Gold Tried By Fire

Hebrews 12:11-17  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.  12  Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;  13  And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.  14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:  15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;  16  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.  17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

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Perspective has a lot to do with how we think, and how we face our challenges in walk the of faith. Now, we could go through hard things in life and complain (like the children of Israel going through the wilderness) or we could look at it the way God sees it and declares it in His Word.

In a majority of Hebrew 12 it speaks of God disciplining his children. A good father will discipline His children, because he want's what is best for the child, else the child continues in foolishness.
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Proverbs 13:24  He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

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It's strange that contrary to the scriptures, it's now passed off that it is wrong to beat our children for the sake of discipline. Now it seems only necessary to "ground" them. But my observation of society tells me that method is not working, as effectively as what God shows here. Any righteous loving parent will do what it takes to set their child on the path of righteousness, even if some tears are shed.

God does the same. Consider all that Job went through. He lost his property, servants, livestock, and children; even his health.
Was it because of sin? No but because God wanted to prove Job.

God will prove us too. He will discipline us so that we cease from evil, learn patience, bare the fruits of righteousness and be more dependent on Him.

Consider the trials you have been through, how, if you waited patiently and endured through it, you became stronger with faith in the power that Jesus Christ has to keep you. However if you didn't learn your lesson, you may have faced another problem quite similar.

If you fail a test you'll have to take it again. It is to test to see if you have learned to endure.
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James 5:7-11  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.  8  Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.  9  Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.  10  Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.  11  Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

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Jesus came and also went through trials, even to death because our sins put Him on that tree.
I really want others who believe in the health, wealth and prosperity gospel to get this one thing:

Salvation isn't about having your best life now with all that the world can give you. It's about living for Jesus Christ in holiness whether in abundance or in lack. In John 15, before His betrayal, Jesus Christ said this to his disciples:
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John 15:7-11  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.  8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.  9  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.  10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.  11  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Christ said many things of the wickedness of this world and the trial and the temptation, the importance of abiding in Him and the blessings His Father has in store for those that love Him, so that their joy might be full. There is joy in serving Jesus Christ.

Patiently wait on the Lord. Consider what Christ had to go through for us, look at all the prophets of old who suffered for the sake of God and were willing.
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James 1:2-4  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;  3  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  4  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Romans 8:28-39  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.  29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.  31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?  32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?  33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.  34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.  35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Job 13:15  Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

God loves you. He knows what's best.