UNSHAKABLE FAITH IN A SHAKING WORLD
Deep Dive 7/27/2025
FAITHFULNESS WILL BE TESTED BY PRESSURE, NOT EASE
John 16:33
33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.
Jesus told his disciples many things, but one very important teaching to remember is that we WILL have trials here on earth. BUT Jesus didn’t leave us there, and we need to step in to the promise that this verse ends with “I have overcome the world.” Our peace will never be found in our circumstances. True peace can only be found through resting in Jesus!!
James 1:2-16
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. 5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. 9 Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. 10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. 11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements. 12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. 16 So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation,
1 Peter 1:6-7
6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
James and Peter have so much encouragement for us in these passages. They call us to be joyful and glad when we experience troubles and trials because they are opportunities for God to use what the enemy is throwing at us to develop the faith that is within us. Blessings come out of our endurance. God is faithful and trustworthy, but I must choose to trust His timing and His plan, to allow Him to refine my faith.
Psalm 118:5-6
5 In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free.
6 The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?
7 Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.
When distressing situations come our way, we must remember that the Lord is who we need to turn to, because the Lord is our refuge! Prayer needs to be our first response. This is not a natural outpouring of our human nature, but a part of our spirit nature that we need to develop through our habits.
Romans 12:12
12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
IF WE NEVER ENDURE TESTING, HOW CAN OUR FAITH EVER HAVE A CHANCE TO GROW? GOD IS OUR REFUGE. HE IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR US TO COME TO HIM IN PRAYER. HE LONGS FOR US TO ASK HIM TO SEEK HIM TO DELIVER US INTO FREEDOM. THROUGH ABIDING IN CHRIST, WE WILL STAND TRIUMPHANT.
Exodus 14:14
14 The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.
Just as God fought for Israel against the Egyptians when crossing the Red Sea, He is ready, willing, and able to fight for you and me. But how many times do we try to fix things in our own power instead of staying calm, getting quiet, and fighting on our knees?!
PUTTING THIS INTO PRACTICE
Trials are inevitable, but God’s faithfulness is unfathomable and never-ending for His children. In light of this truth, how can you practice resting in His peace and rejoicing because of who He is, when you are squeezed by the pressures of life?
Read Psalm 23. Now re-read it. Write down all the action words in the passage and think about how this shows God’s care for us, His people.
Now with Psalm 23 in mind, journal a prayer to God for a trial you are walking through right now. Thank Him for how He leads you and comforts you. Use words from Psalm 23 as you write to Him.
Sit quietly. Think about your prayer and really listen for God’s response. Thank Him for His faithfulness, praise Him for how He will refine you in this season.
Do you know that Jesus wants you to rest in His peace?
Read John 14:27. Now write it out.
How can you practice stepping into this peace today?
Find another passage in Scripture that speaks about God’s peace and write it out as a reminder.
When we rest in the peace we find in Jesus and display unwavering faith in the middle of the trials, people around will take notice. Just as Daniel’s faith impacted King Darius, we never know who we might impact by standing firm on the promises of God and remaining close to Him in prayer.
Try to recall a time where either you were impacted by someone’s life of faith in trials, or a time where your faith impacted someone else. Journal about that time and think about all the ways you saw evidence of God through it.
Think about steps you can take to prepare yourself, so you are able to honor God when the crowd says bow. Journal those steps and begin today to put them into practice.
Read Psalm 18. Pick at least one verse to write out as a reminder of how God is ready, willing and able to come to our help if we only ask Him. Practice incorporating this verse into your prayers each day the rest of this week.
