It makes sense that when we face a trial of any kind (relationships, finances, health, etc), we pray more earnestly, we read our Bible more searching scripture for direction and hope, and we let go of less important things like checking our social media accounts every hour.
But here’s my question: when we get the breakthrough, then what?
It’s so tempting to sit back and release a sigh of wow, I’m glad that’s over, and go back to the way things were before the breakthrough (praying less, reading less, giving in to the flesh more). But if we’re honest, aren’t those things what possibly opened the door for the trial in the first place?
Do you understand what I mean?
I know trials in this life are unavoidable, but I also know there is power in the name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, and the spoken, declared word from a believer who understands their authority in Christ can put the devil on the run! So as one minister said: “It didn’t have to take that long, and it didn’t have to be that hard.” In other words, if we’d position ourselves better (taking nothing for granted), we can stay on top of the trials of life instead of the other way around.
Think about the story of the ten lepers:
Now it happened as Jesus went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.
So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11-19)
There’s a lesson here for us: nine out of ten people will take their miracle and go on as before.
When you study out this story, you first have to note the surprise of Jesus that one who wasn’t trained to know God was the only one who came back to give Him thanks. And secondly, whereas the others were cleansed as they went, this one was made well. This word in the Greek means whole, restored to health, and saved. It’s the word sozo which is also used in scriptures like Ephesians 2:5, “Even when we were dead in trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved [sozo]).”
We don’t know for sure what happened to the other nine lepers. But what we do know is that this one was SAVED, restored to full health, and made whole. The difference was that he took nothing for granted.
This is the heart I want too.
“Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it…” (1 Peter 4:7-8, Message). And I’ll add: whatever you did to get you through the trial, don’t stop. Continue in prayer and give thanks to God regularly. Prepare yourself with God’s Word before you ever need it. Like David said, “Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). And lastly, don’t just fill up on head knowledge. Apply God’s Word to your life. Let faith and love direct all your steps — especially toward the One who saved you in the first place.
