God’s reason for allowing troubles

Climate change seems to threaten the earth. Terrorists, serial killers, plane crashes, and other every day accidents threaten our lives, as does extreme weather, illness and even plagues. The world is increasingly a dangerous place to live.

How do people cope with traumas in the news? Do they try to grin and bear it? Do they fall apart? Do they use alcohol or other mind-altering substances? Many simply ignore the media and live in ignorance of most threats, which isn’t much help. They are like the child who covers his eyes and thinks no one can see him.

For Christians, these things are a faith test. We in North America who enjoy the ‘good life’ slide into thinking that our affluence is evidence that God loves us. When trials come, we are inclined to wonder if God has stopped caring. However, He has a good reason for allowing them:

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2–4)

When I read the news, or more personally, when I answer the telephone, the events on the other end creep into my soul and threaten my trust. Is God turning His back on this world? Why are babies dying of starvation? Why are ordinary people being shot at? Why are folks in Madagascar dying of the plague? Why have world leaders been targeted for slips of the tongue when there are far more important issues — like bombs and hate, child prostitution and drug overdose? Why are Christians being persecuted in greater numbers than ever before in history?

This morning, God blesses my heart with a psalm that exalts the power and plan of God. It puts my faith on solid ground, but also points to the future where God’s plan will be realized and all the efforts of even the most powerful people will come to nothing:

“Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” (Psalm 33:8–22)

This is the God that I trust, the God whose Word overrides the news, social media, hysteria, anxiety and daily worries of me and of the people around me. He is powerful, sovereign, able to save. He delivered my soul from the penalty of sin; He easily can deliver me from all threats. And if He does not deliver me and one of them takes away my life, then I will go to eternity, a perfect place because I am with Him. I’ve nothing to gain by worry, nothing to lose by dying because of my faith, but everything to gain. Life is good, not because of the God-blessed comforts, but because of His eternal assurance.

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Jesus, the news is fearful, yet because of You, my fears fade and are replace by praise. I stand in awe of You, the One who spoke and all creation happened; the One who delivered me from the penalty of sin and helps me with every detail of life. Most definitely You are my help and shield — and my heart is glad in You.

Strength from God

Perhaps it is the fatigue of moving. Perhaps it is the summer doldrums that hit after the end of teaching classes and more often being involved with people. Whatever the reasons, my battle with discouragement seems endless. No matter how well the days go, I wake in the morning feeling weak and useless.
 

Today’s verse is a promise from God to His people. It uses the word “bars” which can mean the strap of a sandal or the protection of literal bars. The rest of it is God’s guarantee to give strength for each day.

Your bars shall be iron and bronze, and as your days, so shall your strength be. (Deuteronomy 33:25)

I went online for a sermon or something concerning this verse. I found one that talks about the need of Christians to realize our weakness before we can see the preciousness of God’s strength. The preacher mentions the obvious occasions where my weakness shows up, such as in failure and suffering. However, he also puts a finger on one thing not so obvious — progress.

As God’s people try to grow in grace and manage a bit of progress, we will find ourselves struggling to take one step forward and then easily taking a great many steps backward. It is to this daily battle that God makes this encouraging promise. 

Some days are full of sorrow when I must sit alone under God’s hand, yet the strength promised is not mere endurance. Whenever the trials of life draw out that “I’ve gotten used to it” attitude, I miss out on any increased capacity for action, comfort, or hope. Instead, the strength God promises will take the edge off calamities and even make me more than a conqueror over them. God wants me to have the kind of strength that not only enables me to endure but also builds my Christian character, just as the New Testament says…

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11–13)

God’s promise for daily strength is only as good as the One who made it has the ability to deliver. People make promises and may not keep them. For that disappointment, I must deal with a trust issue. But God always keeps His promises, even if up front it seems and feels as if it will not happen. His faithfulness does not depend on mine. Even when I have little faith or hope, God remains true to His Word.

Right now, the day seems normal, but Charles Spurgeon says that every house has a trouble factory. This is true. Even when life goes well, I know it will not stay that way. Trouble is coming, if not today, it will rear its ugly head. But Jesus looks at trouble then looks my way and says fear not. He uses trouble to teach me to rely on Him moment by moment.

In the past, I’ve asked for strength for the week, or for a task. Yet, God does not promise annual strength, monthly strength, or even weekly strength. One writer says he is glad about that because some trial or trouble may be great and he might use his monthly allowance on it and not be able to wait until next month for a fresh supply!

God is wise. His supply is according to my need, and it doesn’t run out as long as I live. Whatever the trials and as long as they come, I will have Sunday strength, Monday strength, Tuesday strength and so on until the day I am with Him in eternity.

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Lord, this is timely. Forgive me for taking Your strength for granted and neglecting to ask for it every day, even more often, every moment. Life has been demanding and beyond my capacity. But nothing is too hard for You. For whatever is needed today, grant me all that I need to meet the challenges.

Pressures produce godliness

One of my husband’s aunts once said to us, “I’m amazed at you two; you have been through so much.”

At that time in our lives, we looked at each other and had no idea what she was talking about. What appeared to her as “so much” didn’t seem like much at all to us.

