Author: Sandra Bivens Smith

Passing the Test: Turning Trials Into Triumph

/ Sandra Bivens Smith

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)

Although I have been out of school going on 60 years, I can still recall those painful nights of studying for a test. I say “painful” because my dad, being one who put great stock in learning, was my tutor. He would quiz me for what seemed like hours until I either got every answer right or I ran from the room in tears. Little did I realize how, in those painful study sessions, dad was not only preparing me for the test I would be having in school, he was preparing me for the difficult, and sometimes more painful tests of life. Daddy didn’t pressure me to learn because he was cruel, on the contrary, he did it because he loved me and wanted only the best for me. Just as  my earthly father helped to prepare me for my test at school, my Heavenly Father, through the trials He sends and through the tutorship of His Word, prepares me for all of life.

Becoming a Christian is easy, being a Christian, not so much. Jesus Himself told us this in John 16:33, “…In the world you have tribulation…”There is a saying “you are either coming out of a trial, in a trial, or getting ready to go through a trial”. That pretty much sums up life doesn’t it? Even the Christian life? Yes, even the Christian life, especially the Christian life. 

When James tells us to count our trials as joy, he is telling us that it’s not about the size or even the severity of our trial, it’s about our attitude. Look at the rest of John 16:33 “…but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Whatever testing we may be going through, Jesus has gone before us and He has already won the victory on our behalf. 

Maybe you have wondered, as I have, why God would make His children go through hard times. God tells us why in 2 Chronicles 32:31, it says “God left him to test him that he [we] might know all that was in his [our] heart.” God knows us. He knows all about us. He doesn’t test us so He can know but so we can. God sends us trials to  test our faith and reveal to us:

  1. The strength of our faith (whether we press on or give up.) 
  2. The character of our faith (whether we face the trial with confidence or go crawl under the covers.)
  3. The humility of our faith (whether we try to go it on our own or turn it over to God)
  4. The focus of our faith. (whether we are engulfed by worldly things or things set above). 
  5. The affections of our faith. (Our trials test what we really love.)

Knowledge is power. So then, our trials, having revealed the measure of our faith, inform and empower us to do what is needed to strengthen our faith. After all, isn’t stronger faith the goal? Remember the little boy’s father in Mark 9, “I believe; help my unbelief”? (Mark 9:24b)

Trials cannot destroy true faith because true faith is a gift from God, and true saving faith is forever. We are secure because God has given us an undying faith.  

Trials most often come without warning. They can cause us to feel overwhelmed, as if we are drowning – going down for the third time. We struggle against them until we realize that there’s no way out but through. And yet, James tells us to “consider it all joy”? How do we do that? We look upward and forward. We look ahead to what God is doing. We look beyond the temporal to the eternal. I think Paul put it this way – keep your eyes on the prize [my translation]. 

James gives us five things that are required for us to persevere through our trials. If we commit to put these disciplines into practice James tells us we will not simply endure the trials, we will be blessed in them (v.12).  

Five things that are required. 

  1. A  joyous attitude. v.2
  2. An understanding mind. v.3-4
  3. A submissive will. v.5
  4. A believing heart. v.6-8
  5. A humble spirit. v.9-11

We are not in this alone. Remember, our Father is sovereign and He meets the needs of His own. God is always with us and He has a plan. He is powerful enough to work that plan. He is wise enough that we can be confident it is the right plan. He is faithful and will never put us through something that He doesn’t give us the grace to endure.

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus”.

Philippians 4:19

Faith is a gift from God. The kind of faith He gives endures the test. The more faith is tested, the more it’s proven. And the more it’s proven, the more confidence you enjoy in that faith, and the stronger your hope becomes. True faith will persevere, it doesn’t matter what happens. One of the things that trials do to us is put us in a position where no human resources can solve the problem. Our senses tell us to value pleasure, to value what makes us happy – Faith teaches us to value God and His work. Sense tells us to value earthly security, earthly protection, earthly support – Faith tells us to value divine grace poured out in the midst of suffering.

