The trials of life are inevitable. Unlike Jesus, who passed each and every one, we will pass some and fail some. Though we will fail some trails, an important question is how we handle the aftermath. Do we maintain our eyes on Jesus and keep our hope on Him. A study was done on wharf rats. One group, after being thrown into the open water, paddled for about three and a half minutes before drowning. The other group was thrown in, but plucked out just before they drowned. The next day, these same rats were thrown back into the water. Now, with the hope of survival which they learned the previous day, they were now able to tread water for forty-five minutes before drowning. If, during our trials, which again are inevitable, rather than drowning, we can maintain our eyes on Him, and no matter how badly we get beat up in the trial we can eventually come through stronger.

We read in Luke 22:31-34, "And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren." But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death." Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me." " Many deny the reality of Satan, or the spiritual nature of attacks. But here we clearly see, it was Satan who desired to sift Peter as wheat. We see the same thing in Job 1-2, as he desired to get his hands on Job to sift him. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter fails for the first time, as he is asked by Jesus to keep watch over Him of as He prayed. We read in 22:45-46, "When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. The He said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation." After the arrest, as Peter follows Jesus as He is led away for the mock trial, we read in 22:60-62, "But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So Peter went out and wept bitterly." Yes, Peter failed. Disoriented and lost in the aftermath, Peter did not flee Jerusalem, or turn to despair as Judas soon did. He remained with the other disciples, and after the resurrection was reinstated, restored, and as promised by Jesus would again be used for the Kingdom, "and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."

Our lives on this earth are long and difficult. We will confront trials of many kinds. Some we will pass, others we will fail. But the only way that we can ever truly fail, is if we take our eyes off the only true source of our hope. I have encountered many trials during my lifetime, and I would love to say that I always did the right thing and passed each one, but such is not the case. Let us remember in our race of faith, the words in Hebrews 12:1-2, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,...". Throughout our trials we must maintain our gaze on the Author and Finisher, the Alpha and the Omega, Jesus Christ. We read in 1 Corinthians 10:11, "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the ages has come." The Bible consists of the true stories of people just like you and me. The heroes of faith, all went through trials of many kinds. Some like Daniel and his three friends stood strong. Others like David, Moses, and Abraham failed some trials and faltered at times, but keeping their eyes transfixed on God, though sifted for a while, they were all used mightily by God. So, as we continue in our lives filled with various trials, may we never take our eyes off of Him. May we rely on Him to get us through when we are in the midst of the trial. But just as important, if we fail in the trial, may we maintain our eyes on Him, because, like Peter, when we return on the other side of the trial, we can and will be used by Him, as long as we keep ourselves in the race of faith.