I heard someone say recently, “When you have Christ in your life there is no such thing as tough times”
That my friend is a boatload of . . . something – The Bible states that we are cursed and so is the ground upon which we live because of sin. Having Christ in one’s life makes life bearable, but in no way removes tough times.
God said to Adam, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to you; Genesis 3:17
I wish I would have been a Kleenex salesperson yesterday at Honey Lake Church. As though putting an exclamation point after the statement that we’re living under God’s curse, Jenn Harris gave her testimony and it was tough to listen to all of the trials and tribulations she’s lived through and practically everyone who attended had a good cry.
Christ is in her life and she loves Him with all of her heart, but the rain seems to just keep coming drenching her from head to toe.
I was sitting there listening to her heart wrenching testimony and was thinking about in the beginning how God initially created a perfect little world for us, (His most prized creation). When He placed us in the Garden of Eden, we enjoyed perfect weather, devoid of tornados and hurricanes; we had free delicious food just for the asking; fun things to do, our neighborhood didn’t need cops patrolling or ambulances at the ready; happiness was eternal, and we walked with God Himself.
And then sin came along and God had to exit the scene and take His blessings with Him. And because of sin we were cursed and that ushered in sickness, violence, disease, hatred, sadness, greed, lies, perversion, treachery, and pure evil, and we have suffered mightily because of it.
Now as a consequence of sin we enjoy misery, poverty, hunger, wars, disease, rape, sadness, grief, violence, anger, and death. Make no mistake there’s no discrimination with sin, it hates and torments those who’ve accepted Christ and those who haven’t equally.
It is an axiom, tough times are going to come into our lives and we should expect them. The only question is, “How are we going to react? Are we going to turn to God or the world for relief?”
Ever since His blessing was removed people have cried out to God, (often shaking their fists at Him), saying, “Why’d you do this awful thing to me?”
His answer is, “I didn’t, but I’ll help you through it . . .”
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
If only folks would do so, but instead we turn to bottles of pills and other forms of mind numbing drugs. We try to find relief in bedrooms and bar rooms. We seek the flash and the cash and the beautiful people, but can’t get relief. We visit shrinks, and psychologists, (most of which seem to me to be crazier than their clients and are in bad need of some help themselves). We are desperate to ease our pain, but the world’s solutions just make things worse. We need to turn to God for help.
God doesn’t want to see us suffer. He wants us to seek him out and call upon his name for help and the Bible assures us that if we ask, He will deliver.
“Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened. Matthew 7:7-8
Be ready for tough times and when they show up right on schedule draw close to God and He will draw close to you. You can’t have the rainbow until you have a little, (or maybe even a lot), of rain. But, as the Bible states, “This too shall pass!” The sun always comes out after the rain subsides.
Remember always that God is merciful, forgiving, sympathetic, and full of grace. The Bible states that, “God is love.” — 1 John 4:16
That means what it says, God loves you; He wants to forgive you for your sins; He wants to put his arm around you and comfort you; When Jesus Christ was nailed to that Cross, He did that for you!; He has plans for you; He doesn’t care how far you’ve tried to run from him; He understands; He loves you; the very hairs on your head are numbered – You are IMPORTANT to him; He loves you – loves you – loves you!
And God has a plan for your life!
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ‘And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.