In Psalm 81:10 we read, “I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt,” “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” Don’t you like that? That’s how God is. He doesn’t say, “Here’s a morsel you undeserving wretch.” He says, “Open your mouth as wide as you can and I will fill you.”

God doesn’t want us to simply survive the test; His desire is for us to come out on the other side triumphantly. To do that we need to know who our God is. We need to have a sound understanding of His nature.

Our God is:

Immutable. He doesn’t change, He doesn’t alter. The character of God is fixed and established. He doesn’t need to change, never has, never will. 

Sovereign. There is no power that can thwart His plan.

Faithful. He is the strength of your heart. He will fill you with joy and courage when you put your trust in Him. 

George Whitefield said, “All trials are for two ends, that we may be better acquainted with the Lord Jesus and better acquainted with our own hearts.” Seems to me those could be pretty good words to remember when we are struggling to turn our trials into triumphs. 

For Further Encouragement 

“Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; don’t fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; don’t fret; it leads only to evildoing.” (Psalm 37:7)

“O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me.” (Psalm 131)

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for 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”.  (Isaiah 40:28-30)

“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you”. (Matthew 5:10-11)

“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full”. (John 15:11)

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us”. (Romans 5:3-5)

“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ”. (1 Peter 1:6-7)

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.  (1 Peter 5:10)

*This devotion was inspired by a sermon series “How to Endure Trials”, John MacArthur, 1999.

Grace and Peace,

Sandra

Lessons From the Garden

/ Sandra Bivens Smith

He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit. -Jeremiah 17:8

Full disclosure. I am not a gardener. As a matter of fact, I would be the first to admit that when it comes to plants of any kind, I have what could be called a “black thumb”. However, those who do know about such things will tell you that understanding root depth is crucial for successful cultivation.

According to the experts, deep-rooted plants have the ability to access water and nutrients from deeper soil layers, making them more drought-tolerant and resilient. Because they can penetrate deeply into the soil, they are also able to reach sources of water from deep underground. This allows plants with deep roots to sustain themselves and withstand a period of drought during hot climates. Deep roots also provide a stronger support system and are better anchored to withstand strong winds. Having deep roots provide the right stability, moisture, structure, and access to nutrients; resources which helps them survive a variety of conditions during tough conditions.

I am told that when you water a plant it is important to water deeply, otherwise in their search for water, the roots will grow toward the surface of the soil, making them weak and unable to withstand drought and other adverse conditions.

Are you seeing my point?

Our spiritual growth is much like a plant, the deeper our roots, the stronger our faith. So, how do we develop deep roots of faith?

We till the soil through prayer.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. – John 15:16

We water the soil by studying God’s word.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. –Psalm 1:1-3

We produce fruit by walking in the Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. -Galatians 5:22-23

We harvest the fruit by sharing the gospel.

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. -Luke 10:1-2)

Just as a well-rooted plant withstands storms and drought, our faith flourishes when it is firmly rooted in Christ. Deep roots don’t grow by accident—they’re cultivated through intentional time in prayer, consistent study of God’s Word, a Spirit-led life, and a willingness to share the hope we’ve found. The deeper our roots, the stronger our witness and the steadier our hearts, no matter what comes our way. So dig deep, stay grounded, and trust God to bring fruit in every season.  

Grace and Peace,

Sandra

Who God Is

/ Sandra Bivens Smith / 1 Comment
Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com

Lately I have been troubled concerning how our world, even our Christian world, seems to have either forgotten, or chosen to ignore who God is.

In Revelation 2:4 Jesus reprimands the church at Ephesus for having forgotten their first love. As the scripture reads, they were doing all the “right things” but, apparently, not from the right motive. In his commentary, Adam Clarke writes – “They did not retain that strong and ardent affection for God and sacred things which they had when first brought to the knowledge of the truth, and justified by faith in Christ.

