God's Design for Seasons of Trial
- Rebecca Galeskas
- Mar 1
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 3
The Bible has much to say about facing trials and challenges in life. These five scriptures have been of great encouragement to me personally and are a great place to get started when it comes to understanding God’s design for seasons of trial in our lives and allowing Him to work within us during challenges.
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Take Heart
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
These words are straight out of the mouth of our Savior. He is trustworthy and true, so we can be certain of two things from this scripture: 1) we will face trouble and hardship in this life, and 2) Jesus has the victory over all of it.
Even just knowing that trouble is a certainty of life on earth is a sort of encouragement. Why? Because we know that there is nothing we can do in our power to avoid it. The only way out is through, and the only good way through is following Jesus. There is only one way to overcome trouble and that is Jesus Himself. He has trampled all the effects of sin and death under His foot, and we can rest assured that when we put our faith in Him, we will reap the ultimate reward of that when we are united with Him for eternity in heaven. Until then, even though we walk through trial and suffering, we cling to hope knowing that God is faithful and will one day restore all things.
Suffering produces spiritual maturity
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
These two scriptures from Romans and James are mirrors of one another and have helped me personally find purpose in the challenges of life. Paul tells us to “glory in our sufferings” while James tells us to count it “pure joy” when we walk through trials and hardships. They both proceed to point to the same reason we should rejoice in these troubles – they produce perseverance within us which then produces character, hope, and, when fully realized, spiritual maturity.
Throughout my life, as I have walked through various trials, I have seen the truth of these scriptures firsthand. When we dig in amid hardship and allow God to work within us in the process, we come out refined and with a fresh perspective and deeper firsthand understanding of who God is. Certainly, God works within us each and every day, but the pressure and intensity of challenging seasons magnifies and multiplies God’s work in our lives.
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All of this is a display of God’s love in our lives. He does not create the hardship, but He allows the hardship and does a good work in us as a result. This is what Romans 8:28 is speaking of when it says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This “good” does not mean comfortable circumstances but rather the greatest good of all – a deeper, closer relationship with Christ. Communion with God is the good we were created for in the first place, so when God works things for good in our life, it will always be to draw us closer to Him despite what the earthly circumstances may look like.
God takes what the enemy meant for evil and works it out for good in our lives (Genesis 50:20). If we will be obedient to the process and allow Him to work within us, God will use the hardest parts of our story to sanctify us the most.
Hardship proves our faith and results in praise and glory to God
In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
Both of these scriptures, one from the Old Testament and one from the New, share the same message and hope. God will use the hardships we face for our good and His glory. He does not leave us where we are. He will always have the victory, and when we are in Him, that means we, too, will always have the victory. Like gold refined by fire or an oak after a storm, we will stand as a testament to God’s goodness and greatness.
The metaphors used in these scriptures have a lot to reveal to us about God’s purpose for hardship in our lives. Peter compares us to gold, refined by fire. As trials purify our faith, so fire purifies gold, removing all the impurities and unnecessary excess to unveil its true beauty and innate value.
Likewise, an oak, as mentioned in Isaiah, is known to be among the strongest and most resilient trees, able to withstand heavy wind and storms. But an oak isn’t just known for its ability to withstand storms; even more so, it’s known to get stronger with each storm it withstands. In the same way, when we are in Christ, the trials and challenges we face will serve to strengthen us, not tear us down. Then, in the end, we will stand tall in testimony to who God is.
If you are walking through hardship today
I pray these scriptures encourage you as they have me. In addition to leaning on the Word of God, here’s a few more steps to take if you are living in a season of challenge and trial:
Talk to a trusted friend – God has not made us to walk through life alone. Be honest with a trusted friend or family member and allow them to walk alongside you.
Get rooted in church – There is power in the family of God, and God uses His Church to build us up in the faith. If there is ever a time to dig in at Church, it’s in times of hardship.
Make time to take care of yourself – Carve out time in your day to walk or workout, read a good book, take a hot shower, grab a cup of coffee, or whatever it is that fills your cup. Even if it is just a few minutes, taking time to breathe and care for yourself amid trials has the power to change the trajectory of your day.
Set good habits – Our habits run themselves once we set them in place. That’s why having good habits established is a wonderful way to stand strong during trials. Practice spiritual and practical disciplines every day to keep yourself on track and grounded.
Pray without ceasing – Seek God moment by moment, day by day. He will be faithful to guide you. As David did in the Psalms, we can pour out our hearts to God in both joy and pain, so don’t hesitate to cry out to God in your need. Then, keep your heart and spirit tuned toward Him to hear His guidance. The more you listen, the easier it is to discern His voice and follow the Holy Spirit.
And in all this, I pray that God will be your strength and comfort amidst whatever challenges you are walking through. We know He will reign victorious over all, and our hope remains secure in that promise.
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