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Challenges
of Life
October 20,
2012
Last week, we learned the need to overcome the world because if we do not, we will be overcome by the world. Overcoming sometimes means enduring and outlasting whatever it is that is troubling us. It is easier to give up when we face a challenge than to stick to what we need to do. Those things that trouble us are the challenges of life, and we can choose to be swallowed by those challenges or to dig deeper, in faith, and to plow through these challenges. So what does the Bible say on this topic, and what are we to do? Jesus told us to never be distressed when we found ourselves in need because God already knows what our needs are.
Matthew
6:25-34
Therefore
I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or
what ye
shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is
not the life more than meat, and the body
than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do
they
reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.
Are ye not much better than they? Which of
you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take
ye
thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;
they toil
not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in
all his
glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and
tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much
more clothe
you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What
shall we
eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For
after
all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father
knoweth that
ye have need of all these things. But
seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things
shall be added unto you. Take therefore
no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the
things of
itself. Sufficient unto the day is
the evil thereof.
When we find that life is challenging, we cannot presume that God has given up on us, because before we even ask God, God knows what our needs are. He knows we need food, water, and clothes, and God will provide. These verses show us we need to first seek the Kingdom of God and God's righteousness, and then these needs will be met. We should never sacrifice our faith to obtain our physical needs because Jesus and God have promised to us that if we first seek the Kingdom of God, and God's righteousness, that God will provide what we need, and when God promises, and we do what we need to do, that is a promise that we can bank on. Even when we obey God it does not mean that our life will be without trouble. The world is evil, and there will be those on the losing side of the spiritual battle that will try to make our life miserable. We can let this happen and do nothing, we can seek revenge, or we can wait for God to deliver vengeance on our behalf. Paul shared this concept with the Thessalonians in his second letter to that congregation.
2
Thessalonians 1:1-12
Paul,
and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in
God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, from God our
Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ. We are bound to
thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your
faith
groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward
each other
aboundeth; So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for
your
patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye
endure: Which is a
manifest token of the
righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom
of God,
for which ye also suffer: Seeing it is a
righteous thing with God to
recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are
troubled
rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with
his mighty
angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and
that
obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished
with
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the
glory of
his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be
admired
in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed)
in that
day. Wherefore also we pray always for
you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling,
and fulfil all
the good pleasure of his goodness,
and the work of faith with power:
That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye
in him,
according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
When people trouble us all we need to remember is that God will repay them with a similar trouble. To the casual observer, this is called karma. The Bible shows that it is God who repay trouble for trouble, and that God considers this righteous when it is the righteous who are troubled by those who are evil. Trouble has existed with God's people for the longest times, and was the topic of a Psalm.
Psalm
107:1-43
O
give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good:
for his mercy endureth
for ever. Let the redeemed of the LORD
say so, whom
he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; And gathered
them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the
north, and
from the south. They wandered in the
wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in
them. Then they cried unto the LORD in
their trouble, and he
delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth
by the right way, that
they might go to a city of habitation. Oh
that men would
praise the LORD for his
goodness, and for
his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the
longing soul,
and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound
in affliction and iron; Because they rebelled against the words of God,
and
contemned the counsel of the most High: Therefore he brought down their
heart
with labour; they fell down, and there was none to
help. Then they cried unto the LORD in their
trouble, and he
saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of
darkness and the
shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. Oh that men would
praise the LORD for
his goodness, and for his
wonderful works to the children of men! For he
hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.
Fools because of their transgression, and
because of their iniquities, are afflicted.
Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the
gates of death. Then they cry unto the
LORD in their trouble, and he
saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and
healed them, and
delivered them from
their destructions.
Oh that men would
praise the LORD for his
goodness, and for
his wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the
sacrifices
of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing. They
that go down to the sea in ships, that
do business in great waters; These see the works of the LORD, and his
wonders
in the deep. For he commandeth, and
raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
They mount up to the heaven, they go down
again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
They reel to and fro, and stagger like a
drunken man, and are at their wits' end.
Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out
of their distresses. He maketh the storm
a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto
their
desired haven. Oh that men would
praise the LORD for his
goodness, and for his
wonderful works to
the children of men! Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the
people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry
ground; A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them
that dwell
therein. He turneth the wilderness into
a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings. And there
he maketh the hungry to dwell, that
they may prepare a city for habitation; And sow the fields, and plant
vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.
He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and
suffereth not their cattle to decrease. Again,
they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and
sorrow. He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth
them to wander in the wilderness, where
there is no way.
Yet setteth he the poor on high from
affliction, and maketh him
families like a flock. The righteous shall see it, and
rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.
Whoso is wise,
and will observe these things, even
they
shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.
Even though it is normal to cry to God when we are in trouble, we know that God can deliver us from what it is that distresses us. This Psalm even shows that God will save each of us from ourself. Even when we do something wrong, God can save us. In exchange, how wonderful it would be if we praised God for his goodness, and for the wonderful works he does to make our lives better.
All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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