While it is expected that the just shall live their faith, the trial of their faith is a sure thing that will come to every believer. As it is required of every steward to be faithful (1 Corinthians 4: 2), bearing precious seed in the time of trial of our faith is proof of our faithfulness. Since faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10: 17), the trial of our faith is a test of how much we treasure the word of God, how much we trust and obey the word of God and how far we are ready to live by the word. The time of trial will prove what the word that brings faith has produced in us. The timing, the setting of this trial, is God’s prerogative.
The scripture is replete with people of faith who bore precious seed during the time of trial of their faith. Our forerunner Abraham, the Father of faith, waited for a child promised him for 25 years. The bible says in Romans 4: 20 that he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but he was strong in faith, giving glory to God. This was the precious seed he bore.
Job suffered the loss of all things and was taunted by his wife to curse God for his calamity. In all the time of his trial, Job bore precious seed, his song was : ” I know my redeemer lives.”
Daniel, in the face of envy and conspiracy against him, when the king Nebuchadnezzar was made to pass a decree to cause Daniel to deny God, the man Daniel defied the conspiracy, he went to an upper room in his house that has the window opened facing toward Jerusalem (Daniel 6: 10) and prayed to God as he was wont to do. When he was thrown into the lion’s den, his testimony was: “My God sent His angel, and he (the angel) shut the mouth of the lions. They have not hurt me because I was found innocent in God’s sight, nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king.”
What more can we say of Joseph, of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, of Ruth, Esther. They all did not turn back in the face of fiery trial of their faith. When there was no hope in the horizon, they remained faithful and committed to God. Apostle Paul suffered shipwrecks, was stoned and left for dead, was beaten with rod on three occasions, but his pursuit of God was not daunted. His cry was: “That I may know Him.” (Philippians 3: 10). What examples of faith these men and women have left us, that we like them, might stand our ground and bear our precious seed in the time of trial of our faith. No two trials of faith are the same. It comes with diversity of setting, duration, and intensity, but the end is assured and safe: “they shall doubtless return with rejoicing, bringing sheaves with them.” (Psalm 126: 6)
The trial of our faith works in us or is expected to work in us patience (James 1: 3). This is where most people fall apart. They fall apart in endurance, in steadfastness, in perseverance and in faithfulness that is required and which takes time because the trial at the end, is expected to work in us a far more exceeding weight of glory (sheaves). Hence, apostle James commanded in verse 4 of James chapter 1: “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” We must surrender ourselves to God and not try to be manipulative or do anything untoward. We must learn to wait and incline our hearts toward God in an age of humanism and split-thinking fad where it is not fashionable to wait on God.
The word of God should be our firm foundation in times of trials because He who has promised is not a man that He should lie. He who has spoken is mighty to execute the word that comes out of His mouth. For father Abraham, he held unto the word of promise. For Esther, she held unto to the righteous instruction to intercede for her people. For Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, it was the statutes of the LORD that was their firm foundation. For apostle Paul and other apostles, it was the word made flesh that was their firm foundation. For all these great examples of men and women set before us, it was the LORD God and His word that was their firm foundation in the face of great trials of their faith.
The times of trial of our faith is a time to be at our best, a time to look unto God and abandon ourselves in His hand while we abound in thanksgiving and praises. Our faith should be such that can sing through tribulation because though we pass through the valley of shadow of death, we should fear no evil because His rod and His staff (the Spirit of the LORD, our Comforter), comfort us. We fear in times of trial of faith because His love is not made perfect in us. What makes His love perfect in us?our obedience. Perfect love truly cast out fear (1 John 4: 18). Daniel said to the King, ” The LORD sent His angel to shut the mouth of lion because I am found innocent in His sight and have done no wrong before the king himself. That should be our testimony of the love of God made perfect in us. The trial of faith is not the same thing as tribulation, which is a result of wrongdoing. We should be able to stand before God and man in matters we are judged by and be found innocent.
What seed do we bear in times of trial. The time of trial of our faith is not a time of preparation. It is a time of revelation of who we are. It is a time that reveal what is in our hearts. The bible enjoins believers in Proverbs chapter 4 verse 23: “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it are issues of life.”
A time of trial is coming upon all the inhabitants of the world (Revelation 3: 10). Some are already going through trials of faith. What seed do we bear in such momentary times. Is it murmur, self-centeredness, is it bad behaviour, taking it out on others or blaming others. Is it a seed of putting hands into iniquity and justifying ourselves?. Or is it a seed of faithfulness, of praises to God, of selflessness, of seeking the LORD the more in prayer, meditation and study of the word of God? There is doubtless an end, and the result we get is based on what we incline our hearts unto. All the virgins were fair like Esther, but everyone of them followed their heart’s inclination. Only Esther asked for nothing except what the king’s Eunuch, Hegai gave her (Esther 2: 15). Esther’s heart was truly for the king. She desired nothing of her own. The mark of the perilous time we are in and which is ahead is that men will be lovers of self and not God (2 Timothy 3:2).The times of trial show up what is in the heart. As believers of Christ, we are enjoined to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. This is what we should prepare our hearts for because the time of the trial of our faith is a time of showing up what is in our hearts.
The book of 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 17 says: ” For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” The trial of faith that we face is always momentary, this we must put to heart. The purpose of the trial of our faith is to work in us a far exceeding weight of glory, which is eternal. This is worth our patience, our perseverance, our steadfastness, and our faithfulness. We must have the end in sight and not on the momentary trial we are going through. This is because the word of God cannot be broken, there is doubtless an end as we read in Psalm 126 verse 6: “He that goes forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” It is time to break up the fallow ground of our hearts and sow unto ourselves fruit of righteousness which are by Christ (the word of God made flesh).
The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times (Psalm12: 6). So also the faith that comes by the words of God has to be flawless, tried as silver in a furnace of earth. So when the Word comes to prove the content of the faith in our hearts, it is what we have planted therein by our obedience to the word and living by the word that should show, not anything else, so that the LORD might have good fruit in us. We are saved to bear fruit (fruit of the Spirit) and that our fruit should abide (John 15: 16).
