Understanding Life’s Trials / 生命的试炼

[Dexu Xia]

Understanding Life’s Trials

To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his. Job 12:13

My friend’s father received the dreaded diagnosis: cancer. Yet, during the chemo treatment process, he became a believer in Jesus and his disease eventually went into remission. He was cancer free for a wonderful eighteen months, but it returned—worse than before. He and his wife faced the reality of the returned cancer with concern and questions but also with a faithful trust in God because of how He saw them through the first time.

We won’t always understand why we’re going through trials. This was certainly the case for Job, who faced horrendous and unexplainable suffering and loss. Yet despite his many questions, in Job 12 he declares that God is mighty: “What he tears down cannot be rebuilt” (v. 14) and “to him belong strength and insight” (v. 16). “He makes nations great, and destroys them” (v. 23). Throughout this extensive list, Job doesn’t mention God’s motives or why He allows pain and suffering. Job doesn’t have the answers. But still despite everything, he confidently says, “to God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his” (v. 13).

We may not understand why God allows certain struggles in our lives, but like my friend’s parents, we can put our trust in Him. The Lord loves us and has us in His hands (v. 10; 1 Peter 5:7). Wisdom, power, and understanding are His!

生命的试炼

在上帝有智慧和能力，祂有谋略和知识。-约伯记12章13节

我朋友的父亲被确诊罹患癌症，但他在化疗期间成为基督徒，而他的癌细胞也消失了。可惜18个月后他的癌症复发，情况比之前更严重。面对癌症复发的事实，他和妻子虽然有担忧也有疑问，但因为他们在首次病发时，经历到上帝大能的看顾，所以他们仍忠心地信靠上帝。

有时我们无法理解为何要经历试炼，正如约伯也曾面临可怕且无法解释的痛苦与损失。尽管他也有许多疑问，但在约伯记12章，他仍宣告上帝是全能的：“祂拆毁的”，人就不能再建造（14节）；“在祂有能力和智慧”（16节）；“祂使邦国兴旺而又毁灭”（23节）。约伯列出许多上帝的作为，但并没有提到上帝为何使人受到试炼，也未提及上帝为何允许苦难发生。纵然约伯无法得到答案，但他依然满有信心地说：“在上帝有智慧和能力，祂有谋略和知识。”（13节）

我们或许不能明白，上帝为何要让我们面对某些艰难，但仍可以学习我朋友的父母那样信靠祂。上帝爱我们，眷顾我们，我们的一切都在祂手中（10节；彼得前书5章7节）。上帝满有智慧、权能和知识！

主啊，当我不明白祢的作为时，
求祢帮助我仍然信靠祢。
感谢祢，用祢慈爱的双手怀抱着我。

你正面对什么难处？知道上帝的同在如何帮助你呢？