From the Home Place

August 17, 2026

At 4 a.m. the temperature is 58 degrees, headed for a high of 84. Yes, that will be warm, but it sure beats the triple digits we have seen way too many times this year. The weather person is saying a 55% possibility of a little small shot of rain later in the day. A light breeze will help cool things down a tad bit.

In yesterday’s sermon, I mentioned that God uses “trials to train.” Now, we need to stop here for a moment, I know that some of God’s greatest lessons for my life have come at the hand of a trial. It is during the trying times that we pray more, that we draw ever closer to God and during those times that we are the quickest to make needed adjustments within our lives. Yet, I, and probably we, have to admit that I never ask God to give me another trial.

Come on, I ask Him for every kind of a blessing that I can think of, but I do not have the courage to ask the Holy Spirit to present me with a trial so that I can once again be reminded of the beauty of leaning upon Jesus during the difficult times of life. After all, can’t He teach me the same things during easy times???

But you see friends, perhaps we look at trials as obstacles to be avoided instead as seeing them as moments of looking into a mirror. The trials of life reveal what we “truly” believe about Jesus. When we read about Abraham, Joseph, Job, Daniel, Ester and others in the Bible, we soon realize that God used various trials to reveal what these folks truly believed about their Heavenly Father.

As I was reading Acts 5 this morning, it struck me how those first Apostles dealt with adversity. The religious establishment hated them, to the point of having them arrested, put into jail, “flogged” and warned to never teach in the name of Jesus again. And yet, the Apostles continued to bring healing, their personal testimony of the resurrection of Jesus, and hope into the lives of people.

When they were told, “you cannot do this,” they responded with “but God can do this.” Well, they said it this way, “We must obey God rather than men.” Wow! When faced with similar circumstances, I dare to say that most of us Christians of today would say “O.K.” if you say we can’t, then we can’t.” Remember Covid? The government, just like in the time of the first Apostles, said “you can’t do this” and for the most part we said, “Oh, yeah, you are right, we can’t, for we must obey man rather than God.” A trial presented, a revelation made.

Dear friends, as we get closer to the second-coming of Jesus, there will be more and more such trials. Will we, will I, obey man or God? The answer will reveal what I/we truly believe. Here’s a thought, perhaps we should use the easy days to prepare for the trials of life? How do we get ready for the unknown: Read Scripture, pray, apply, repeat.

May I suggest that as we face various trials today, may we not see them as an obstacle, but as a look into the mirror of truth that helps us better understand ourselves in relation to Jesus. This day may God find each of us faithful!

Finding purpose in the trials with you, Neal