I believe we are experiencing this same problem both in our churches and in our personal lives.

For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. (Psalm 95:3-7)

We learn so much about God from these few verses.

We learn that the LORD is Jehovah God – The Self Existent, Eternal One. God is not a created being. He is our Alpha and Omega, He was always and will be always. In this we can be certain, God is not going anywhere.

We learn that He is EL God – a God of strength, power and might. Because He is EL, we can have great confidence for the trials of this life. Romans 8:31 reminds us, “What then shall we say, if God is for us, who can be against us?”  We have His word that whatever forces may come against us, no matter how strong, He is stronger.

We learn that He is Maker God – Creator of all things. The apostle John clearly affirms it when he writes “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  (John 1:3). There are two Hebrew words for Maker,  Asah and Bara. Both words mean to create, to choose, keep, maintain, commit. God is the absolute Master of universal nature. He is our absolute Master. Having created us, He has committed to keep us and has chosen to have a covenant relationship with us through His son Jesus.

We learn that He is El-Ohiym God – Supreme God who alone is worthy of our praise and worship.

There is something more to be learned from Psalm 95, we learn who we are to Christ. The Psalmist leaves us with a sweet reminder that this God, this Great and Mighty God, is also our gentle Shepherd. He will pasture us, lead us, feed us, shear us, protect us, and even die for us.

As we have learned, God’s names are His attributes. His essence, His strength, His creativity and His loving care should propel our hearts to worship Him. What we have learned about God should lead us, as the Psalmist says, to come and bow down, to kneel before the LORD for He alone if worthy.

Grace and Peace,

Sandra

Christmas Memories

/ Sandra Bivens Smith / 2 Comments

Christmas Day. That day of the year when all the excitement, anticipation, and expectation of the recent weeks comes to fruition.

Families and friends will gather.  Songs will be sung.  Stories will be told.  Gifts will be exchanged.  Meals will be shared.  Common family traditions, held each Christmas season to honor the memories of Christmases past and to hold on to the hope of those that are to come.

Friends and family have left to go back to their homes and their own celebrations. With the last good-bye the voices and laughter are gone, replaced by an unwelcomed quiet.

The beautiful bows and wrappings lie crumpled on the floor.  The sink is piled with dishes.  Only a couple glasses and some used napkins remain on the table as a reminder of the meal that was lovingly prepared and excitedly enjoyed.  

The Lady makes her way back to the kitchen, to the pots and pans waiting there for her.  She will stand at her sink and wash each one; almost with the same love as when she filled them with the makings of the meal she prepared just hours earlier.  And, as she does so, she reflects and remembers other years, other Christmas meals.  There are some tears but mostly smiles. More likely than not, a chuckle or two as she recalls a funny word or the antics of a child.

With the last pot scrubbed and put away and the dish towels hung to dry, she will look around, hoping to spot something more to do; not yet ready for her hands or her mind to be idle.  She is not ready for the total silence she knows is waiting for her – not yet.  Just as with the shopping, decorating, gift-wrapping and all the planning, this is part of her own Christmas Tradition.  It is a tradition handed down from her mother and her mother before her.  More than any of the traditions, this is the one most difficult to let go of, because it is the one that bonds her to her cherished memories of Christmases past.

But, as with all days, this one too must finally be allowed to end.  The Lady takes the stairs toward the world of sleep.  With her head resting on the pillow, she realizes, with some surprise, just how tired she is.  A few more moments of reflection lead her to offer up a prayer of praise and gratitude for her many blessings and a petition for her loved ones; especially those far away or for some other reason were missing from the celebration.

At last, though somewhat reluctantly, she gives in to the quiet and allows the sleep to come.  As her mind drifts into it’s slumber, one final thought remains – “will there be another”?

Wishing you and yours all the blessings of Christmas.

Sandra