Lesson Two - God Permits Trials
…was led up by the Spirit
The Holy Spirit led Jesus to the wilderness for the purpose of His testing by Satan. This implies that the temptation of Jesus was sanctioned in the same way that God sanctioned the trial of Job, and sanctions the trials of all those He calls children or sons. Such trial is a proving of who we really are to the world, for the real children of God ought to respond to the temptations by which Satan holds the children of darkness captive differently. It is not a trial to destroy us. Permitted by God, it is measured and controlled to build us up. Peter wrote to the believers who were under stress to be mindful of the fact that the distresses and trials they were going through were necessary (1Pe 1:6) and not strange (1Pe 6:12). Paul even carefully sequenced the successive benefits of trials, temptations and sufferings (Ro 5:2-5). We are assured that God will not permit us to be tested beyond our ability to endure ( 1Co 10:13)
Elisha’s vision in 2Kings 6: 15-17 is always a good reminder for us that although our physical eyes behold the enemy encamped all around us, the eyes of faith should see the army of God surrounding the enemy, ready to crush him before it has devoured us.
The Holy Spirit led Jesus to the wilderness for the purpose of His testing by Satan. This implies that the temptation of Jesus was sanctioned in the same way that God sanctioned the trial of Job, and sanctions the trials of all those He calls children or sons. Such trial is a proving of who we really are to the world, for the real children of God ought to respond to the temptations by which Satan holds the children of darkness captive differently. It is not a trial to destroy us. Permitted by God, it is measured and controlled to build us up. Peter wrote to the believers who were under stress to be mindful of the fact that the distresses and trials they were going through were necessary (1Pe 1:6) and not strange (1Pe 6:12). Paul even carefully sequenced the successive benefits of trials, temptations and sufferings (Ro 5:2-5). We are assured that God will not permit us to be tested beyond our ability to endure ( 1Co 10:13)
Elisha’s vision in 2Kings 6: 15-17 is always a good reminder for us that although our physical eyes behold the enemy encamped all around us, the eyes of faith should see the army of God surrounding the enemy, ready to crush him before it has devoured us.
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