People have always had
troubles and trials, and they always will until Jesus cleans up
the mess sin
has made of this world. No person can have true peace until they allow Jesus to
take over their life.
“Peace I leave with you, my
peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your
heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)
Just this month a friend of
ours lost her mother on Tuesday and her husband on Wednesday, the next day.
Despite lingering health issues and then death itself of two people she loved
and cared for, she has peace in her life because she allows it to filter down
to her soul from God. In addition, she has her own health problems, but
continues to work.
Last month another friend of
ours passed away, by committing suicide. There is no question that the troubles
and trials in his life were overwhelming, but he failed to realize that they
were not overwhelming to God.
I’ve always said that if you
live long enough you will have adversity in your life sooner or later. There
are even many dear folks who experience troubles and trials at a young age. I
know I’ve had my share, and I’m sure many of you have too. For that matter,
many of you may be experiencing difficult times now.
It is most tragic when we
hear someone say, “Why me God?” It is tragic, but it is also understandable. No
one wants problems, but whether we like it or not, they do arrive at our door
eventually.
Sadly, some even blame God,
and that I cannot understand. The Word of God is clear about why we live in a
fallen world. It started with Satan’s lies and ends up in hell for those who
choose not to escape the clutches of the evil one.
God does not cause our
problems. I know that I have probably brought at least some of mine upon
myself, and if you’ll be honest, you have done the same thing. What about those
problems that just show up though? They’re part of life. They just appear. For
example; you lose someone you dearly love because someone decided to drive
while intoxicated; your doctor gives you news you really don’t want to hear;
you lose your job through no fault of your own. Life is tough.
The Apostle Paul told
Timothy, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” (1Timothy 1:15)
There is nothing we can do
about all the troubles and trials that befall mankind, but there is something
we can do to have peace in our heart that only Jesus can provide. By putting
our faith in Jesus Christ, we can rest in Him. Regardless of what comes our
way, we can have peace that only He can provide. We can walk with Him each day,
guided by His Spirit, and rest assured that we are already victorious over
anything that comes our way, because we belong to Him.
Satan can throw anything he
likes at us, but we have victory in Jesus Christ. Something may take our life.
Fine, we’ll just be with our Lord sooner. Our loved ones may lose their life.
If they too know Jesus as their Savior, it is “absent from the body, present
with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8)
The days we are living in can
be scary if we let them. Every area of society is falling apart like toy blocks
that a child has knocked over. Nothing is sacred. Nothing is sure. Nothing is
guaranteed. There is calamity all around. At least, that is what the world
sees, but as a Christian there is a peace the world cannot know, because it
does not know Jesus.
If you are a Christian and
worries are bringing you to your knees, turn them over to Jesus and let Him
take care of you.
“Do not be anxious about
anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6 NIV)
Allow God to glorify Jesus
His Son through your life. The problems may or may not go away. They may get
worse. They may not. The point is, let us glorify Him by being faithful. Even
if all falls apart on earth, we will be rewarded when we see Him. More
importantly, we will be with Him forever. Let us yearn to hear Him say of us,
“…Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few
things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy
lord.” (Matthew 25:21)
The troubles and trials of this
world can be used to make us stronger as a Christian and be a witness to so
many others. We see them as monsters about to consume us, but when we remember
that our God is in control, peace fills our soul and fear is replaced with a
courage that only comes from Him.
Do you want to have all those
problems you are worrying about? Of course not! But they’re there. What are you
going to do with them? Are they going to destroy you, or are you going to allow
Jesus to use them to bring you closer to Him? That’s something to think about.
Grant Phillips
Email: grantphillips@windstream.net
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
Rapture Ready http://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html
