Would like to share the following thoughts.

In our Christian experience, as we begin to live by faith in the Word of God, the promises become very important to us. We are given promises by others; we claim promises for ourselves; and there are those promises which God gives you. In the last category, we feel sometimes that the promise given by God is 'painful'. For instance, Psalm 121.7 'The LORD will protect you from all evil'. You may ask, 'Lord, why evil? Am I going to experience something bad in my life?' We would prefer to have a 'smoother', more comfortable, promise.

But after going through a trial involving an attack by the Enemy (slander, vilification, injustice, ill-treatment), you begin to realize that Psalm 121.7 becomes very real. It is as if that word (given by God, in your daily reading of the Word) has been proved to be true through painful experience.

Or take another example: Matt 5.10. We say, 'Lord, why this persecution? Can't I have a smoother life?' But after going through the experience of persecution (suffering wrongdoing, insult, reproach), you realize that you've come on to 'higher ground' spiritually. You understand more; your spiritual capacity increases.

The above are just two examples. But my simple point is that the Word of God has to be tested & proved in personal experience & life. Then we can truly say, 'This is MY promise. I suffered for it. It is mine. Thank you, Lord. Your word is faithful & true. It never fails.'

Can I have responses to this?

Greetings pollux

Ok, Mary Jane, let me explain. (And I pray that the Lord will make this very clear to you.)

You know about promises. According to one assessment, there are about 8000 clear promises in the Bible. But there are certain verses that 'touch' you (register in your spirit) in your reading of the Bible, especially during a trial. At first you don't particularly notice them, but as the trial continues (and God does make us wait!), we begin to give up. Our faith cannot bear the strain. But the verse (promise) has spoken to you, and you are tested by that promise, Psalm 105.19. You hold on to the promise; rather, the promise holds on to you.

Finally, after months of waiting, a long period of pain and travail, you come out of the trial. At long last you have been delivered from the storm, brought out from the depths of the sea. When you look back, that one verse or those few verses seem to take on a special significance. Those promises become very precious to you, having been 'tested & proved' during that long trial.

For example: Isaiah 43.2; Psalm 107.29,30; 1 John 4.4 - from my own experience. I can say these are MY promises. God made them very real & precious in my life, during my trials.

Greetings pollux

I do think I have a better understanding of what you are saying, thank you for clarifying that for me. I think what threw me from your first post was that you said: "that the Word of God has to be tested & proved in personal experience & life. Then we can truly say, 'This is MY promise. I suffered for it."

that is the part that I need to pray about and put before the Lord. For me personally I have found that the Bible passages and promises prove themselves. I find that I see the truth in His promises most when life's trails first come at me and its those promises and His faithfulness to them that carries me through those times. Jesus sustains me during the storm. (I am getting sleepy perhaps we are saying similar things:)

Thanks for sharing you heart on this I will be praying about it some more.

God Bless
maryjane

I am really surprised that this thread has been moved to the section Scripture and Doctrine. It is actually a matter of life, of living by faith.

This does not involve theological debate. It is practical life, practical faith, the word of God wrought into our lives by the tests & trials of faith.

I hope the moderators understand.

Well, this is a deeper thread, and I will let it lie in cold storage in the Scripture & Doctrine section. Otherwise, it can be misunderstood. It relates to the deeper life of faith. Ps 105.19 can throw light on it.

(Rom 5:3) And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

(Rom 5:4) And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

(Rom 5:5) And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Research this one in the Greek. Tribulations put our endurance to work, much like one would put a team of horses to work. Our endurance leads to victory. We experience the faithfulness of God. He ALWAYS comes through and because we endured to the end, we experience that result of our faith not wavering. This experience causes us to have confidence that God will be faithful again (This is hope).

Some believe that God either sends or allows the persecution for redemptive purpose. I am not one of those. Persecution comes for the word sake (Matt. 13). Persecution comes from the enemy to try to destroy us. However, God is able to take even the difficult stuff that He told us we would suffer and work it for our good according to His power that works in us.

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Travis

You know, Wayne, I'm talking about the word being proven in our life, in our experience. We have to go through the experience of proving that God's word given to us (in our trials, in our sorrowful moments, as a means of comfort), is 'faithful and true'. That it will never fail.

For instance, Isaiah 41.10. We have to prove by our experience that God is always with us, and He strengthens us, and He helps us, and He upholds us, and He delivers us. And He is true to all His promises in the word of God. Not just the promises that we know are promises, but the word of God specifically spoken to us in our struggles and sorrows.

I am talking about experience, which is more than creed or doctrine. That I may KNOW Him!

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Travis

God is so faithful! He really does carry us through and sustain us during all our storms.