Sometimes God uses trials to shape our character and strengthen our faith.

The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; …But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” And he rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household. Acts 16:22-34

One way we tend to judge whether we’re walking in God’s will is by the outcome. The assumption is that when we’re doing what the Lord wants, life will run smoothly. But if all sorts of problems occur, we often assume we have wandered away from His will.

Paul’s writings, however, show this is not always the case. His first letter to the Corinthians says, “For a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16:9). That’s exactly what happened when God closed one door and opened another on the apostle’s second missionary journey (Acts 16:6-10). After Lydia and her household received the gospel, this new opportunity must have seemed hopeful. Yet, a short time later Paul and Silas, having been stripped and beaten with rods, found themselves sitting in a Philippian jail.

We don’t like to think God’s will for our life might include pain or suffering, but Scripture teaches us that is a possibility. The Lord uses affliction to test our faith, teach dependence on Him, develop godly character, and equip us to comfort others (Romans 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 1:4).

When the Lord opens a door to trials in our life, it’s an opportunity for others to witness God at work in us. May we learn to respond in a manner that draws others to the Savior.