Trials and Tribulations — Their Limits and Benefits
Trials and Tribulations — Their Limits and Benefits
The life of every human being — whoever they may be — does not lack trials and tribulations. They come to all: prophets, saints, and ordinary people alike. The examples are many — among them the trials of Job the Prophet and Joseph the Righteous.
Therefore, no one should think that trials and hardships are reserved only for sinners because of their wrongdoings. Rather, they come to everyone. Yet there is a difference between a sinner who suffers because of his sins, and a righteous person who is afflicted because of the evil or envy of others, or for reasons beyond his will.
All the righteous have passed through the furnace of pain. They have all experienced trial and affliction; God did not exempt them from that.
“For many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
The occurrence of such trials never means that God has abandoned those afflicted, nor that He is angry with them or displeased with them.
Rather — blessed be His Name — He may allow the trial for their benefit. And He is with them in the trial, strengthening, sustaining, and protecting them.
He allows the hardship, but He stands with us in it.
Thus the psalmist sings:
“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us,
Then they would have swallowed us alive,
When their wrath was kindled against us…
Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers;
The snare is broken, and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 124)
It is a beautiful experience to see the help of God in the midst of our tribulations —
to feel His tenderness, His love, and His work on our behalf.
This is one of the blessings of trials: that we sense the unseen powers of heaven standing beside us and defending us. We also experience the truth of the words:
“The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.”
For this reason, the believer cannot be crushed by hardships, for he believes in God’s intervention, action, and protection. He believes that God is able to solve every problem — indeed, He has many solutions. Therefore, the believer does not lose his inner peace during trials, nor his calm assurance in the work of God.
Every trial is undoubtedly an opportunity for new spiritual experience — one that deepens a person’s understanding of God’s care, His work, and His deliverance.
In His mercy and compassion, God has also set certain rules for the trials He allows to come upon us. Among these:
1. God does not allow a trial beyond our human strength.
He knows — in His infinite wisdom — the measure of each person’s capacity to endure.
He never allows a trial to come except within the limits of what a person can bear.
Someone may ask: “How could Job the Righteous endure such severe trials — the death of his children, the loss of his wealth, his health, and the betrayal of his friends? Who could bear all that?”
The answer is that God knew Job’s spiritual strength and that he was capable of bearing it. Therefore, He allowed it.
But you — do not be afraid. If you had the spiritual stature of Job, you too could endure such trials. Yet God will never allow you to be tested beyond your ability to withstand.
2. God never allows a hardship without providing a way of escape.
Every problem comes with its solution. There is no trial so dark that no ray of light can pierce it.
There is no reason for despair, for the solution exists — though sometimes it requires patience and time, through which we learn to wait on the Lord.
The faithful one looks toward the problem with hope, seeing the coming solution through faith, love, and the power of God. God can grant endurance and patience.
3. Every trial that God allows is for good — or leads to good.
“All things work together for good to those who love God.”
Even when the problem seems evil in itself, God, in His goodness, can transform it into good.
Thus the believer trusts in the goodness of trials — whether in the moment or later on.
Therefore, trials do not crush him, press him down, or steal his peace.
As was often said:
“A tribulation is called a ‘tightness’ because the heart has become too narrow to contain it;
but a wide heart is never made narrow by anything.”
4. Every trial has a set time — it will end.
No hardship lasts forever.
In every trial you face, you can say: “It will pass.”
There will come a time when it ends peacefully.
But during that time, you must remain calm and composed.
Do not weaken or collapse, nor belittle yourself before the trial.
Do not lose your confidence in God’s intervention, help, and protection.
Know that trials are beneficial — undoubtedly so.
If they were not beneficial, the compassionate God would not allow them.
And how many virtues can be gained if we face trials in a spiritual way!
They strengthen the soul, grant experience — in handling problems, in faith, and in trust in God’s work.
They teach wisdom, endurance, and steadfastness under pressure — and patience until the trial passes.
Without entering the furnace of trials, souls would remain fragile and spoiled — unable to face hardship, untrained to endure or to overcome.
