What Is Written 3-Jan-99: Yet Trouble Came

A radio preacher was heard to say, “If you have a need, it will be met the moment you ask for help from the Lord. Even as you begin to pray, it is already accomplished. God will solve the problem, whether it is sickness, unemployment, the need for money — whatever. If you have faith, there is no question that God will solve it for you.” This attitude is extremely popular with most fundamental denominational churches and their preachers. That is, just have faith and be steadfast, and you will have no problems in life. Regardless of what needs you might experience, God will answer them immediately, leaving you to face no difficulties in this present life. Many modern preachers wish to transform God into some subservient magician, making him their own personal errand boy.

It seems that many believe that God is their servant instead of they being the servants of God. They have sought to make Christianity a sort of “genie in the bottle” type of religion. This is, if you have any problems, just rub the magic lamp and make a wish, and God will come running to grant it. Then when you do experience problems (and everybody seems to at one time or another), it is because you lack faith and have not rubbed the lamp. This idea that God will shield the faithful from difficulties has been around for centuries, and the prospect of it going into the twenty-first century seems likely. The notion that the good experience no difficulties have been popular since the days of the Bible character named Job. When the godly man, Job, began to undergo the agonizing hardships in his life, three of his friends concluded that Job was suffering because he had been unfaithful to God. That is, he must be a secret sinner or a faithless man to experience the problems that were coming upon him. This is expressed by the question asked by Eliphaz in Job 4:7, remember now: Who ever perished being innocent? This sounds like a reasonable assumption, but those who read the book of Job know something that this man did not. We know what God said of Job in Job 1:8. Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job.” This man Job was a servant of God, and the Lord recognized and respected this. Furthermore, God said that there is none like him on the earth. Job was a man among men, and there was no one his moral or spiritual equal on the earth. The Lord said that Job was a blameless (that is, a man without moral culpability) and (an) upright man. Job was an honest man, a man of great integrity. The verse also says that Job was one who fears God and shuns evil. Job honored God and he avoided evil; he was a godly and faithful man. Yet he suffered and he suffered greatly. And in his own words, Job said in Job 3:26, “I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.” Listen carefully: Trouble comes to the faithful as well as to the unfaithful. It may not be fair (or what we perceive to be fair) but trouble comes upon men and women, even upon those who love and serve God. Those who love God will suffer in this life just as those who do not love the Lord.

Many living at the time of Christ believed that adversity and trouble were results of sins in one’s life. Jesus clears up this gross misconception in Jn. 9. Notice in verse 1 how as Jesus passed by he saw a man who was blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” The disciples wanted to know who was responsible for this man’s troubles. Was he responsible for his blindness because of his sins — or was he blind because his parents were great sinners? The answer is provided in verse 3. Jesus answered that neither this man nor his parents sinned. Let each of us listen carefully to what Jesus is saying here. The Lord is telling us that troubles and heartaches are not the result of being punished for sin in our lives. Obviously, however, it must be granted that some tragedies are a direct or indirect result of sin we commit — or of sinful behavior in the lives of some. Paul reminded us in Gal. 6:7, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Some forms of cancer can be directly linked to lifestyles. Also, the use of drugs and alcohol contributes to the misery of many people. Furthermore, there can be no denying that sexually promiscuous behavior brings about much grief and suffering into the lives of many people. This being so, then we can safely conclude that living for God will enable us to avoid some of the obvious consequences of such decadent behavior. Yet in spite of this we still live in a world that is riddled with misery, and we are not exempt from the certain tragedies of life — because problems and adversities are common to all mankind, believers and unbelievers alike. Jesus said to believers in Jn. 16:33 that in the world you will have tribulation. Therefore, Christians will not (or maybe we should say cannot) be immune from tragedies or from the consequences and frailties of being part of the human family. The New Testament is bursting with examples of good people — even good Christians — who suffered when trouble came upon them. Let’s note a few.

First we will consider a Christian named Eutychus, and see how he was not exempt from the laws of nature that governs all mankind. In Acts 20, we read that the apostle Paul was in the city of Troas, where he was worshiping with the church there. He was preaching, and the Bible says that he prolonged his sermon until midnight. Now we pick up our reading in verses 8 and 9:

There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together. And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.

Here was a Christian who fell from a window and was killed while he was worshiping God. Anyone who falls will be subject to the same fate. No Christian, regardless of his sincerity and faith, is immune from the laws of nature, including the law of gravity. This means that we might become involved in accidents that happen. Being a faithful child of God will not keep the airplane in which you happen to be flying from crashing. Your child might fall and break an arm or even die — and if he or she does, that certainly does not mean that you are some great sinner, or a hypocrite. Trouble came upon this brother when he fell to the ground. We must understand that being a faithful child of God will not keep anyone from being involved in accidents. Faithful Christians may lose control of a car and crash. Neither will being faithful Christians keep us from losing our homes in a tornado or a flood. Stated simply, Christians are not inoculated from the ravages of nature or from accidents that happen to all humanity. Trouble comes upon all!

