Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. – James 1:12

Just as my doctor puts me through a stress test every summer, God allows trials and tests in our lives in order to reveal where we are along our spiritual journey. He does this to correct whatever happens to be wrong, reveal whatever needs to be revealed, and strengthen whatever seems to be weak so that we might move on to what He has in store for us.

When we’re caught between a rock and a hard place, we feel trapped, stuck, and tired of where we are. We don’t know what to do, or we don’t know how to legitimately do what we feel we need to do. We’re like the Israelites with Pharaoh on one side and the Red Sea on the other. Death seemed certain either way.

Getting caught between a rock and a hard place is a lose-lose deal. If it were a clear win-lose deal, we would know how to choose and where to turn. But what do we do when there are no clear choices? What option do we choose when both options are bad?

Have you ever been in a situation where every option led to problems, and you just wanted to find which one would cause the least trouble? I know I’ve been in situations like that, and they aren’t fun—just as huffing and puffing on that treadmill in my doctor’s office isn’t fun. But over the years I’ve learned that God has a purpose for these times in our lives. Just as my doctor is not a mean man for putting my body through all of that stress, God is not a mean God when He leads us through trials.

When God wants to reveal the real condition of your heart to help you toward His plan for your future, He puts you in one of these kinds of trials.

Check out more from Dr. Tony Evans @Tonyevans.org