Do you have strength under fire when adversity hits? Do you go to the Lord when fear hits you? Or do you go to something that’s as temporary as a crutch? Is the Lord pushing you into deeper waters of faith? 

Pastor Javon Ruff said in his message on Sunday, that it's necessary for us to go through negative things for our faith to grow. You may not be able to see what God is doing, He could be preparing you for something that you have been waiting for. 

What if the trouble you are going through will lead to stronger faith? That faith needs refining sometimes when things get tough because everything you go through can either make you stronger or weaker depending on what you lean on. 

In his message, Pastor Ruff mentioned how gold is refined and made pure through fire until the refiner can see his face in it. That is what God is doing through you, He wants to make you like His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus suffered so that he could be glorified. If we want to reign with him, then we must suffer first. We must have all our defects and faults burned out so we can be used for God’s glory. It may not be fun but it's necessary.

We need to dive deeper into God’s word and in prayer when we are under fire. That is how our faith gets stronger and bigger, not going back to our old ways or habits. Jesus knew what lay ahead of him and still set his face towards Jerusalem. 

He endured the cross and looked ahead towards the future, towards the day when 10 thousand people would be worshiping God. 

The apostle Paul looked past his execution and saw the crown that would be given to him by the Lord. Think of all the ones who were martyred for their faith. They all rejoiced to have suffered for the Lord and to die for him. 

In order to be of maximum use we need to be pressed and crushed. Just like a rose that is crushed so that its scent will be diffused and spread, we too must be diffused like Paul said in 2 Corinthians 2:15-17, so that our aroma or fragrance will be diffused and spread among the saved and unsaved. 

Dear Heavenly Father,

I offer You praise and glory for Your faithfulness to me in both the good times and tough times. When I face hardships along my journey, help me not to view them as stumbling blocks that cause me to fear, anger, or dread, rather help me to focus on You and Your Word, to see what lessons I need to learn during those times. Give me the wisdom to know what the lesson is, to learn it, and move closer to You. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. 

Think back to a recent time of struggle which you’ve had to endure. In what manner did you handle the situation? Did you mumble and complain, wondering why God didn’t take it away? Did you have a defeated mentality, or did you seek God’s guidance in learning the lesson He needed you to learn? Seek Him now and ask Him to show you what you needed to learn during those times you failed to seek him, so that you can pursue gaining His wisdom in that lesson.