“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” 1 Peter 5:10 (NKJV)

Storms, Struggles, Difficulties, Hardships, Ordeals, Traumas, Sorrows, Losses, Attacks, Sufferings, Troubles, Tribulations, and Destitution…… are all trials that will mature our faith. Indeed, trials are the soil in which our faith grows.

Plants like a rich soil that is full of nutrients. Good soil helps to speed up plant growth and will enable it to bear large and plentiful flowers/fruit. Good soil produces large crops that feed many.

So what are the nutrients in our soil called hardship?? How can we produce a bounty of fruit through the struggle we are facing or will soon face? What are the so-called nutrients in this soil called suffering??

I Goggled nutrients and this definition popped up…. “A substance that provides nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life.”

So what is the substance that nourishes us in our spiritual walk? Quite simply, it is the Word of God! By reading the Bible every day, we find instruction, comfort, encouragement, and advise. It increases our confidence in the Lord’s ability to provide for our every need and builds us up in our faith.

God’s holy Word is living and an essential nutrient for our spiritual growth and the maintenance of our spiritual life with Christ. Our faith comes by believing in the death and resurrection of Jesus and the holy Trinity, but the Word is our instruction manual. The Bible is fertilizer to our spirits as fish fertilizer is to garden plants.

The fruit of trials are many. James 1:2-4 speaks of one fruit, patience. “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

Such valuable fruit we grow by walking though trials! Patience. Yes, it is patience that leads us into spiritual maturity so that we are complete and lacking in nothing. Patience is only one of the “Fruits of the spirit.” There are eight more to acquire.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23(NASB)

Dear One, you will discover that as you walk through your valley of darkness, many of the spiritual fruits will germinate and develop within you. Learn to accept these hardships with a joyful heart. By agreeing that they are gifts from God, you will find your relationship with Him growing into something much more intimate.

Patience lends itself to maturity and maturity changes our perspective. To greet each new trial with courage and excitement is possible. You may ask, “How is this possible? How can I look forward to pain and suffering?”

It is by setting your eyes on the cross and not on your circumstance that you change your perspective. I am not saying it is an easy attitude to achieve. I am saying it is possible. The knowledge that trials are handed to us by a loving Savior will help. We will find peace in knowing His motive is never to wound and crush us, but rather to mold us and improve our character.

One of our spiritual goals should be to become more like Christ. A joyful attitude regarding the trials we must face will help in chipping away our old nature. The broken pieces that fall to the ground, discarded and worthless, will then be replaced with new and better pieces: love, goodness, kindness, and gentleness. Self-control will then follow, as she is a dear friend of patience.

So what is left? Faithfulness…. And that is how we began. Trials are the soil in which faith grows. May your faith in God grow daily and carry you though every storm that greets you.

“ Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” 1 Peter 4:12-13 (NKJV)