Do you know how to handle a disheartening trial in life?
I don’t know about you, but there have been many joyous mountaintop experiences in my life, often followed by disappointing valleys of despair. The ecstasy of victory that lifts me is replaced in a moment by a trial that crushes my spirit.
Has that ever happened to you?
The prophet Elijah lived through one such mountaintop-to-valley experience. The story is recounted in 1 Kings 18. In a contest between the gods of the Baals and God, Elijah confronts and defeats 450 prophets of Baal. Shortly after this momentous victory brought about by God, the wicked queen Jezebel sent word to Elijah that she was determined to have him killed by the very next day! Elijah ran for his life into the wilderness to have a pity party for himself, thinking he was the only remaining prophet of God.
One day, Elijah was on the top of the mountain, defeating the priests of Baal, and the next, he was running for his life because of the threats of a wicked queen.
Sometimes, we are doing precisely what God leads and wants us to do when suddenly we are confronted with a disheartening trial.
Another example of a disheartening trial is told in the story of the Israelite’s exodus from Egypt as they began their journey to the Promised Land.
The Israelite’s Disheartening Trial
The Israelites were saved from the Egyptian army through God’s miracle of parting the Red Sea (Exodus 15). After 400 years of slavery, they were now free and on the way to the Promised Land. Safe from the Egyptians, they rejoiced in God’s power and sang of their love for Him.
Once the celebrations ended, they resumed their journey with God leading them into the Desert of Shur. After three days, they had consumed all the fresh water they had brought with them when they came to Marah. One moment they were excited because there was water to quench their thirst, but the next, they found the water was bitter and unfit to drink.
The people grumbled and blamed Moses for leading them to this place. Imagine the elation of being freed from slavery, witnessing the miracle of parting the Red Sea, and then the disappointment of three days later thinking you might die in the desert for lack of water!
So, Moses prayed to God, who told Moses to throw a tree into the water to make it sweet.
Lessons from the Trial
There are several important lessons for leaders to take away from the examples of the trials endured by Elijah and Moses.
- Just because you’re following God, it doesn’t mean you won’t have to deal with disheartening trials in your life. In fact, trials often follow a mountaintop experience! Elijah was doing precisely what God told him to do, yet he still had to deal with Jezebel. God was leading the Israelites, yet He led them to where He knew they would encounter a trial!
- People’s initial reaction, when confronted with an unexpected trial, is to grumble and complain.
- Whom are they going to complain to and blame for their situation? No matter the reason for the trial, the leader will be blamed. All the Israelites knew God led them out of Egypt and were following God in the pillars of the cloud and fire, yet when they encountered a trial, they blamed their leader, Moses.
- Unlike the people, the correct response to a disheartening trial was demonstrated by Moses, who immediately went to God in prayer. Moses didn’t blame God for their situation. Instead, Moses specifically asked God what he should do.
- When confronted with a trial, we must do what God tells us to do. The water would not have been sweetened unless Moses threw the tree into the water as God instructed. Moses didn’t know how the tree would sweeten the water or why God told him to do that one thing. Nonetheless, Moses did what God told him to do, resolving the situation.
- Sometimes, the trials we endure are a test of our faith in God. After Moses followed God’s instruction to throw the tree in the water, He promised that if the Israelites remained faithful to Him, keeping His commands and decrees, He would be with them and protect them.
- God does not abandon us amid a trial. In fact, God has a plan that leads us out of and away from the trial. The final verse of this story (Exodus 15:27) tells us that God immediately brought the Israelites to a place called Elim, where there were palm trees for shade and 12 springs of fresh water. On the other side of the disheartening trial at Mara, God provided rest and replenishment at Elim.
Leaders need to recognize that following mountaintop experiences, we should anticipate disheartening trials. And amid a trial, regardless of the cause, you will shoulder most of the blame as the leader. The correct response to a trial is not to grumble and complain, which solves nothing, but to go to God in prayer, knowing that He will provide an answer for those who place their faith in Him. Finally, leaders must do what God has told us to do, no matter how unlikely or uncertain the direction seems. The result will be a resolution to the trial and God’s promise of blessing and protection.
More Articles
I have written several articles about our dependence on God. You can find them by typing “Dependence on God” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are a few of my favorites.
- #489: Are You Listening to A Shouting Crowd or Jesus?
- #462: 7 Reasons to Have Hope in The Face of Uncertainty!
- #434: Will God Use Me Even If I’m Not Perfect?
- #421: Have You Ever Felt Hopelessly Lost Following God?
- #415: Do You Want to Live A Life of Impact and Purpose?
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. Have you encountered disheartening trials in your business, ministry, or personal life? How did you respond? Did you react in a pity party like Elijah, like the grumbling Israelites, or like Moses who went to God in prayer?
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Category: Personal Development | Dependence on God
I have two friends, Dr. Lee Warren and the author Tony Woodlief. Both are Christians who lost a child years ago. Despite the grief that never goes away, they don’t blame God. There’s always a bigger picture, however difficult and beyond our understanding. Lee prayed and, despite being a brain surgeon, was called to become a writer and inspire others. Tony is a PhD who also writes to inspire a healthier society.
With two children, I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child. But for those who put their faith in God, even pain like the loss of a child can evolve into a path that allows us to minister to others in ways we would never imagine!