Trusting God Through Trials and Tribulations

Today, we gathered to celebrate the goodness of God and to reflect on what it means to truly trust Him, especially when life leads us into places that don’t make sense. We rejoiced in the ways God is moving among us—through baptisms, Bible studies, and the warmth of our church family. Yet, we also acknowledged that following God often brings us into situations that test our faith, much like the Israelites who found themselves without water in the wilderness, even though they were following God’s leading.

We explored the story in Exodus 17, where God led His people into a place of need—not to harm them, but to free them from a deeper slavery: the bondage of self-reliance. Just as God delivered Israel from physical slavery in Egypt, He also wanted to deliver them from the spiritual slavery of trusting in their own strength. When the Israelites faced thirst, their first response was to complain and doubt, questioning whether God was truly with them. This is a temptation we all face: to believe the “false news” that God has abandoned us when trials come.

But Scripture teaches us that God’s ways are higher than ours. In Romans 5, Paul reminds us that tribulation produces perseverance, character, and hope—a hope that does not disappoint because it is rooted in God’s love poured out through the Holy Spirit. The trials we face are not signs of God’s absence, but opportunities for Him to reveal His faithfulness and to deepen our trust in Him.

I shared a personal story of stepping out in faith financially, only to be met with unexpected disaster—a flooded basement. In that moment, the temptation was to doubt God’s goodness. But by choosing to praise Him in the midst of the trial, we saw God provide in ways we could not have imagined. He had already prepared the solution before we even knew the problem existed.

The invitation today is to trust God’s leading, even when it doesn’t make sense. There is a rest available to the people of God—a rest that comes from ceasing to depend on our own strength and learning to rely fully on Him. Whatever challenges you are facing, know that God has a thousand ways to provide for you, and His story on the other side of your trial will be greater than you can imagine.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God often leads us into places of need not to harm us, but to free us from the deeper bondage of self-reliance. The wilderness is not a sign of God’s absence, but an invitation to trust Him more deeply and to experience His provision in new ways. When we are tempted to question His guidance, we must remember that His wisdom surpasses our understanding. [14:15]
• 2. Trials and tribulations are not punishments, but tools in God’s hands to shape our character and deepen our hope. As Paul writes in Romans 5, tribulation produces perseverance, which in turn produces character and hope—a hope that is anchored in God’s love and faithfulness. Embracing trials as opportunities for growth transforms our perspective and prepares us for greater blessings. [21:22]
• 3. The greatest danger in times of difficulty is to listen to the “false news” of the enemy, who whispers that God has abandoned us or that His ways are not good. Instead, we are called to praise God in the midst of our trials, trusting that He is working behind the scenes and has already prepared a solution. Our response in these moments reveals the depth of our trust in Him. [10:28]
• 4. God’s rest is found not in the absence of problems, but in the presence of trust. Hebrews reminds us that true spiritual rest comes when we cease striving in our own strength and learn to depend on God’s provision and timing. This rest is available to all who will listen to His voice and surrender their anxieties to Him. [30:51]
• 5. Jesus, our great High Priest, understands our weaknesses and invites us to come boldly to the throne of grace. In every trial, we are not alone; Christ intercedes for us and offers mercy and help in our time of need. The invitation is to bring our burdens to Him, trusting that He will carry us through and turn our trials into testimonies of His faithfulness. [31:33]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:35] - Celebrating Baptisms and God’s Movement
• [01:13] - Stories of Outreach and Bible Studies
• [03:09] - The Power of Prayer in Our Church
• [05:28] - Opening Prayer and Seeking God’s Presence
• [06:47] - A Personal Journey of Faith and Finances
• [08:38] - The Unexpected Trial: Basement Flood
• [10:28] - Responding to Trials and Satan’s Lies
• [11:42] - The Exodus: God’s Leading in Difficult Places
• [14:15] - The Test of Faith in the Wilderness
• [18:04] - Deliverance from Self-Reliance
• [19:24] - Romans 5: The Purpose of Tribulation
• [22:44] - God’s Provision in Impossible Situations
• [24:43] - Testimony: God’s Faithfulness in Crisis
• [27:09] - Hebrews: Learning God’s Ways
• [30:51] - Entering God’s Rest
• [31:33] - Jesus, Our High Priest and Source of Help
• [32:50] - Invitation to Trust and Closing Prayer

Small Group Bible Study Guide: Trusting God in the Wilderness

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### Bible Reading

Exodus 17:1-7 (ESV)
> All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Romans 5:1-5 (ESV)
> Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Hebrews 4:9-16 (ESV)
> So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience... Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

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### Observation Questions

1. In Exodus 17, who led the Israelites into the place where there was no water, and how did the people respond to this situation?

[[14:15]]

1. According to Romans 5, what are the steps that tribulation produces in a believer’s life, and what is the end result?

[[21:22]]

1. In the sermon, what was the pastor’s initial reaction to the flooded basement, and what did he and his wife choose to do next?

[[10:28]]

1. What does Hebrews 4 say is available to the people of God, and what does it mean to “enter God’s rest”?

[[30:51]]

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### Interpretation Questions

1. Why might God intentionally lead His people into places of need or difficulty, as He did with the Israelites in Exodus 17? What deeper issue was God addressing in their hearts?

[[18:04]]

1. How does the process described in Romans 5—tribulation producing perseverance, character, and hope—change the way a believer might view trials?

[[21:22]]

1. The sermon described the danger of listening to “Satan’s False News Network” during trials. What are some examples of the “false news” we might hear in our own minds when facing hardship?

[[10:28]]

1. According to Hebrews 4, what does it look like to cease striving in our own strength and instead depend on God’s provision? How is this different from simply giving up?

[[30:51]]

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### Application Questions

1. Think about a time when you felt God was leading you, but things didn’t make sense or got harder instead of easier. How did you respond? Looking back, do you see any ways God was working behind the scenes?

[[14:15]]

1. The Israelites’ first response to need was to complain and doubt God’s presence. When you face a crisis, what is your first response? What would it look like to choose praise instead, as the pastor and his wife did with their flooded basement?

[[10:28]]

1. The sermon talked about the “bondage of self-reliance.” In what areas of your life do you find it hardest to let go of control and trust God? What is one step you could take this week to depend more on Him?

[[18:04]]

1. Romans 5 says that tribulation produces perseverance, character, and hope. Is there a current trial in your life that you can view as an opportunity for growth rather than just a problem? How might you pray differently about it this week?

[[21:22]]

1. The pastor shared that God had already prepared a solution for their problem before they even knew it existed. Can you recall a time when God provided for you in an unexpected way? How did that experience affect your faith?

[[25:56]]

1. Hebrews 4 invites us to enter God’s rest by trusting Him and ceasing from our own striving. What practical steps could you take to “enter God’s rest” in your daily life, especially when you feel anxious or overwhelmed?

[[30:51]]

1. Jesus is described as our High Priest who understands our weaknesses and invites us to come boldly for help. What burden or struggle do you need to bring to Jesus this week, trusting that He will give you mercy and grace?

[[31:33]]

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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Invite group members to share one area where they want to trust God more deeply this week, and pray for each other to experience God’s rest and provision.