Why Does God Allow Trials?

First published October 7, 2010. Revised and expanded July 2018 & January 2025.

Pastor Robert Hammond

People often ask why the LORD allows believers to experience injuries, illnesses and other trials.  This short articles answers three related questions:

1. What does the Bible teach about God’s purposes for trials?

2. How should believers respond to trials?

3. What is our proper attitude about trials?

What does the Bible Teach About God’s Purposes for Trials?

1. The Lord Uses Trials to Demonstrate His Comfort. Sometimes, the LORD simply wants us to experience his comfort so that we can be better-equipped to comfort others. Consider this verse that Paul wrote to the church members at Corinth: 

(2 Corinthians 1:3-5)   Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;  4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort  them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.  5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

2. The Lord Uses Trials to Encourage Our Spiritual Growth.

Psalm 66:10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. 11 Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. 12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.

James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

Romans 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience.

3. Sometimes, the Lord Uses Trials to Correct Us. Often, we see that the LORD allows great trials into our lives  in order to get our attention. In Psalm 119:67, the psalmist wrote, “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.” And Psalm 119:71 states, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes."  How true it is that the LORD can use serious afflictions to correct us!

4. The Lord Uses Trials in Our Life to Reach Others. Of course, in the case of Job, we also see that, sometimes, the trial has nothing at all to do with us!  But the LORD can still use our response to the trial as a testimony to others -- as He did when Paul, Silas and Timothy were imprisoned at Philippi (Acts 16).

5. The Lord Uses Trials to Encourage Humility. In 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul states, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.” There, we see that the Lord permitted Satan to cause Paul to suffer a physical affliction — in order to encourage Paul to remain humble.

How May Believers Endure Trials?

1. Understand that the Lord provides strength to endure trials. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul writes of Christ's response to his prayer for deliverance from a physical trial.  There, Christ asserts, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."

2. Trust that the Lord is sovereign to accomplish his good purposes in trials. Praise God for the knowledge that “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Ro. 8:28)

3. Pray - with the knowledge that the Lord promises peace and deliverance from trials:

   Phil 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

   Psalm 34:17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

4. Find strength in God’s words.

Psalm 119:92 Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.

Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

5. Rely on the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

John 14:16-17: "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever."

6. Stay connected to your church.

Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

What should Our Attitude Be Regarding Trials?

In 2 Corinthians 12:8, Paul states, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Both Peter and James also express the Lord's desire that we rejoice in trials -- knowing that He is working in trials to accomplish our growth. In James 1:2, the Lord commands, "... count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." And in 1 Peter 4:12, the Bible states:

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified."

Praise God for the certainty that he is working in our trials. And praise him that believers have the certain hope that trials will end!

Encouraging Examples of Humility

Pastor Robert Hammond

Growing in our walk with Christ involves accepting the truth that life is more about humbly serving him than about pridefully living to serve ourselves. John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). In John 12-13, examples of Christ-like humility are contrasted with cases of self-centered pride. 

First, we find Mary humbly annointing Jesus’s feet with an expensive perfume called spikenard (12:1-8). John records that Mary then wiped his feet with her hair. Mary’s humble heart is seen in her willingness to use the expensive perfume on someone other than herself. And it is seen in her willingness to use her hair to wipe her Lord’s feet! Clearly, both actions reveal that she placed serving her Savior ahead of herself. 

Second, we find Jesus humbly riding into Jerusalem on a donkey (John 12:12-19). This fulfilled Zechariah’s prophecy that Jesus would come “lowly, and riding upon an ass” (Zechariah 9:9).   Shortly thereafter, we find Jesus humbly washing the feet of his disciples (13:4-10). As Mary used her hair to wipe Jesus’s feet, Jesus humbly used the towel that he wore to wipe the feet of the disciples.  

Jesus’s humble actions are complemented by his humble words. “For I have not spoken of myself, but the Father which sent me,” said Jesus.  “He gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak (12:49). Jesus humbly submitted himself to the Father. No doubt, this is an example for us. 

The humility of Mary and Jesus is sharply contrasted with the pride of Judas and the Jewish rulers. Judas pridefully asked “Why was not this ointment sold… and given to the poor” (12:5-6). He cared not for the poor, but rather coveted the proceeds from the sale. The Jewish rulers believed on Christ, but pridefully refused to serve him by confessing him to others (12:42). John records that they feared being put out of the synagogue. He explained, “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (12:43). They pridefully valued their power and position before men over humility and service to their Lord and Savior. 

Jesus calls believers to not only confess him (Matthew 10:32), but also to humbly serve him and follow him (John 12:26). He calls us to recognize that we are not greater than our Lord (13:16).  As such, we should not live to serve ourselves. Rather, we should live to follow his example of humble service (John 13:14-15).

Praise God for his promise to bless us as we humbly submit to serve him (John 13:17; 1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6,10).

Father, help us humble ourselves (Romans 12:3; Philippians 2:5-7). And help us to give ourselves to humbly serve you as we serve others (Romans 12:1; Galatians 6:10).

Copyright 2020 Robert W. Hammond.

Are you choosing to grow in Christ?

Pastor Hammond.  

Believers understand that although all our past, present and future sins are forgiven when we receive Christ as our savior, we continue to sin!  That's because we still possess a sin nature that draws us into sin (James 1:13-14).  Yet, the Bible calls us to grow in holiness.  Praise God that we are eqipped with both the Holy Spirit and the Bible to aid that growth.  It's because we have the Bible that we can know that the LORD calls us to do "our part" in this process by choosing to live an increasingly holy life. Consider the specific instructions that we receive in Paul's letter to the Ephesians:

(Ephesians 4:17-24)  "17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,  18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:  19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.  20 But ye have not so learned Christ;  21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:  22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;  23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;  24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." 

Here, Paul instructs us to "walk not ... in vanity... " (17), put off... the old man" (22), "be renewed" (23) and "put on the new man."   We understand that all of this is possible because of the cross and the regeneration that occurs when we place our faith in Christ.  With that said, you can't help but see that, in this passage, the LORD is instructing us to be very intentional about choosing not to sin.  We should, of course, pray that the LORD will help us not to sin.  But, importantly, we need to do "our part" by choosing to "put off... the old man" (22), "be renewed" (23) and "put on the new man." 

We are responsible to choose to receive Christ (to be sanctified positionally before God).  And we are equally responsible to choose to live a holy life (to be sanctified practically before God).  Both are possible because of the Holy Spirit.  But we are still responsible to choose.   

Let's choose to follow the Lord's instructions of Ephesian 4:17-24; Let's choose to grow in Christ!