so it’s best that we proceed and see what it is that He wants us to learn from it!

Despite the fact that the English translation above uses the word “temptation”, the Greek word is actually better translated as “trials”.

So, we are blessed when we successfully endure trials.

Really? Let’s be honest here. Trials never feel much like we are being blessed, do they?

But if we step back and look at the big picture, as God likes us to do so often, it’s not the trial itself that is the blessing so much as what we gain from enduring the trial.

Enduring a trial means that we do whatever is necessary to come through it, not only with victory in our situation, but with our faith still wholly intact, looking fully to God for that victory.

To say that we are blessed means that we are happy. Coming through that trial is definitely something to be happy about. And as we have let God lead us through it, our happiness is more than just a fleshly, fleeting emotion that quickly disappears.

Oh, and the Word also says that if we endure, we are approved, literally meaning that we have passed the test.

Now, how cool is it that even these seemingly-ugly trials that come along hold something good for us?

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

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Bible Verse of The Day – 1-25-20

Hebrews 12:8 (NKJV) 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

The hardest part about facing a trial is to make sure we don’t try to get out of it too quickly.

That might sound odd, but most times there is something in that trial for us to learn. There is something for us to see, and there is something for us to hear.

We need to let what we learn become embedded in our hearts so we don’t ever forget it.

Imagine going through a trial and we just say, “take your time Lord. We want to learn whatever it is that we need to learn so we don’t have to visit this place again”.

We are God’s children, sons and daughters of the most High! He is a good Papa and good Papas will train up their children to be strong, to not faint, and to rise above any given situation that we may face.

If you’re facing a trial, wait on God. He will show up. He will show us if there is something in it we may need to see and something that we need to do.

Be watching, listening, and seeking Him. He is going to teach us how to walk out of hard places and hard times.

Remember, if we are His sons and daughters, there is always a time to learn and a time to apply what we learn. It is the way He does it.

Keep learning and growing closer to Him, and enjoy the journey from either side. We shall walk and not faint, we shall mount up with wings like eagles as we receive His correction and the strength to walk it out.

Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV) 31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Don’t give up when it gets hard. Wait on His strength. It will come and bring us through! Amen.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

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Bible Verse of The Day – 6-26-19

Psalm 30:5 (NKJV) 5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

We all face trials. We all weep at times. It’s part of life here in the natural.

What are you facing today that’s causing you to weep? What kind of trial is making you feel like you just can’t seem to get past it?

It doesn’t matter what it is. Health, finances, relationships, careers or anything else, they are all temporal and do not bring us true satisfaction or fulfillment.

Yes, they sometimes help make us feel more stable or secure. They might even give us a sense of accomplishment. But in the end, they can all disappear almost instantly, leaving us feeling confused and uncertain.

Even though the scripture above refers specifically to God’s anger lasting but a moment, and weeping enduring for a night, we can also apply this to life circumstances and situations.

The important thing to remember is that, no matter what comes our way, it doesn’t last forever. The pain, the sorrow or the suffering will come to an end. The time it takes will vary from person to person and from situation to situation.

But one thing is sure; no matter what the situation is, and no matter how long it lasts, God is faithful and true. And He will give us what it takes to have victory in the end.

We just have to trust Him in the midst of the storm and follow His leading. He will bring us through, and joy will come.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 5-15-19

James 1:2-3 (NKJV) 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

If you enjoy trials, please raise your hand.

No, I didn’t think you would raise your hand. I didn’t raise mine either.

Nobody enjoys trials. They are, after all, trials. They are not meant to be fun or enjoyable. Trials can be very, well… trying. It’s just the nature of them.

They test us. They can stress us out. They can cause fear, and maybe even anxiety for some people.

But what does God’s word say about them? It says to “count it all joy when we fall into various trials”.

No, that’s not a typo or a joke. It’s God’s way of saying that trials are good for us, even though we don’t like them much (if at all).

Why are they good for us? Because they teach us patience and they test our faith.

