Week 20- “The Same God Who Brought You To This Trial Will Bring You Through It!”

Scriptures:

Hebrews 9:11

John 14

D&C 121:7-8

D&C 123:17

Job 1: 21

Ether 2

General Conference Address:  

“An High Priest of Good Things to Come” Elder Jeffrey R Holland CR 10/1999

“Consistent and Resilient Trust” Elder L Todd Budge CR 10/2019

Thought:

What is the opposite of hope?  I’ve concluded it to be despair.  Feelings of hopelessness, darkness, fear, and destruction are in direct opposition to hope.  And how powerful is hope? It can cut through all of those emotions and give a person light, faith and creation!  It’s amazing!  

When we encounter a trial, it’s easy to despair.  It’s easy to assume that God has forsaken us or that we’ve done something to earn exile and separation.  In truth, he was there in the beginning, he’ll be there at the end and he is there now. Any perceived separation is done by us, walking away from his help.  His arms are always outstretched to offer help and healing.  In order to grow and become, we must be challenged, strained and even exhausted.  Just like muscles. It is myopic of us to think that we’re alone in this journey.  God might be silent for a season, but that hardly means that we’ll be alone.  The same God who brought us to this trial, will be there to help bring us through it.

Invitation: 

The next time you feel a trial in your life, answer these questions:

1- What good could come of this trial if I endure it well?

2- What value or growth could come from these temporary feelings of doubt/fear/despair/loneliness etc?

3- What spiritual muscles are growing or could grow as a result of this struggle?

4- How can I look outward to help others instead of inward to my own needs during this trial?  How will doing so during a trial help me become more like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?