Are trials good for us? I don't know- that's between you and God.

But there is enough Scripture to know that God does not abandon us during those times. Like Joseph of old, we can say that although it was meant for evil, God made it turn good.

It's not that God will take us away from evil, but He provides a way of escape, a means to bear it or He will shield and protect us from it.

Trials cannot be that great, else we would find them in the New Earth, the final home of the Redeemed.

I don't believe that we as Christians are called to be masochists. Pain and sorrow are the result of sin, and through Christ we have the hope that one they will be no more.

Our rejoicing is in Him :) Thankfully we are not left to ourselves when things go bad

I agree fully. The fact that God can bring good out of all things (Romans 8:28) does not make Him the author of bad things.

The value in understanding the Great Controversy is great.

oG

Good Times can be just as "bad" for us as the bad times.

I agree, Pam!

We SDA's have been taught from birth on that we should always find 'good' in the unpleasant that happens to us...we should pray for trials...we won't be 'fit' for heaven unless...etc, etc. There are many close parallels between SDA and the Judiasm of Christs day. I have come to believe that it is all part of the 'works' mode that so many people say they don't believe in but still practise.

I've been reading Morris Venden's book "the last trolley out". In it he states that a lot of people are waiting until something major happens so that they can jump on the last trolley to heaven. However, crisis doesn't make us who we are, it reveals who we are.
We can't just wait until a crisis to form a relationship with the Lord. We should be working on that day by day.

Somehow I think I may have missed the boat here, as this is the first time I've read this, and I've been a member for 30 years.

We can trust our Heavenly Father to bring us through trials but to actually pray for them? I don't know if anyone is actually willing to do that unless they see themselves as not being connected to the Lord unless they are in crisis.

I do think that they do provide opportunity to grow, but again that is a "make the best of a bad situation" kind of growth, not something I would pray for

If we look again at the Scripture, it shows a trusting in God to make things come out positive

I recall one of the biblical apostles saying "welcome the pain..." in the Newest James Version. Was that Paul's maxim?

Raphael

Consider yourself blessed! Have heard many a sermon on this subject and been part of the discussion that feels the opposite.