Fly swatter or Key lime pie

A reader asked me to comment on whether or not the trials and tribulations and/or the blessings that we receive are exacted on us by God in direct response to something that we have done (either good or bad). Is God sitting up there with a giant fly swatter and piece of Key lime pie and just waiting for us to get out of line in order to swat us one, or if we are good give us a slice of delicious Key Lime pie?

Hmmm Let’s tackle the bad things in life first. We do experience bad things in life as a direct response to our sin. There is no question about it, God punishes sin. Sin reminds me of throwing a rock at a window. There is going to be a consequence. We might regret throwing it literally as soon as it leaves our hand, and yet the glass in the window will still shatter. Similarly lives can be shattered by a moment of weakness in committing adultery, driving drunk, losing tempers, and a myriad of other sins.

Sin is also just a fact of life in this fallen world. Remember that prior to sin there were no bad times, no sickness, no heartbreak, no weeping, no death. Adam and Eve lived ideal lives right up until God was disobeyed, God cursed them and their descendents, and the world.

As the book of Job illustrates we can be living a righteous life and yet God will allow “bad” things to happen to us for His own purpose. Perhaps He allows it in order to make us appreciate the good times; perhaps He allows it in order to build our character, or perhaps He allows it to prepare us for an even bigger trial looming ahead. The Bible tells us that we learn from trials and tribulations. It builds our character, gives us patience and teaches perseverance, and those are all attributes that we need in this world.

Sometimes we misread God’s loving instruction during these times. Consider an earthly father who reprimands his little child for playing with matches. The child attributes the matches being taken away by his dad as being mean, but in reality the father did so because he loves his son and it was done for his own good. If God takes something away from you, think about it in this light. Always remember that God loves us enough to have allowed His own Son to die in exchange for our sins.

Good things happening in our lives, (blessings), can come directly from God as a result of our own actions. Consider Abraham, a righteous man who found favor with God through his tremendous faith. He was blessed mightily for His faithfulness in many ways including being the recipient of peace, happiness, fabulous wealth, and a rich heritage including God’s covenant with him which gave his descendants, (the Jews), most favored nation status with God all through time.

One might ask, “What about me? I have faith and live righteously and yet I am barely making ends meet. Why can’t I have fabulous wealth?”

The Bible tells us that it is more difficult for a rich man to enter heaven than a camel to go through the eye of a needle. With wealth comes tremendous temptation and potential distraction from God. Perhaps you can handle it or perhaps you cannot. It could be a blessing or a curse. Your heavenly Father knows what you need and He created you to serve HIS purpose and not your own.

Certainly God blesses those who draw near Him, those who love Him, and keep His commands and remain faithful and loyal to Him, but God blesses those of us who do not deserve it too. These blessings can come in the form of good health, wonderful spouse, children, experiencing a beautiful sunrise, happiness, peace, satisfaction with careers, helping others, a loving church family, warm sun, puppies, catching a glimpse of a soaring eagle, blue skies, watching a granddaughter appear in a play, a cool breeze on a hot day, hearing a turkey gobble at sunrise, smelling the ocean, warm apple pie ala mode, fresh snow on Christmas morning, watching your son score a touchdown, or leading someone to the Lord.

We live in a fallen world. Sin caused the fall and not God. He prepared a way to overcome sin through His Son Jesus Christ. Success cannot come from man; it only comes directly from God and knowing Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. If we draw close to God, acknowledge His blessings and follow His commands, we will know peace and happiness in this life. So I would say that our free will decisions determine our destiny in this world and the next.

Hebrews 13:5,6
Be content with what you have, for God has said, “Never
will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So say with
confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.”