Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:12, 13 NKJV

The Twilight Zone was a television series aired on CBS back in the early 1960s with episodes of science fiction, suspense, horror, and sometimes a psychological thriller with an unexpected twist. The show fantasized about strange things that happened to people. This Coronavirus pandemic that we are experiencing can feel like a twilight zone, but it is nothing more than the trying of our faith, and we should not think that is strange.

We are told by the apostle James to “count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (Jas. 1:2-4). According to James, the trying of our faith is various temptations, i.e., tests and trials, troubles and problems. We are told to count it joy when we fall into—not walk into or jump into a temptation.  If we fall into a situation of no making of our own, God will give us the grace to overcome it and come out on the other side better and stronger. But make no mistake about it; trials don’t come not to try us, but rather they come to try our faith—to test what we really believe about the Word of God. Too many Christians believe in the Bible and even worship it, but not enough will act on what it says. Every trial is an opportunity, if we have an attitude of joy.

Test and trials don’t make us stronger, but we can come out stronger if we take the opportunity to stand on the Word—that’s what faith is. Faith is like a bridge over troubled waters, and patience is the pier to uphold our faith. And, patience works by us being constant and consistent in our faith. And, it is patience that perfects us, not the trial itself (Heb. 10:36).

Further, we must have the right perspective about the trying of our faith, especially during this COVID-19 viral pandemic. Is it God’s will? Not according to scripture (Matt. 6:10). Will this test and trial make us grow and become more like Jesus? No! It is the Word of God and the Spirit of God that makes us grow stronger and be more like Jesus. Test and trials come to take the Word out of us, to cause us to fail, and to cause us to go back into sin (See Mark 4:14-20). Whatever the will of God is in heaven, it is also His will for us here in the earth. So don’t think that this pandemic is some strange thing. It is a trial which is to try us!