TRIUMPHANT IN OUR TRIALS

But He said to them, “Where is your faith?”  (Luke 8:25a)

Trials are universal—they come to rich and poor, young and old, male and female, saints and sinners.  Trials are unavoidable—sooner or later we all face them.  But, God’s people can be unconquerable—with Jesus we may be tested by trials, but are meant to be triumphant over them.  In the eighth chapter of Luke we note four such trials.

We can be triumphant over THE PERIL OF STORMS (v.22-25).  Life will not be all sunshine; there will be storms, also.  In these verses, Jesus dramatically demonstrates that He is Lord of all—storms are not an accident, but an appointment.  Nothing ever happens by chance or luck.  An all-knowing and almighty God has everything under control.  Did you notice that Jesus went with them into the storm?  He has promised to never leave us, nor forsake us! There was a manifestation of His presence that they would have never received had they evaded the storm.  His promise was that they would get to the other side—and He will do that for you!  Here’s the question, “Where is your faith?” (v.25) 

 

We can be triumphant over THE POWER OF SATAN (v.26-39).  This man was held in the grip of evil.  The result was nakedness, self-destructiveness, and he was uncontrollable.  That sounds so much like the world we live in today—Satan is on a rampage and holds many in bondage.  Again, Jesus shows His authority—not only over the peril of storms, but the power of Satan.  Jesus casts out the demons and this tortured soul puts on his clothes, becomes mentally stable, and bows to Him.  The result is that the man wants to follow Jesus.  The Lord tells him to start by telling his family about what great things the Lord has done for him.  He doesn’t stop there, but shares his testimony with the whole city.  We also have a testimony of God’s great grace that delivered us.  Yes, the days are demonic, but God has raised us up for “such a time as this.”

 

We can be triumphant over THE PAIN OF SICKNESS (v.40-48).  Jairus had a daughter who was terminally ill.  He comes seeking Jesus, but, on the way another woman—gripped by incurable sickness—reaches out to Jesus and His power flows into her and heals her!  Her sickness drove her to physicians who couldn’t cure her, but finally to Christ who did!  Pain can propel us to seek Christ, and that is a good place to be!

 

We can be triumphant over THE PROBLEM OF SORROW (v.49-56).  Sorrow was an opportunity for Christ to demonstrate His authority over death.  As the Lord of Life, He holds the keys of death, hell and the grave.  Because He has overcome death, it has been transformed into “sleeping” for the child of God.  The voice of Christ will someday awaken all who sleep in Jesus as He did for this girl.  Death does not get the last word!  Through Christ, it is overcome by eternal life!

 

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”  (Rom.8:37)  How may we experience this?  “And this is the victory that has overcome ther world—our faith.”  (1 John 5:4b)  Jesus now asks us, “Where is your faith?”