Acts 14:22 Establishing and strengthening the souls and the hearts of the disciples, urging and warning and encouraging them to stand firm in the faith, and [telling them] that it is through many hardships and tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
Jesus gave us a promise in John 16 when He said, “In this world you shall have tribulation…” He didn’t say we might or could have tribulation; He promised we WOULD have tribulation. It is something you can count on in this fallen world. Even Peter said, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you….” It’s not an issue of if; it is an issue of when, what is it going to look like, and how are you going to handle it.
That word “tribulations” in verse 22 means to “press,” and therefore it represents anything that brings “pressure” into your life. It could be the small issues of daily life or the huge crushing things that sometimes come our way. Interestingly, verse 22 tells us that it is through these trials that we ENTER (Go Deeper) into the Kingdom. We all want to go deeper into the reality of life in the Kingdom. We all want to experience and carry the greater presence, glory, and power that going deeper into the Kingdom brings. Each new trial we face is an open door, once hidden, to go deeper into the Kingdom. When facing tribulation, we can either murmur and complain, give into fear and offense, or, in faith,we can choose to seek God, looking for that door that will take us deeper and farther.