Most times, when seeing or hearing the word, “trial,” we immediately think of trials taking place …

By Chet Miller

Most times, when seeing or hearing the word, “trial,” we immediately think of trials taking place in courtrooms across the nation. They are conducted under the auspices of judges or juries. Also, through our minds, we hear the pleadings or arguments put forth by the lawyers pleading the case. We too think or have opinions of whether the defendant did get a fair hearing or whether justice was carried out. Definitely, there is much trauma and fearfulness in any of the cases by those involved.

Trials in the lives of people outside the courtrooms are just as traumatic as cases in court. The trials we face in our lives, when experiencing ill health, are definitely as real as any. The loss of a loved one is a trial in the lives of people. The unknown or the anticipation of loneliness are trials experienced by almost every person.

The trials of parents or guardians are real when law enforcement personnel knock at the door, telling them that their son or daughter is being held at the prison for some infraction of the law. Those are trying times for all persons involved. The trials people experience when arrested or accused of wrong, when completely innocent, are to them indeed a time of frustration and extreme disappointment.

The trials people experience when seemingly insurmountable financial difficulties encompass them are distressful. Often times, there is barely a glimmer of hope when one’s economic situation leans heavily on the negative. The frustration is real when whatever is being done just adds fuel to the fire of trials of hopelessness.

The economy of the farming community at the this time seems to bring on trials for many experiencing things they have no control over, like weather, prices, disease or other things. The feelings of many are that the trials are very hard to accept.

Many times, we do experience or have the feeling of trials when and if we bring them onto ourselves by not being obedient to the things we need to be obedient to.

To some, it is a real trial to go to work. Maybe they do not like their jobs or profession, or could it also be a touch of laziness. Too often, we experience or have the feeling of going through trials and suffering when we are asked to go beyond responsibilities in whatever we find ourselves, whether it be at work, in society, church or whatever.

We can be so thankful we don’t need to go through trials of being tortured or burned at the stake for professing our faith.

Take heart, whatever the trials we are going through, we can look around and see others are experiencing calamities greater than our own.

There usually is some good when we experience trials. It can make us better people or we can kick against the pricks and suffer more.

Most generally, it isn’t as bad as it might seem, there is hope. Like the hangman said to the one standing on the gallows with the rope around his neck, “I have bad news and good news for you. The bad news is that you have only one hour to live. The good news is, my watch has stopped!”

I Peter 1:7

That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.