Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. James 1:3 (NKJV)
Over the past few days we’ve been talking about the trials of life. We’ve discussed the fact that God doesn’t cause tragedy to strike—that he is for us, not against us. Even though God doesn’t send trouble our way, the truth is, we still can learn from the trials we encounter. Trials test our faith, which causes us to develop patience.
Some people teach that the storms of life cause us to grow strong in faith. That’s not true. Trials test our faith. What builds faith is the time we spend learning and growing in God’s Word.
In Luke 6:45-49, Jesus taught us how to build our faith: by listening to his words and doing them. When we do this, we’re like a wise carpenter who builds a house on a solid stone foundation. When the storm hits, the house stands strong.
Jesus didn’t say that the storm built strength into the house. The wind
didn’t drive the nails in deeper or reinforce the foundation. Storms threaten to tear down what we’ve built—they test our faith. However, if we build our faith by studying God’s Word, we’ll stand strong no matter how hard the winds blow!
The only thing a storm can build in your life is patience and persistence. As you resolve to stay in faith through the tough times, your patience grows, but when it comes to faith, it’s up to you to grow it through your study of God’s Word. Faith, according to Romans 10:17, comes from hearing the Word of God.
Whether or not you’re currently facing a storm, keep growing in God’s Word to build your faith. Then you will persevere through any storm.