But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. ~Psalm 37:39 (KJV)
Oftentimes, when bad things happen in our lives, we wonder what we did wrong. We worry about the decisions we have made and if we had done enough. We think maybe if we had been more faithful to God we wouldn't be in this shape. But many times, what we see as a setback, God sees as a set up. Our concerns are no surprise to God. When we see our children acting out of control, our finances lacking or our health waning, we have to remember the bible teaches troubles build our character. In James 1:2-4 God tells us “when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So, let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (NLT) God has an uncanny way of turning everything for our good when we trust Him to do that no matter what is going on around us. Sometimes faith takes more persistence. Jesus even told His disciples regarding demonic influences that those kind will only go out by prayer and fasting. That should tell us there are going to be troubles in this life that we are really going to have to strengthen our resolve to get through. We are going to have to press in with great discipline and refuse to let go. Sometimes we must believe God’s word against all odds to overcome.
Hindsight will always confirm to us all that troubles and difficulties mature us. They teach us patience and they show us just how resilient we are. Have you ever gone through a difficult ordeal that in the beginning you did not believe you would make it through? We all have! And we have all had to learn to trust the Lord, day in and day out through the process, knowing that He was hearing us and making a way where there seemed to be no way. Jesus said in John 16:33 “In the world you will have tribulation.” (NKJV) The word tribulation does not indicate a single problem; it means trials, ordeals, and suffering. Being a child of God does not exempt us from difficulty. In Matthew 5:45 Jesus told us “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (NIV) So what do we do when we find ourselves in the middle of a trial? We are taught in James 5:13, “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.” (NIV) When was the last time you had trouble? Was your first thought to pray? It's time we go to God first and seek His wisdom. Many times, when we get quiet before God, it gives Him an opportunity to show us that it is not our situation that needs to change but our perspective about our situation. God wants us to see ourselves seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. He wants us to see ourselves as overcomers in Christ Jesus. He wants us to realize we have all that we need in Him. He is the only one with the perfect answer to every question you have, and He promises to hear you, strengthen you and deliver you no matter what the difficulty.
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. ~Psalm 34:17 (NIV)
What’s going on in your life that you just don’t think you can take one more day of? Have you chosen to praise God in the middle of it?
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