Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 ESV
It is officially springtime at my house. Trees are blooming, I am sneezing, and chicks are hatching. Just this week we had three hatch and four the week before. It is amazing to watch them hatch. The egg starts rolling and you can hear the little peeps. Then a hole, a crack then a bit of a rest. More peeping, more cracking, more resting and the process continues.
The process can take hours, sometimes a full day. It is hard to watch sometimes, you get so excited, and you want to help them along by breaking the egg and letting them out. However, doing that can have negative effects on the chicks. The process is difficult and it so for a purpose.
During this period of struggle and rest, the chicks are being strengthen. Without this exercise of muscle and coordination, it will take longer for them to stand, longer for them to begin life. Often the chick will not survive after being hatched by hand because it is too weak. Sometimes they die before they finish hatching because they did not have the strength to withstand the process. This struggle is necessary to the growth and the chick’s potential to thrive. So, I watch and cheer them through. Once the chick is freed it imprints on the first face it sees and that chick never forgets the first face. It will respond to your voice because it heard you talking to them in the egg. We have chickens that have grown up that still run to us for cuddles because they have never forgotten.
We too face challenges throughout our lives, and we often wonder why we must go through them. These trials are meant to strengthen us. It strengthens our faith and trust in God. We learn to lean on his Word. There have been and will be times in your life when you are in a struggle. It may be financial, marital, job related, loss or illness. You go to God and pray, asking for him to remove the problem. Solve what seems unsolvable. However, deliverance does not come. You begin to worry if God can hear you. You feel abandoned. But you are not alone. Take heart, just like when I stay near the incubator, watching and protecting the hatchlings, God is always near you, always watching, and protecting you. He is cheering you on and waiting to meet you on the other side of the trial. Focus your eyes to heaven and your ears to the spirit.
Every time you endure life’s difficulties and pain, remember that each trial, each heartache every pain draws you nearer to Christ. You become stronger and fit to meet life with faith and assurance that he is with you. Focus on the face of Jesus and listen to the spirit to guide you through those difficult times.
Typist for Jesus
Mustard Seeds, Modern Parables 