July 16, 2022

Three Ways to see Treasure in Your Trial

Hi, friend

Do you long to see the treasure in your trial?

I clearly remember the day twenty-four years ago when the following words were spoken over me by a neurologist and the feelings of hopelessness that wrapped around my heart so tightly I had to will myself to breathe.

"There is nothing physically or organically wrong with you. All your tests are within the normal range. It would help if you considered how frightening the episodes are to your children and see a psychiatrist. We have someone available here on staff who can see you."

I was in the hospital and had just completed a battery of tests, and I was longing for answers to my bizarre physical symptoms, which were disrupting every area of my life. (Note: There was something physically wrong with me, which you can read more about when my book launches next year. 😊)

But at that moment, everything appeared black and hopeless, and I felt abandoned by God. Of course, that was a lie because God promises never to leave us or forsake us. Yet knowing that in our head and feeling it in our hearts are two different things, which is why we cannot allow feelings to dictate truth.

Likewise, what I explain in my book is that my heavenly Father had to lead me on a journey of recognizing and working through the emotional and spiritual aspects of my issues alongside the physical. And as the light of Christ shined into the secret places of my heart, the darkness fled, and a transformation began to take place, and I saw hidden treasure in the trial.

What about you? Are you in a dark and lonely place and searching for the light? Let's look at Isaiah 45:3 for direction.

I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, so that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. (ESV)

Three Ways to See Treasure in Your Trial

1. Remember that treasure worth seeking isn't left out in the open.

If you've ever watched a movie about pirates, you know this to be true! We must realize that to find the treasure, we must seek and search for it amid resistance and obstacles. And as we allow our eyes to adjust to the darkness, we will see the sparkle of the gems the trial is mining.

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2. Secret places are where we find the precious gold of God’s presence.

We must pick up the Word of God and immerse ourselves in it, as it is the primary way He speaks to us. We can't expect to hear from God when we aren't willing to seek Him in His Word. Head knowledge about God turns to heart knowledge as we experience His love and discover the strength and peace to carry us through the affliction, knowing there is beauty on the other side.

3. God calls us by name amid the darkness.

The enemy of our soul speaks lies and calls us by our sin, but we know our heavenly Father's voice because He calls us by our name. God is not distant or removed to Christ-followers, but rather a gentle shepherd calling us by name and leading us through the refiner's fire. We must remove ourselves from the shouts of the world and get to a quiet place and search for Him as if for hidden treasure, and we will hear and recognize His voice.

Friend, do you hear Him calling you by your name? He encourages us to pick up the Word of God and get alone with Him, where we will find the strength and peace to carry us through the affliction. His light will shine into the darkness, and we will begin to see the radiant treasure the trial produces.