"Let the day perish on which I was born, 
and the night that said, 
'A man is conceived.' 
Job 3:3
Many, in fact, wrongly say that God refused to put us through more than we can handle. It is often the godliest of all people who face the worst of trials; they are put through far more than they can handle in order that they may depend purely on God, knowing not only that they alone cannot get themselves through the trial, but also that they may depend on God for the rest of their life after. The worst of the trials which God may put on us demonstrate the best of His intentions; if God uses every moment in our life to conform us to His image, then how much more so will He use the worst moments to conform us the most? [Romans 8:28-30] In truth, trials are the ultimate test of faith, and these develop perseverance. If a godly man is put through the most severe trial, then it is quite likely that he is too godly for any lesser trial.

In addition, we should not feel discouraged when Satan puts us through the worst trials as he understands that he has only the least opportunity to torment us. If that is so, then how much, do we think, will he make of such a small opportunity? We must therefore have the glory of God, which we shall soon witness, on our minds to overwhelm the embrace of Satan's trials.

Overall, we must not feel deserted when faced with trials of many kinds, but rather, we must rejoice at the mere thought of such an opportunity. To an unsaved person who desires not to conform to the image of the Son, this message in the Letter of James is possibly the most bizarre, even ridiculous instruction; however, to those who are saved, there is nothing greater. Therefore, we must not consider the current moment when facing trials, but instead focus on the glory of God which may be shown through this trial.

On a final note, the unsaved person sees Romans 8:28-30 as an incentive for worldly desires. In the same way that becoming more like the Son means nothing to him, gaining worldly things means nothing to the saved person, who sees a Christ-like life as more valuable than his own.

I pray that we may use trials to focus on the Lord, not considering the present, but the future which this trial may hold. I also pray that God may discipline the motives of His people and make conforming to the Son their greatest desire. Finally, I pray that the church may be renewed through preaching and a dependency on God and His word, and that the church will be cleansed of any counterfeit spirituality, whether it be experiences, doctrines or any other worldly idol. Father, to whom everything is not enough -- Amen.