By Qian Xun, Shandong Province

Hello Xiao Lu,

I received your letter, and I can see that you’ve been under a lot of pressure lately. Work is stressing you out, there are constant hiccups in your tasks, health issues have cropped up, your husband’s business is facing a slump, and your child is not behaving well. Your mood is affected, and you feel spiritually weak. After reading your letter, I can empathize with your current state. We all want to bask in God’s grace and blessings, and it’s a real challenge to stay obedient when life throws unfavorable circumstances. All we can do is pray to God and seek the truth to understand His intentions. Let me share a bit about my own experience. Not long ago, I also faced a similar situation. There were issues with a project I was responsible for, and despite putting in a lot of effort to rectify the situation, there wasn’t much improvement. Additionally, there were some family troubles during that time. I felt extremely upset, questioning why so many unpleasant things were happening. I harbored resistance and complaints and didn’t understand God’s intentions. I was in great distress, so I came before God, offering prayers to seek His guidance.

One day, as I was reading the Scriptures, I came across a passage: “And you shall remember all the way which the LORD your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, and to prove you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments, or no” (Deuteronomy 8:2). Thinking about the journey of the Israelites from Egypt to the promised land, their path was filled with hardships and trials. During those forty long years, they experienced hunger, thirst, and wars – a series of tests. This wasn’t punishment from God, but rather, God testing their faith. Those who, despite the hardships, remained steadfast in trusting and obeying God, ultimately entered the good land of Canaan, enjoying the rich promises of God. In contrast, those who, in the face of adversity, lost their faith in God and harbored resentment and doubt towards Him, ultimately met their demise in the wilderness, unable to experience the beauty of the promised land that God has prepared for them. Reflecting on the experiences of the Israelites, I realize that whatever challenges and trials we face in life are tests from God. We should have unwavering faith, obey God’s arrangements, truly rely on Him, and thus, stand testimony in the midst of trials.

Later, I encountered a passage of God’s words, saying, “Do not be discouraged, do not be weak, and I will make things clear for you. The road to the kingdom is not so smooth; nothing is that simple! You want blessings to come to you easily, do you not? Today, everyone will have bitter trials to face. Without such trials, the loving heart you have for Me will not grow stronger and you will not have true love for Me. Even if these trials consist merely of minor circumstances, everyone must pass through them; it’s just that the difficulty of the trials will vary from one person to another. Trials are a blessing from Me, and how many of you come often before Me and beg on your knees for My blessings? Silly children! You always think that a few auspicious words count as My blessing, yet you do not recognize that bitterness is one of My blessings. Those who share in My bitterness will certainly share in My sweetness. That is My promise and My blessing to you. Do not hesitate to eat and drink and enjoy My words. When the dark passes, light gathers. It is darkest before dawn; after this time the sky gradually brightens, and then the sun rises. Do not be afraid or timid” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Utterances of Christ in the Beginning, Chapter 41). From God’s words, I comprehend that in our journey of following God, He arranges trials, big and small, for each of us. Some trials require us to endure suffering and go through unfavorable circumstances. God uses these trials to test our faith and obedience, and to reveal our corruptions and cleanse the adulteration in our belief. Specifically, we always desire to enjoy God’s grace and blessings, welcoming favorable conditions. Yet, when faced with adversity and hardship, we tend to complain and make unreasonable demands on God. This reveals our lack of genuine obedience to God, and the presence of many impurities and corruptions that do not conform to God’s will. As created beings, we should have an attitude of acceptance and obedience before God’s presence—This is the sensible and reasonable approach to take. However, our obedience and worship to God now come with conditions and unreasonable demands. When God showers us with grace and blessings, we express gratitude and praise. Yet, when God arranges adverse situations that bring suffering, we struggle to find words of gratitude and may even be filled with complaints and resistance. Only when we recognize these issues can we achieve some changes, truly improve our relationship with God, and assume the proper place of created beings, unconditionally surrendering and worshiping the Creator. God uses these trials to add faith and obedience to us, allowing our lives to grow gradually. These trials are indeed God’s blessing for us. Take Job as an example. He endured immense trials without complaining; whether God gives or takes away, Job maintained obedience and even said, “Jehovah gave, and Jehovah has taken away; blessed be the name of Jehovah” (Job 1:21). Job’s obedience and worship to God were genuine and unconditional. He stood testimony for God, withstood God’s test of him, and in the end, God revealed Himself to Job and blessed him abundantly. It can be seen that behind trials lies God’s blessings. Understanding this, I have a clearer understanding of God’s intentions. So I stopped resisting the current circumstances and became willing to submit to the environment arranged by God.

