No one should say,
“God is tempting me.”
—James 1:13
Trials are seldom silent. They’re loud. Chaotic. Hostile. Malicious. In-your-face.
Temptations, on the other hand, are subtle. Shrewd. Devious. Cunning. Sneaky.
James wrote of the blessedness of the person who “perseveres under trial” (Jas 1:12). And Peter wrote of those who suffered “in all kinds of trials” (1 Pt 1:6).
Trials are tests, and Old Scratch uses them to do his dirty work.
In addition to the trial itself, it often brings with it a temptation:
Physical suffering can tempt us to question God’s providence.
The death of a loved one can tempt us to question God’s love.
Financial difficulty can tempt us to question God’s justice.
Trials hurt. The pain is magnified when it yields to the temptation of questioning God. This is a tough one, and a battleground where Satan often finds the advantage.
Vigorously and courageously resist
the temptation to let trial win.