|
Do you have troubles? If you say
you don’t, you probably need to examine things a little more closely. I bet
you will find some. We all have trouble to handle every day. One key in the
Christian’s life is to STAY IN TODAY and deal ONLY with
TODAY’S TROUBLE.
“MAN WHO
is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.”
Job 14:1. Jesus told us not to worry over tomorrow’s imagined trouble,
because you have enough trouble with which to deal today without borrowing
from tomorrow. Not only that, but tomorrow will have trouble that you
didn’t even imagine or trouble of its own. "Therefore
do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Mat. 6:34
Most people want a TROUBLE FREE
life, but that life is not going to be according to Jesus and Job. We need
to know that TROUBLE IS NECESSARY. It is in trouble that God is
glorified. Without the swelling Red Sea and the Egyptians close behind, the
Children of Israel would not have seen the glory of the Lord. Moses told
them, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the
salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the
Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.
The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."
Ex. 14:13-14
STAND STILL? Moses, do you
understand what the situation is? Stand still? How can we just turn our
backs on the problem? We are all going to die. No, Moses tells them the
Lord will take this trouble HE HAS PUT UPON US and He will bring glory to
Himself. Without the trouble where would be the deliverance? Without the
deliverance where would be the glory?
Do you know why they didn’t ask
about tomorrow, like where were they going to find water in the desert? And
food? And protection? The reason they didn’t worry about tomorrow is that
they were so busy about today’s trouble and quite frankly, they hadn’t
thought of it.
”So
the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel
saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw the great
work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and
believed the LORD and His servant Moses.” Ex.14:30-31
Go through your Bible and you will
see the distinguishing characteristic of the lives of the people of God is
NOT that they had no problems, but that they turned their backs on the
problem and looked to God. You will see God using problems to bring the
very best results for His people who assure themselves that “we
know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for
those who are called according to his purpose.” Rom. 8:28
Even as Job said to his wife, after
they had lost everything, including seven sons and three daughters, “Shall
we accept good from God, and not trouble?" Job 2:10 And the
next words support Job’s statement: “In all this,
Job did not sin in what he said.“ Also, the Word tells us, “I
form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster;
I, the LORD , do all these things.” Isa. 45:7 “Is
it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things
come?” Lam. 3:38
Yes, God uses trouble in our lives
to glorify Himself in our deliverance, our deliverance IN the problem
and sometimes our deliverance OUT OF the problem. Remember, the
three Hebrew children were delivered IN the furnace of fire BEFORE
they were delivered FROM IT. Daniel was delivered IN the
lion’s den BEFORE he was delivered OUT OF IT.
If we understand the necessity of
trouble in our lives, we can more readily turn our backs on the problem and
look to Him to hear His voice and see His deliverance that He provides. I
say, “Kiss the whip.” For the One Who holds it is working it for our good
and His glory.
Lamentations 3:
19 I
remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."
25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.
|
