Posted on 05/01/2024 6:34:06 AM PDT by metmom
“‘For man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upward’” (Job 5:7).
Because they are sinners, still living in a sinful world, Christians should expect to encounter difficulties.
“It all depends on how you look at it.” That may be a cliché, but it is very applicable for believers as they deal with trials and sufferings. Any trial can be a joyous experience for a Christian if he looks at it from the proper, biblical perspective. Or, as with Jonah (Jonah 4) and Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-14), trials can be frustrating times of self-pity if believers lose their focus on what God is doing.
For some of us, the first hurdle to overcome is the very notion that trials and sufferings will be a part of the Christian life. But Job 5:7 reminds us that trouble is inevitable. If we imagine an ideal world where everything is just right all the time for believers, we are setting ourselves up for profound disappointment. Jesus Himself tells us we must expect significant difficulties in our lives: “In the world you have tribulation” (John 16:33).
All of us, to a greater or lesser extent, need to be prepared for testings and tribulations. And these troubles will be different for each of us. For some, the trial might be a financial crisis, accompanied by the loss of personal savings or investments. For some, it could be the loss of employment, with the anxiety of not being able to find another job anytime soon. Perhaps for others, the severe trial will be a serious illness or injury in their family, a fatal car accident, or being devastated by a major crime like murder or burglary.
In God’s purpose and plan, trials and sufferings are real and should not catch us by surprise or leave us angry and perplexed. If we recognize the Lord’s sovereign role in all these things, we will be able to affirm these words from an old hymn:
Whate’er my God ordains is right: Holy His will abideth; I will be still whate’er He doth, And follow where He guideth.
Suggestions for Prayer
Ask God for wisdom to better understand and accept the truth that He is sovereign over all areas of life.
Pray for a friend or family member who might be currently in the midst of a trial.
For Further Study
Read 1 Kings 19:1-14.
Who and what did Elijah focus on more than God?
What events from chapter 18 did the prophet quickly forget?
From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.
Studying God’s Word ping
Why suffering? Also christians suffer Because God says to Satan “have you considered my servant (input suffering persons name here)
God knew that the christian sufferer could withstand it- not that the sufferer would never break down, get angry, question, or whatever, but that they would never lose faith.
He knows that the Christian sufferer Wil, say with Job, “though he slay me, yet will I follow him” that alone defeats the evil one who looks to destroy God’s people but can’t.
We love God not because he gives us stuff, but because he is our creator, he is the Potter and can do whatever he wishes, and we trust that whatever that is, is for the best.
I’ve had people tell me that Job was the exception, but I have come to the conclusion that Job was included in Scripture to actually explain why so many of us go through such awful trials.
It gives a behind the scenes look at what’s going on and addresses both Job’s reactions and the lies of his faithless *friends*.
I’ll look into that. Thanks.
I agree- A Great Book on sufferign is the book by Joni Eareckson Tada who was paralyzed in her teens i believe- she recounts the suffering she had to go through with bed sores, infections, etc- she also tells it like it is=- and didn’t sugar coat the fact that she didn’t handle it well at times-
Nobody is going to handle it well all the time.
We’re human.
Being in pain is very wearing. Being tired and hungry also weakens our best resolve.
Psalm 103 is one of my favorites and I think one of the most comforting verses in Scripture is Psalm 103:13-14
“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.”
Does it still rain on the just and the unjust?
Luke 13:2-5
[[ the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.”]]
Thanks, needed that verse- it shows that God remembers that we are weak, made of mere dust, and not some spiritual giants incapable of falling
I keep reminding myself of the analogy of us as parents and how we respond to our children when they try, when they fail, when they rebel. Especially when they are infants and toddlers.
We KNOW they’re not going to make it, but they are trying. And their efforts are not smooth and polished and up to professional adult standards, but they are doing the best they can.
A child’s crayon drawing is no Picasso, but the best they can do. And we accept it for that.
And God is a better parent than us.
(And darn near infinitely patient, too!)
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