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Highly Favoured Life

Lessons Learned in a Trial

By Lois Van Zee



Trials are hard, but oh so cleansing for those who trust God through them!

Watching our son and daughter-in-love go thru this trial was amazing and increased my husband’s and my faith. Jamison was born six weeks early due to him having a really bad case of Cardiomyopathy. Our daughter-in-love was born with it also - hers was not as bad; with medicine she’s been able to live a normal life - and the doctors weren’t sure if it would affect any of their children. They chose to trust God with having children. Jamison was their first child and our first grandchild. We ended up having to let him go as there was nothing more the doctors could try after he fought so hard for three months in the hospital. By the way, after Jamison, God chose to bless our son and daughter-in-love with two more children.


The verse below was the verse that my daughter-in-love claimed during this time.

Psalm 139:14, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

God gave me this devotion two weeks after Jamison‘s death and gave me the peace that I so desperately needed. Things I learned and claimed through our grandson’s short time on earth.

1. I have learned God is in control of everything. (He is sovereign.)

He knew, formed and allowed Jamison to have a heart that did not work normally. Even though I specifically prayed, knowing that mommy had a weak heart and it was a possibility that he would also, that God would allow him to have a healthy heart. God did not choose to do my bidding because of a greater good that He knew would come out of this defect. We may never know what that is, but we can be assured that God is in control and we have His promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us. A couple of verses that God gave me during this time is Psalm 139:17 and 18, “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more In number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” He cares when we hurt. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”

2. I have learned when we don’t agree with God and rail at Him, we are as one of the foolish women.

During this time God showed me Job 2:10- “What shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” Job says this to his wife when she tells him to curse God and die. God is not a respecter of persons. He brings into our lives what is needed for us to grow spiritually and to be made into who He needs us to become for Him.  There was one point during this ordeal that I didn’t think God was taking care of my kids, and I kind of got upset with Him. Later I humbly had to go to God and ask forgiveness for my thoughts because to my chagrin several days later I found out God had everything under control and was taking care of my kids better than I ever could imagine as, by the way, He has promised to do: Matthew 6:33 - “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” Key words there are “but seek.” Don’t expect God to take care of you if you haven’t first been seeking Him. 

3. I have learned God uses us as it pleases Him.

Hebrews 13:21 says, “Make you perfect (or complete) in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” As Christian ladies, we should want God to work in and through us what is well pleasing in His sight knowing that God knows the beginning from the end. We must trust and believe that He doesn’t do anything for our hurt but only for our good. Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” And why does He allow trials into our lives? So that we may be conformed to the image of His Son, as verse 29 says in the same chapter.

4. I have learned not to be afraid of bad news.

Psalm 112:7, “He [talking about the righteous man] shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.” We must be so in tune with God that we don’t question His motives; we automatically trust in Him and His ways. As Job said in Job 13:15a, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him,” and in Proverbs 3:5, 6 it says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

5. I have learned God is faithful.

No matter the outcome of our trials one thing we do know and can come out of it with is that God is faithful. II Thessalonians 3:3, “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.” As I did a search on the word “evil” and went to several other passages, as far as I could understand, the evil talks of Satan. If we are Christians, we should be thankful that nothing in this world matters except that God is faithful to bring us to heaven no matter what happens here on this earth. 

6. I have learned God is good.

Psalm 73:1 says, “Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.” And again in Psalm 107:8, “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” Here is another favorite verse of mine about the Lord’s goodness - Psalm 34:8, “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” I can say no matter the outcome of the trial, God is always good. Again, if you are a blood bought child of God no matter what happens here on this earth you are going to Heaven. Now that should put a smile on our faces and joy into our hearts.


Praise God during trials for finding you worthy to be used by Him.

May we say what Job did in Job 23:10, “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”

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