Think of the string of surprises in store for Mary and Joseph: 1. An angel tells Mary she will have a virgin birth. 2. An angel tells Joseph the same. 3. Mary’s aunt prophecies over her, saying, among other things, that her child (John) jumped when she heard the voice of Mary. 4. Mary isContinue reading “God’s Plans are Never Predictable. Matthew 4:1-11.”
Category Archives: Adversity
BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE. Luke 1:6-7; Romans 8:18.
Consider the elderly parents of John the Baptist. They did not deserve to be barren: “They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commands of the Lord. And they had no child because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years” Luke 1:6-7. I watched a 40-minute videoContinue reading “BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE. Luke 1:6-7; Romans 8:18.”
THINGS ARE GONNA GET BETTER! Psalm 30:5; Psalm 126:1-2,5-6.
Sometimes life is hard. It just is. There is the grief of emotional loss. There is the pressure of responsibilities. There are health concerns and disappointed hopes and crushed dreams. You gained weight when you were trying to lose it. You gave up three walks when you had a chance to strike them out. AnotherContinue reading “THINGS ARE GONNA GET BETTER! Psalm 30:5; Psalm 126:1-2,5-6.”
DEVASTATION CAN LEAD PEOPLE TO JESUS. Psalm 83:13-18.
Good times can cause people to reflect on God and His goodness. But those with hearts encased in stone will not be persuaded by good times, no matter how amazing. Yet God can reach anyone. He can even reach the skeptic and the hard-hearted. How? Through suffering. There is no resistance God cannot break, ifContinue reading “DEVASTATION CAN LEAD PEOPLE TO JESUS. Psalm 83:13-18.”
JOEL: HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO ADVERSITY? Joel 2:12-13.
What do you do when trouble comes? Joel writes of desperate times: grapes, figs, pomegranates, dates, and apples are dried up, “indeed, human joy has dried up” 1:12. Then a Ninja-style army invades: “They scale walls, each goes on his own path. They dodge arrows, never stopping. They storm the city, run on the wall,Continue reading “JOEL: HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO ADVERSITY? Joel 2:12-13.”
You Worship Better When Things Are Hard. Habakkuk 3:17-19.
I love it when life is good, when I can sit back with family and friends and smile at how wonderful life is. Bills are paid, I have a little money in the bank, everyone is healthy and happy, work is done and we can relax and be thankful. And that’s real thankfulness. It’s genuine.Continue reading “You Worship Better When Things Are Hard. Habakkuk 3:17-19.”
WHY DOES GOD LET US SUFFER? Isaiah 63:9.
Why DOES God let us suffer? Why doesn’t He spare us? Why must we grieve and feel lonely and hurt and disappointed? Why do we have physical pain? Why do we go through death, whether it is quick and horrifying, or a decades-long odyssey through ever-worsening illnesses? I believe God DOES spare us many pains.Continue reading “WHY DOES GOD LET US SUFFER? Isaiah 63:9.”
COPING SKILLS. Isaiah 45:6,21-23.
When you face your greatest disappointment, your deepest grief and loss, will you be prepared? THE BIBLE TEACHES COPING SKILLS: Number one—pray. Sounds obvious, but it is too critical not to mention. See, for example, Philippians 4:6-7. Number two—PRAISE GOD. This coping skill is not well known. But it makes such a difference. To praiseContinue reading “COPING SKILLS. Isaiah 45:6,21-23.”
MY PURPOSE? TO BEAR FRUIT. Isaiah 5:1-4.
We are here to bear fruit. But how? The same way trees bear fruit. They need sunlight, water, and soil. They also need a few years—peach trees and grape vines often don’t bear fruit until year three or four. First, they need good roots. God explains Himself as a farmer with crops that are unsatisfying:Continue reading “MY PURPOSE? TO BEAR FRUIT. Isaiah 5:1-4.”
Storms and Fire.
I watched a food documentary that spent an hour praising fire. Fire creates chemical changes in texture and flavor. Heat is critical in the preparation of not only meats, but many other foods—casseroles, desserts, soups, breads, even snacks. The Bible talks a lot about the refiner’s fire: silver must be heated to burn off allContinue reading “Storms and Fire.”