28/05/2026
Sunday, 24-05-2026
Preacher: Pastor J. Paul Rumiya
Theme: Faith in God That Reaches the Point Where God Puts His Seal on It
The kind of faith upon which God puts His seal is faith that remains steadfast even when there is no peace, when circumstances are difficult, yet you continue to hold on to God's promises without doubting. Even when you are passing through hardships, if you keep trusting God and refuse to question His promises, that is the faith on which God places His seal.
We do not believe only when everything is going well or when life is comfortable. We should not doubt God's promises because of what we see with our eyes or because of what we are going through. This is another level of faith that few people attain.
God looks at such people and says, "These are the ones who truly trust Me." They may not be at peace; they may be going through trials, but they continue to worship God, honor His ways, and refuse to give up. It is the faith of someone who has lost a mother, a wife, a husband, or is facing serious challenges, yet continues to walk with God.
James 1:2-4
In His plan, God gives us promises, but He also allows us to go through difficult times so that He may shape us, transform us, refine us, and test our faith before putting His seal upon it.
Sometimes there are situations that are difficult to explain to others. A person may find himself living through circumstances that seem completely opposite to the promises God gave him. The Bible speaks about such seasons. You may have wonderful promises from God, yet your present reality appears to contradict them. At that point, it becomes easy to doubt.
However, if you continue trusting God and that faith produces perseverance, even when trials have exhausted you, when suffering has weighed heavily upon you, yet you still rise to pray and continue in the calling God has given you, then God says:
"I place My seal upon this person's faith."
This does not mean that your heart will never ask questions. Sometimes it keeps asking:
Why did God allow this?
Why did He let this happen to me?
Why, when I am serving Him?
Why did He allow this suffering?
Why must I go through such pain and weariness?
On this earth, whether we eat beans, rice, or bananas, we will all leave this world one day. The real question is: How will we leave it?
God has prepared extraordinary promises for those who serve Him. Some blessings are shared by all people on earth, but others are reserved for God's children in eternity.
When God does great things in someone's life, people eventually recognize that he or she was truly a servant of God. They remember having seen that person suffer. Then God delivers them from their troubles and publicly displays His greatness through their lives.
Sometimes God breaks the limitations that people have placed upon you: words declaring that you will never marry, never succeed, or never move forward. God intervenes powerfully and astonishes all those who spoke against you.
The trials we face are not meant to destroy us; they are meant to prepare us for the high-level promises God has reserved for us.
God does not want difficulties to ruin us. He wants them to reveal His glory. He rejoices when we continue trusting Him despite the apparent contradiction between His promises and our circumstances.
What we go through is not an accident or a surprise to God. These are things He has allowed while already preparing the blessings that will follow, so that we may discover a deeper dimension of who He is.
This means that those who persevere without giving up will eventually see God's reward.
Isaiah 45:5-7
Isaiah knew God, yet God showed him that he knew Him only partially.
It is as though God was saying:
"You know Me when I bless you and when everything is going well, but you do not yet know Me when you are going through difficulties."
When God blesses us, He is the source of those blessings. Yet He also remains with us in painful seasons.
God declares Himself to be the sovereign Lord who permits all things. Nothing happens without His permission.
There are times when it is easy to believe God's promises because everything appears favorable. But there are also seasons when God asks us to believe His promises while we are going through the greatest hardships.
Sometimes God wants to see you in church while you are hurting. He wants to know whether you will continue serving Him when circumstances are unfavorable.
Trials do not come only to make us suffer. They also seek to separate us from God by tempting us to doubt what He has spoken to us.
Trials have two main purposes:
1. To Reveal Whether Our Trust in God Is Genuine
Trials show whether we trust God only when life is pleasant or whether we trust Him under all circumstances.
If our confidence is weak, the trial becomes an opportunity for the enemy to draw us away from God.
Satan then seeks to plant doubt in our hearts concerning the promises God has given us.
2. To Remove Certain Traits and Prepare Us for God's Promises
Some promises are very great, yet our character may not be ready to carry them.
When God decides to bring us into those promises, He begins to work deeply within us.
Sometimes He allows very difficult situations. We cry, we suffer, and it seems as though He remains silent. Yet during that time, He is freeing us, transforming us, and preparing us.
If we persevere without abandoning the promises He has given us, we discover that He has never been far from us.
We begin to know Him in a new way. We see how He fights for us and reveals His faithfulness in the midst of battles.
Psalm 23:1-6
David is a remarkable example.
Many people rejected him, despised him, and fought against him, yet God lifted him up before those who opposed him.
When I look at God's promise in David's life, I learn an important lesson: God does not always rush to fulfill His promises.
Before doing so, He strengthens weary hearts so that they do not face trials alone.
There are certain promises into which God will not allow you to enter without first passing through tests and difficulties. He allows painful experiences to develop you spiritually and mentally.
There are things you pray for, but you do not yet have the maturity or capacity to handle them. That maturity often comes through God's refining process.
This journey is not easy. It is a path that leads to God's promises through difficulties.
That is why many people prefer messages that only encourage them and focus on earthly blessings. The Bible says that many will run after such teachings.
However, God's desire is for us to become strong and to continue trusting Him even when we pass through difficult times.
Believe that even in the hardest trials, you are not alone.
Do not doubt what God has told you.
Do not doubt His promises.
What He has promised, you will see with your own eyes.
Conclusion
The faith upon which God places His seal is faith that remains steadfast in the midst of suffering.
It is faith that continues looking to God's promises even when circumstances appear to contradict them.
Trials are meant to:
Reveal the sincerity of our trust in God.
Prepare us for the great promises He has planned for us.
Help us grow spiritually.
Enable us to know God more deeply.
Do not view your trials as the end of your story.
They may be the very sign that God is preparing you for something greater.
Even when your heart asks questions and circumstances seem contrary to God's promises, continue believing.
God is faithful.
What He has promised, He will accomplish.
Those who persevere will witness God's glory and the fulfillment of His promises in their lives.