When the pressure of a trial hits us hard, we get to see what we’re really made of. Our faith is put to the test, and we get to see how much we really trust God.

No, God doesn’t expect us to literally laugh about the trials we go through. But He does want us to keep our joy intact, so we don’t become miserable and lose sight of His faithfulness.

And as we learn to trust Him more and more, trials will be less stressful and less apt to cause our faith in Him to falter during tough times.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 7-4-18

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Many who read this are experiencing various kinds of trials. These trials may be minor or they may be very major. Some may seem “like a bump in the road”. Others may make us feel like we have had the wind knocked out of us.

Regardless of their intensity, it’s important that we know and understand God’s love for us, and His desires for us.

We need to make sure we understand that God’s desire for us is never evil. Yes, we will face things that are not pleasant. But these are not His things. He is good and full of light. There is no darkness found in Him.

1 John 1:5 (NKJV) 5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

While trials can be very tough for us to understand sometimes, it’s still important that we know that each and every trial we face can actually be good for us. The key to this is to put God first in everything and hold tightly to Him in the midst of our trials.

Doing this helps us to keep things in perspective and to keep us from worrying or stressing as much as we would otherwise.

And in the end, God can use the trials that we face to mold us, shape us and draw us closer to Him, causing us to grow in our faith.

James 1:3-4 (NKJV) 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.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 11-13-17

Psalm 107:29 (NKJV) 29 He calms the storm, So that its waves are still.

Today we were at a place called the overlook. It’s a local spot where we like to sit and enjoy the ocean view.

As we sat there, we watched the raging sea, with large waves crashing, and listened to the wind howling. And the sky was dark with stormy clouds.

Many of the wind gusts were strong enough to cause our vehicle to rock back and forth!

But how peaceful we were, knowing that our God has control over all of this.

When storms come, whether it’s a natural storm or storm in our life, we don’t need to fret and worry.

God is amazing! His might, power and awesomeness are seen all around us. We just have to sit still long enough to notice it and take it in.

We may be struggling. And everything around us might seem to be falling apart. There’s no doubt that this is a storm. And this is a good time to stop, sit down and start to praise Him.

The enemy doesn’t think we will do this. He likes to throw things at us here and there, because he wants us to be scared. He wants us to take our eyes off of God and put them on the storm around us, or anything else but Him. Don’t let the enemy win.

Look to the One who calms the storm.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-3-17

Hebrews 10:23 (NKJV) 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 

Every one of us is facing some kind of trial or hurdle that we need to overcome. 

For some of us it’s the loss of a loved one. For others, it’s a financial crisis. For some, it’s a health crisis that we’re facing. And for others, it may be any number of things that you’re facing. 

These things may seem insurmountable, impossible to overcome and bigger than anything you’ve ever had to face. 

And you’re right. They are impossible, without God’s help. 

But, with God they can be faced boldly and overcome. He gives us what we need to live victoriously. He equips us to be warriors in the spirit, standing boldly in the face of adversity and conquering those things that would try to take us out once and for all. 

Romans 8:37 (NKJV) 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 

It won’t always be easy. In fact, it is rarely easy. But it is NOT impossible! The most important thing to remember is that when man says no, God says yes! And when we feel like we cannot stand another minute, we need to pick up our armor, draw our strength from God, and stand. 

Ephesians 6:13 (NKJV) 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

This thing we’re facing will be defeated, in the name of Jesus, if we stand in Him. 

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie 

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808 

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-4-16

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NKJV) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Trials and tribulations will come to each of us at one time or another. It’s inevitable. It’s just as much a part of life as joy and happiness.

Jesus himself told us that this would be so.

John 16:33 (NKJV) 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Some will say that life as a believer should be smooth sailing, and that believers should be exempt from such trials and trouble. God’s word doesn’t say that.

But here is what the word does say; that as we face each trial, we have the assurance that God will strengthen us and comfort us as we go through them.

So as we face those things that are before us, we can (and should) look to God for our comfort and our strength.

And remember that no trial lasts forever. He is our strength and our hope.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page.

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