My devotional reading today takes another look at the same verse as yesterday, 1 Timothy 4:8, but with a different emphasis. The verse says, “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.”

The author reminds me of something experience has taught me also. At one time, I felt that as long as things were going well I could handle life without Jesus. However, if affliction came, I was quickly on my knees asking for help. This seems almost an hypocrisy, but it is during those times that I learned how the Lord “is pleased to bring a little godliness into the soul.”

Some of God’s promises are for here and now. He says He will support me and give me the strength, comfort, consolation, and peace that the world knows nothing about. He is my Lord and Savior from sin, but He is also the blessing and joy of my life, a Friend who is with me when I need Him and when I think I do not. He is a power and reality that I can hardly describe, in both good times and bad.

When trouble comes and I am pushed into a corner, as He is pleased to be with me in that trial as He is in the good times. Not only that, He is able to give me a godly response to whatever is happening. It is in those trials that I experience His “promise of the life that now is.” It shows up as faith, hope, love, repentance, prayerfulness, humility, contrition, long-suffering, peace that passes understanding, even joy. These are gifts from Him that can be exercised even when I am deeply afflicted, but without the affliction, I would not know it.

By drawing forth godliness in the tough times, I learn that He is faithful to save me, faithful to keep His promises. I also am able to look at what He does for me in the here and now and realize how that bit of godliness in my own life is a “promise of the life that is to come.” I am more aware that this amazing life of Jesus that supports me now will surely take me through death and into a blessed eternity where, as my devotional says, “grace will end in glory; faith in sight; hope in fruition.”

What I have learned about Jesus and His faithfulness to me in the trials of life all point to the reality of eternal bliss. One day I will see Him as He is. The godliness that He produces in me under the pressures in this life is just a small taste of that day when eternal peace will be mine; no more sorrow and all tears wiped away, and I will be like Jesus.

James wrote, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4).

From the words and thoughts related to 1 Timothy, I could substitute any of the fruits of the Spirit for ‘patience’ because it is in trials where I have the wonderful opportunity to find out what Christ will do for me. Yet as my aunt demonstrated, sometimes only those observing my life can see ‘how much’ is happening to me. In great grace, Jesus does it and I am sometimes totally oblivious, both to the trials He uses and the godliness He is producing.

Why Trials?

Last week my color printer was acting up. After changing the cartridges and updating the software, I put it through a series of tests to make sure it would perform the way it was supposed to and print perfect copies.

This morning I think about other things we test and want perfection from. Every new car we’ve ever bought was first taken for a test drive. We didn’t want any surprises after we brought it home. We test mattresses and sofas by sitting or stretching out on them. I’ve bought a few things without testing them and been disappointed in their performance.

I’m not surprised that God tests me. Even though I don’t like it, it makes sense that He wants to make sure I’m going to perform the way He expects. He has blessed me in so many ways and from those blessings, I should respond by honoring Him. The Bible describes it in 1 Peter 1:3-7.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. . . .

In Christ I have the assurance of eternal life and the promise of God to keep me in His care until that day that I leave this earth to spend forever with Him. Yet while I am here and as God sees necessary, life is somewhat less than heaven on earth! Life is one big test that should prove my faith will result in praise and honor when Jesus Christ shows up.

What would be the alternative? I suppose I could be totally unprepared for the return of Christ, not wanting that to happen because He will interfere with my plans. I suppose if God didn’t test me, I could settle into a complacency in His perfect care for me and the delights of providential blessing. If life were like heaven, why would I even think of going there? If I had no trials at all, my faith would be in a God who pampered me, indulged me, paid heed to my fleshy I-wants. God is not like that!

My devotional reading for today gives a good description of what God is doing when He brings trials into my life. It says that “manifold trials and temptations bring us out of those things which are opposed to the grace of God, and conform us to the image of His dear Son.”

He is right. I need trials and temptations “to cure” me of my worldly spirit, carnality and carelessness, light, vague or empty profession, and any form of godliness that is just that—only a form and not the real thing. Trials tend to erase all pride and self-righteousness. Only trials can keep me from “resting short of divine teachings and heavenly blessings.” Trials keep me seeking the face of God.

Otherwise I settle for being at ease and missing out on the secrets of a powerful relationship with the One who can carry me through the worst that life could deal me. Otherwise I would settle for a false, or deceptive, or hypocritical, or presumptuous faith, maybe even unsound in doctrine and without substance. Trials teach me to be “simple and sincere, honest and upright, tender and teachable” and to know by experience what a broken and contrite spirit is all about.

Oh, I will yelp and moan and feel sorry for myself, but deep in my heart, I know the value of trials. James writes that we should rejoice when they come because God is using them, not only to test my faith, but build perfection in me.

Actually, there is something almost humorous here. I’ve occasionally been criticized for being a perfectionist, as if trying to do something to the best of my ability is some sort of negative goal. But perfection is God’s goal! I might resist the trials that God uses as tools in the process, even pick the wrong things to make perfect, yet perfection is His idea and His promise. He wants me to be like Jesus, who is perfect. It seems like a good idea to make that my goal too.