Think of Job. Twice God set parameters to what satan could do. The first was not to lay a hand on his person. Job 1:12. The second was he could not take Job’s life. Job 2:6. I think of the song “I Know My Heavenly Father Knows.” Chorus: …He knows the storms that would my way oppose…and tempers every wind that blows.

Paul went through incredible trials. 1 Corinthians 11:23-28. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 reveals God’s parameters. It says, “We were hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Hebrews 10:36 says, “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” Paul endured. 2 Timothy 4:7 says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Jesus endured the cross through the joy that was set before Him ~ us! We have His joy is us. As we endure, He receives all the glory due His name.

The common denominator for trials, temptations, and adversities is that God is Faithful. I started to meditate on 1 Corinthians 10:13. It says, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

What comes to your mind when you think of the word overtaken? One night I drove several of us gals to an ice cream parlor. When it was time to leave it was raining hard. I told them to wait and I’d bring my car around. I jumped into my car and started it. Someone rose up from the back seat. At that moment I was overtaken with fear. It was a friend playing a prank.

No trial, adversity, or temptation that we face is announced ahead of time. It is always a surprise and something that stops us in our tracks. I love the words, ‘but God is faithful, who will not allow.’ God Himself sets the parameters.

Ephesians 5:1 says, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

2 Corinthians 2:14 says, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” What fragrance are you diffusing around others?

I often use Acts 4:13 as a prayer. It was written about Peter and John. It says that the rulers marveled and, “…they realized that they had been with Jesus.” I want to diffuse the fragrance from my relationship with the Lord to those who know me.

1 Corinthians 10:11 used the word happened. It amazes me to think back to the children of Israel. All that they went through was to be an example for us! Faced with Red Sea impossibilities? What did we learn from them? Exodus 14:13 says, “…Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord…” Psalm 131:2.

I started meditating on 1 Corinthians 10:11. It says, “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the ages has come.”

We have to go back to pick up the context. Paul was reiterating what the children of Israel had gone through. No one was left behind. They all went through the Red Sea. They all ate God’s special provision of manna.

Verse 5 says, “But with most of them God was not pleased…” They were idolaters, sexually immoral and they were complainers. The Lord knew from the beginning that they would disobey~yet He chose them as He chose us. He recorded their examples for us, to warn us to not be like them.

In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul wrote, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” The writer of Hebrews, called out instructions regarding who is to be our examples. Hebrews 13:7 says, “Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.”

Complaining is an effective tool of the enemy of our soul. Why? Complaining opposes God’s ways and will. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

We are saved by God’s will. John 1:13 says, “Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” He orchestrates our life according to His will. Ephesians 1:11 says, “…who works all things according to the counsel of His will.”

We are predestined to adoption as His children. Ephesians 1:5 says, “…according to the good pleasure of His will.” Romans 12:2 is a command to not be conformed to this world. Rather to be transformed through the renewing of our minds, “…that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

As we abide in Him, He will prune away the saplings of our fleshly complaints. He uses the scalpel of His word to penetrate deep to expose, and remove our fleshly diseased fruit.

I was meditating on Philippians 2:14-15. Verse 14 says, “Do all things without complaining and disputing.” Do you seek to please the Lord? Numbers 11:1 says, “Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord…”

In the Amplified it says, “And the people grumbled and deplored their hardships, which were evil in the ears of the Lord…” Philippians 2:15 reveals that complaining will dim the light of our witness for Him.

In the Amplified it says, “That you may show yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated children of God without blemish (faultless, unrebukable) in the midst of a crooked and wicked generation (spiritually perverted and perverse), among whom you are seen as bright lights (stars of beacons shining out clearly) in the (dark) world.”

How bright is your light when you are in the crucible fires of a hard trial? Romans 5:3 in the Amplified says, “Moreover (let us be full of joy now!) let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.”

I was totally hooked on sugar. I didn’t know until I had to quit how hard it would be. I literally sat on the couch biting my fingers to keep from screaming. Over time I successfully retrained my taste buds.

Hebrews 5:13 says, “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.” 1 Peter 2:3 says, “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.”

Before we were saved, we had worldly taste buds. At salvation, our palate is touched with the doctrine of eternal security. Our faith grows as we continue to hear God’s word. Romans 10:17. 

2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 1 John 2:27 says, “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you…” 

Are you retraining your taste buds through diligent study of His word? Are you applying it to your life to live it out for His glory?

I memorized Psalm 119:102. Then started working on 103. I noticed something as I linked the end of 102 with the first of 103. It says, “…For You Yourself have taught me, how sweet are Your words to my taste…”

Does reading, hearing, quoting God’s word taste sweet in your mouth? The end of 103 says, “…sweeter than honey to my mouth!” This verse reminded me of Psalm 19:10. David wrote it about God’s word. It says, “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”

Psalm 34:8 says, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him.” Jeremiah 15:16 says, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart…”

In 1973 my doctor took me off all sugar. I grew up on sugar! We had dessert after lunch and dinner. We drank Pepsi. My grandpa C got me hooked on his favorite candy bar ~ the Three Musketeers. We ate white bread.

I started to memorize Psalm 119:98. It says, “You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me.” My mind went to believers in countries that are hostile to the gospel. They have enemies because of the cross.

All believers have the enemies of our souls. In Ephesians 6 Paul gave us the whole armor of God because of them. Verse 12 says, “For we do not wrestle agains flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Then the Holy Spirit gave me another way. We often make enemies because of our fleshly reactive behavior. All actions are the fruit of our thoughts. We either dishonor the Lord with them, or our godly behavior exemplifies Him to others.

Hebrews 1:3 says of Jesus, “Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person…” The Greek word for express image is charakter. As we live out God’s word in our lives, our character will reflect His.

Psalm 119:148 says, “My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word.” Psalm 63:6 says, “When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.”

The last thing we think about before we go to sleep, will carry on in us throughout the night. Have you ever woken up in a bad mood? You can attribute it to your last thoughts. That is what Paul wrote about in Philippians 4:8.

It says, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

David understood how essential his thoughts were. Psalm 4:4 says, “Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.” He was being hunted by Saul to kill him. Verse 8 says, “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”