The Christian
life has been described as “heading into a storm, in a storm, or coming out of
a storm.” The question for the believer is not if trials will come, but what to
do when they do come.
In the early
morning hours of May 8th my cell phone rang awaking me from a great
sleep. The parental panic instantly runs through a thousand scenarios confusing
the brain as one is coming to, sitting up and grabbing the ringing phone. Then
I see one of the children’s name on the caller ID. Instantly, one visualizes the
grandchildren and great-grandchildren with sadness developing. One takes a deep
breath and answers with gentleness, knowing this phone call at four in the
morning isn’t going to be cheerful. Our daughter informed me she discovered her
husband of 36 years died in his sleep lying next to her. My wife is already
crying and mourning but yet doesn’t know what has happened. After I got some
concrete information from our daughter, I then had to tell my wife.
A shock is
putting it lightly, but because we all share in the deep faith of God’s
providence and authority the whole family could accept the tragedy without prejudice.
God is still love and there is no doubt in my mind our son-in-law is in the presence
of God.
[Acts 14:22]
The apostle Paul said, “…We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of
God.” Paraphrased into today’s language, Jesus might say we have a “rough row
to hoe” before we enter into God’s presence. Accepting the blunt reality of
trial and hardship is the first step to dealing with adversity. The Christian
is no more immune to cancer or hurricanes than the non-Christian. The ruin of
the fall and the entrance of sin into the universe adversely affects both man
and creation. Romans 8:22 states, “We know that the whole creation has been
groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”
We must realize
that the primary purpose of adversity is to expose our weakness and drive us to
fresh trust and dependence on Jesus Christ. Jesus wants us to trust Him with
each burden, each problem, each setback. 1 Peter 5:5-7 states, “…all of you be
submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the
proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the
mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care
upon Him, for He cares for you.”
God knows that
if we trust Him as our faith is tested, we will discover His strength – we will
grow stronger. In our weakness, we can discover His strength. The winds of
financial misfortune, illness, divorce, or death, may be too much for us to
handle, but nothing is too complicated or burdensome for God!
James 1:2-4
NKJV; “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 and complete, lacking nothing.”
Phillips Modern
English Version states: “When all kinds if trials and temptations crowd into
your lives, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends!
Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of
endurance. But let the process go on until the endurance is fully developed,
and you will find you have become men of mature character with the right sort
of independence. And if, in the process, if any of you does not know how to
meet any particular problem, he has only to ask God – who gives generously to
all men without making them feel foolish or guilty – and he may be quite sure
that the necessary wisdom will be given him.” Are you ready to meet God?
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