You, who have shown me great and severe troubles,You shall revive me again and bring me up again from the depths of the earth. (Psalm 71:20)

There are some trials in life that are brought upon ourselves by the choices we make. There are some trials in life brought upon us by Satan himself. There are other trials allowed by God. The difference between these trials is that the trials brought on by choices are attached to consequences of disobedience, trials by Satan are designed to destroy us while trials from God are sent to bring us closer to the Father and mold us ever more into the image of God. Many times we may find it difficult to determine where the origin of the trial came from. We must also realize that God uses what we may consider to be evil to draw us closer to Him no matter how it may hurt.

When I was living in sin and disobedience, I was being tormented non stop by demonic spirits. After enduring years of torture, I finally cried out to God in total surrender and He gave me a direct word from Jeremiah which said,”I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, I have done these things to you.” Some might say that just can’t be God. How could a loving God allow torment on a person? The answer is love. It was His great love for me that allowed the years of trial that I endured. It was His great love for me that He demonstrated His mighty hand of deliverance upon my life. Had He not brought me low, I would have died in my sins and been lost for eternity.

God’s love doesn’t always look the way we in our carnal minds see it. It was God’s great love that was demonstrated through the torture of Jesus on the cross. That doesn’t seem like love to the people who refuse God, it seems like foolishness to them, but to those of us who believe it is eternal life. God uses tough love to direct and guide us as well as words of great encouragement and hugs and kisses. He is the greatest mother and father ever known.

Through sorrow, the Lord teaches us to depend on Him. Through trials, the Lord teaches us that we need Him for everything. Through heartache, the Lord teaches us that He and He alone is the friend that sticks closer than a brother. Know this day that whatever trial you are facing that the Lord will bring you through it having been bettered one more time!

Pastor Michael Cannatello

The Ministry of Michael Cannatello