2/18/2024 0 Comments Dr. charles stanley sermonsThe Bible is our most precious possession because it’s God’s voice speaking to us in written language, giving us encouragement, direction, comfort, and correction. Our first response to adversity should be to open the Scriptures, asking the Lord what He desires to say to us. Though not sinless, adversity moves us toward being fully committed to Christ with no desire to sin against Him. The Bible calls us saints, which is how we should see ourselves (1 Cor. This is one of the ways He conforms us to the likeness of His Son-He changes our heart until we don’t want anything in our lives that doesn’t fit our holy identity as His children. As we turn to the Lord in the midst of pain and difficulties, He reveals sin and wrong thinking so we can repent, be cleansed, and live a holy life. Adversity prompts us to examine our lives. Each time we trust the Lord in a time of adversity, we gain courage to persevere and to face the next challenge with confident faith. God told Joshua to be strong and courageous because He would be with him wherever he went (Josh. We can trust Him because He will never prolong our suffering beyond what is necessary and will see us through till the end. When we understand that God is with us and has a purpose for our adversity, He gives us the patience to wait for His perfect timing. In the midst of our pain, the Lord proves Himself trustworthy, not to do what we want, but to keep His promises and stay with us through suffering. This approach results in the development of the following qualities: Instead of turning away from the Lord, the better option is to draw close to Him in adversity. Others, however, make the decision to walk into a deeper relationship with the Lord. The adversity He designed to draw them to Himself has been wasted and so have their lives. When people walk away from God and His Word, they forfeit all the good plans He had for them. In turn, bitterness poisons every area of life and brings with it misery, both to the bitter person and those close to him. The result of this response is deeper hurt and more intense anger that leads to bitterness. The problem is not God’s faithfulness but their interpretation of His promises in accordance with their own plans. When people’s partial knowledge of Scripture and God’s ways lead to unmet expectations, they may close their Bibles thinking that He doesn’t keep His promises. Some people cannot accept a hardship or loss in their lives and become so angry with the Lord that they never return to Him. Because God didn’t prevent the situation, they decide it’s His fault. Since the Lord let adversity happen, they question whether He is who the Bible says He is.īlame Him. If the Lord doesn’t meet their expectations, they become disappointed and may:ĭoubt the reality of God. In the midst of affliction, some people choose to walk away from God. Paul responded by saying, “Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” (v. Paul implored the Lord three times to remove it but was told, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (v. Because he’d been entrusted with great revelations from the Lord, he was also given a painful “thorn in the flesh” to keep him from becoming prideful. Mary and Martha mourned the loss of their brother before seeing Jesus raise him to life.Īdversity can be one of God’s greatest blessings if we respond as Paul did in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Jesus’ disciples suffered persecution, but God used them to spread Christianity throughout the entire Roman world. Moses was a fugitive in the wilderness before God called him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt.ĭavid spent many years running from King Saul before he became Israel’s most notable king in the Old Testament.Įsther was an exiled Jew until God elevated her to the position of queen of Persia and used her to save His people.ĭaniel was a captive in Babylon but was promoted to the highest level of government by the king. Joseph experienced betrayal, slavery, and imprisonment before becoming second in command to Pharaoh. All these people could testify that their suffering was worth the final result. The Scriptures are filled with examples of people who faced adversity, and on the other side of the experience, discovered how God worked through their situation to bring about good. If we could, we’d probably try to avoid anything that causes us pain, but then we’d miss some of the best blessings in life. Adversity is a condition of suffering and hardship involving anguish, pressure, trials, heartaches, or disappointments. SUPPORTING SCRIPTURES: Joshua 1:9 | John 14:2-3 | 1 Corinthians 1:2Įvery person will eventually struggle with some type of adversity.īecause our fallen world is filled with sin and its consequences, we will all experience it.
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