Tests, trials, and triumphs: The tripods of wisdom, By Ayo Akerele

I have never seen anyone who rose to the top in life or achieved anything significant without cracking the code of obstacles. Obstacles are the platforms for miracles. Your mystery is the platform for your ministry. Your test is the platform for your testimony. Your trial is the platform for your triumph. There has never been a great man on earth that was never first a great man of trials.

The Bible is complete and inerrant in its account of the life and times of great movers and shakers of kingdoms, all of whom were carved from the furnace of obstacles. Men like David and Daniel had their own fair shares of trials and tests. They were like branches which were plucked out of the fire of life. You are not alone in the trials of life. You have just been enlisted into the hall of fame of champions.

That trial will not kill you. It will only make you stronger and prepared to stand the heat of your next levels. It is after Zion has travailed that she can bring forth his man child. Great glories are born out of great stories. The stories of great men are in their histories. As you labor on the stool of life, waiting and watching for when your glory will be born, you must not miss the critical lessons of wisdom that you’re learning from these negative experiences.

The first lesson of wisdom in your season of trial are your secrets. You must never trade your secrets in exchange for solutions to your problems. Why? On the day of your glory, after God has answered your prayers, it is your secrets in the hands of men that will be used as bullets to bring you down. Second lesson of wisdom in your season of trial is in the way you manage the identity of your helper. You must never reveal the names or identities of your strategic helpers to just anyone, if at all you must release them. Don’t reveal your helpers to men. They will come after you by attempting to damage your reputation and integrity before your helper.

“He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; Therefore, do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.” (Proverbs 20:19 )

Recently, someone came to me with very damaging reports about a dear son in the Lord, telling me very negative things about him with the hope of getting me to fire him. I just smiled and said to myself, “there is nothing anyone can tell me to damage the integrity of the people I love.” But some people aren’t like this. They will shut down the flow of their assistance to you because of the negative report from someone else. Saul in 1 Samuel 9 & 10 had a similar experience. After his return from prophet Samuel, upon his anointing as the next log of Israel, his uncle asked him of his whereabouts. The Bible said, “Saul did not reveal what had happened to his uncle.” (I Samuel 10: 14-16). That is classic wisdom.

Among all others, the final greatest wisdom lesson you must learn in your season of trial is to ensure that you don’t play around with your prayer altar and your relationship with God. You must not turn down the volume of prayers just because your testimony has come. Some people are strong prayer warriors in their times of trials but dump their prayer tempo as soon as their stories change. Your altar is your greatest source of strength and support before, during, and after your trials. You must not dump your pastor, designating him as too low for your new status. While you were suffering, he was not too low, but now that your story has changed, he’s suddenly become too low? Everything about your altar must never be compromised—your church, your mentors, your word life, your prayer life, your giving life, and your heart for righteousness. The altar is the strength of champions. It’s the greatest source of wisdom in the time of trials.

Let me prophesy on you. Your case will be like Joseph’s. That thing they’ve thrown at you with the aim of finishing you is that same channel that will lead you to the palace. Your enemies and their strategies are taking you to your glorious destiny.

You won’t die before your glory is born. Death will not advertise your glory. Right here on earth, in the full glare of the whole world, your man child shall be born. Your glory shall break forth. Your gifts and callings shall speak. You will not be quenched in the middle of your trials.

Ayo Akerele is the senior pastor of Rhema Assembly and the founder of the Voice of the Watchmen in Ontario, Canada. He can be reached through ayoakerele@gmail.com.