Trials Usher in Peace

Today we will be looking at the ways Trials usher in peace through the Grace of God.

Last week I shared my epiphany of sorts on what it means to "grow in grace".  You can read that post HERE.

A few days after writing that post, the Lord ministered to me further regarding His perfect Grace through the following verse from Peter:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you 

in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 

2 Peter 1:2

There's No Peace without God's Grace

Do you see that?  Grace and peace are mentioned as one unit essentially.  You might say, well Karen isn't that obvious? God's grace would indeed bring peace.  And I would certainly agree.  But when we consider what we learned in last week's post about grace, "God often sends us trials that our graces may be discovered, and that we may be certified of their existence.", it would stand to reason that God's peace is often experienced as a result of trials.

Nobody enjoys trials.  I certainly do not.  They are painful and difficult.  But then there is the Apostle Paul...

Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about.  Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I.  Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.  Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.  Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,  I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.  I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.  Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.  Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

2 Corinthians 11:21-30

Here we see him boasting about sufferings of which he was WELL ACQUAINTED!  How was it possible for Paul to boast and rejoice about sufferings??

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory.…

1 Peter 4:12

Because the Apostle Paul depended upon God's grace and strength, he felt honored to share in the sufferings of Christ.  He was not resentful, bitter, broken, or anxious.  I would say the Apostle Paul experienced God's peace in the midst of suffering because He believed God's promises.   His knowledge of God the Father and His faith in Him was the source for drawing upon God's grace and experiencing the peace that comes through His grace alone.

There is no Peace without Knowing God

I recently began studying and meditating upon the names of God. It has been a wonderful exercise!  I found a website that broke down the names of God and then listed a relevant Bible verse.  I have been having an exciting and wonderful time with the Lord journaling what is being revealed to me as I study each name of God.  These insights are strengthening my relationship with the Lord and building up my own faith as I am reminded of who He is and how much He loves ME!

In the trials of life, the more we know God - His attributes, His character, the meaning behind His many names, the more we will recall His loving nature, His promised faithfulness, and the more grace and peace will be multiplied to us.

The more grace and peace we receive with each trial, the more we will remember back to those  experiences of multiplied grace and peace which will translate into the peace that surpasses all understanding when we are in the thick of suffering.

I've recently moved on to another ailment, but I can see a change in my response and attitude as I have been intentionally learning more about God my Father.  In full transparency, there was anxiety in the thick of it, but then I prayed boldly believing God for the blessing of healing, and in the days after that prayer, I could feel something change within - I had a peace about me that was supernatural.  My peace was coming from the knowledge that the Lord would heal me, as He saw fit as a loving Father, that He would be with me and that He would bless me.

Jehovah-Shalom - God of Peace

There is no Peace without Trials

We are meant to know the fullness of God's peace - His perfect peace.  The peace that sustains us through difficult times - times of sanctification whereby God makes us Holy.  We were created to experience His peace.

To read more about experiencing the peace of God click on the following:

Peace that Surpasses All Understanding: Lessons from Corrie Ten Boom

Can't Find Peace? It's Closer than you Think!

Looking for Peace in All the Wrong Places

Peace in the Christian Life Hinges on One Thing

The next time you go through trials remember that is the accelerated means by which God will multiple His grace and peace to you.

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