In reality, each person’s life is filled with ups and downs, twists and turns. No one’s life journey is smooth sailing. God allows us to face these challenges to refine our will and faith, fostering our life growth. Much like crops need the warmth of sunlight and the testing force of storms, only then can they thrive, growing robust and yielding a bountiful harvest in autumn. Similarly, our journey toward maturity and fulfillment requires the refining challenges of life’s storms. They are indispensable elements in our personal development and progress. As God’s words state, “No one goes their whole life without suffering. For some people, it has to do with family, for some, with work, for some, with marriage, and for some, with physical illness. Everyone must suffer. Some say, ‘Why must people suffer? How great it would be to live our whole lives peacefully and happily. Can’t we not suffer?’ No—everyone must suffer. Suffering causes every person to experience the myriad sensations of physical life, whether these sensations be positive, negative, active or passive; suffering gives you different feelings and appreciations, which, for you, are all your experiences in life. That is one aspect, and it is in order to make people more experienced. If you can seek the truth and understand God’s will from this, then you will draw ever closer to the standard God requires of you. Another aspect is that it is the responsibility that God gives to man. What responsibility? This is the suffering you should undergo. If you can take on this suffering and bear it, then this is testimony, and not something shameful” (The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only by Resolving One’s Notions Can One Embark on the Right Track of Belief in God (1)). God arranges for us to go through difficulties in our families, workplaces, and marriages, and these are valuable experiences in our lives, not detrimental. Suffering increases our life experiences. Since God has orchestrated such environments for us, it's essential for us to embrace them, seeking the truth to understand God’s intentions. Consider the biblical account of Joseph. Joseph, due to the favoritism shown to him by his father, became the target of jealousy from his brothers. They conspired against him and eventually sold him as a slave to Egyptian merchants. Later on, Joseph was falsely accused and thrown into prison. It can be said that he faced numerous hardships in the first half of his life. For Joseph, his circumstances couldn’t have been worse. However, God was always with him, and everything he went through had a purpose and plan. After these hardships, God elevated Joseph to become the prime minister of Egypt, overseeing the entire land. When a famine struck the land, Joseph’s position allowed him to ensure the safety and well-being of the Israelites, who found refuge in Egypt. It was then that Joseph realized that everything he had experienced was part of God’s orchestrated plan to save the Israelites. It was his responsibility. The wisdom and marvel of God’s work was truly awe-inspiring! From Joseph’s experiences, I have come to realize that the hardships we encounter in life are both part of God’s ordained plan and necessary for our own development. Our ability to willingly submit to and embrace the difficulties that God orchestrates is a testimony we have. Furthermore, we need to come before God in prayer and seek His guidance. We should reflect on why we are only willing to embrace favorable and comfortable circumstances, yet struggle to submit in times of adversity. Is our faith in God solely based on seeking peace and prosperity? Does this perspective accord with God’s will? Job experienced far greater hardships in his life than we have. Yet, he remained completely obedient to God’s sovereignty and praised God even in the midst of his difficulties. Shouldn’t we follow Job’s example and offer genuine gratitude and praise to God, regardless of whether we are in favorable or challenging circumstances? By doing so, wouldn’t we be standing testimony and bringing satisfaction to God? When relying on God in times of adversity, we will undoubtedly gain a different harvest. This is God’s best blessing for us, don’t you think? Well, that’s enough for now. May God lead and bless us!

Your friend: Qian Xun

January 6, 2024