Next, consider what Paul said about a Christian named Trophimus. In 2 Tim 4:20, Paul reminded Timothy that, “Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick.” This should give all those “health and wealth preachers” of today some serious problems. Men like Oral Roberts have made a fortune claiming that “something good is going to happen to you today.” People like Roberts say that if you are a faithful Christian, then you will not have to suffer from sicknesses. Yet, Paul left this good brother, sick, in the town of Miletus. His faithful service to God did not keep him from becoming ill, nor will it mean that you and I will not get sick. It doesn’t mean that your family will not suffer with disease. The health of the body and the health of the soul do not go hand in hand. John said in 3 Jn. 2, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” Faithful Christians do get sick. Believers do suffer from bodily infirmities that affect all mankind, from the common cold to cancer. People who love the Lord will develop leukemia, they will acquire MS, and they may lose their eyesight. People who love God may develop kidney failure. Faithful Christians may see their body become racked with pain, simply because none are immune from diseases. And if this happens to you or to someone you love it does not mean that you are some great secret sinner or a terrible hypocrite. It means that as part of the human family trouble came upon you. Also, we must understand that faithful believers may not get well from a horrible illness, even when we ask God to heal us. Remember that Paul had a thorn in his flesh that the Lord did not remove. Paul said in 2 Cor. 12:8-9:

Concerning this thing [the thorn in his flesh, whatever it might have been] I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

The Lord said no to Paul. Here was perhaps the apostle with the greatest influence, and yet he was not healed of his physical infirmity. God did not remove the physical problem experienced by Paul. And I’ll tell you something God might not remove ours either. Paul continues, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Paul said that he would just have to live with it, trusting in the power and goodness of God. Paul was a good man who had many troubles in this life. The fact that he was a Christian, even an apostle, did not exempt him from them.

Next, let us consider an episode involving Peter and James, two other apostles of Christ. These two men had dedicated themselves to becoming fishers of men. They were going about telling others the good news of Jesus Christ. They were living their lives trying to get people to turn away from sin and return to the Lord in order to receive the forgiveness of their sins. But look what it got them! Acts 12:1–3 says:

Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also.

We can see by these verses that even the good and the faithful will suffer grave injustice at the hands of unscrupulous men. James did not deserve the fate that came upon him. Peter did not deserve to be thrown into prison. These men were not evildoers — they only wanted to bring people to the Lord. Nevertheless, their faithfulness to Christ did not exempt them from injustice and prejudice. There certainly was nothing fair about what happened to James. It wasn’t fair to his wife or children (if he had any) for him to die. Being a Christian does not mean that you will keep your job when there is downsizing at work. Loving and serving the Lord does not mean that you will get that job promotion that you deserve. Following Christ is no guarantee that a lawsuit will not be filed against you. Faithfulness to God is no promise that life will suddenly become fair. Life is not fair, even for the Christian — and we just may suffer from rank injustice. Also, this verse lets us know that as Christians, we are not immune from death. James died! He was killed only because he was a Christian. Sure, we can read how that Jesus healed the sick and how he raised the dead, but those facts do not mean that healing the sick and raising the dead was the mission of Christ. Nor does it suggest that being a follower of Jesus will mean that you will be exempt from death. Every person healed by Jesus eventually passed away. It has been said that “time heals all wounds.” This may be true, but equally true is that time wounds all heels. That is, none will be excluded from the ravages of mankind. Given enough time all will suffer some trouble in this life, including death. Even Lazarus, the good friend of Jesus who was raised from the dead, died again. Just remember, when you discover that you are about to die, this does not mean that somehow God is abandoning you. To the contrary, you are simply going to suffer the fate of all men. Neither your death nor mine mean that we are faithless. It means that we suffer trouble (including the grave) while on earth.

Next, we find that trouble came upon the apostle Paul in the form of temptations. In the life of Paul, temptations were so intense that he said in 1 Cor. 9:27, “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” Not only was Paul not immune to temptations, but none are, including you and me. The Bible says in 1 Cor. 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man.” We must not conclude that when we become Christians that God will dampen the fires of passion that burn within us. He won’t! The allure of the world, the temptations of Satan and the weakness of the flesh will continue to be a problem. All Christians are in a battle, and the devil, the old tempter, is still positioning temptations before us. But those temptations are not omnipotent — remember that 1 Cor. 10:13 continues, “But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.” God does not give the devil and his arsenal of temptations power over us. They are not so overwhelming that we cannot resist them. God has made available the possibility of resisting these temptations. Hear the remainder of the verse, Paul said, “With the temptation [God] will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” Therefore, like Paul, we will face the reality of temptation all our lives, because none are exempt from temptations. From childhood to old age we battle sin. And we must never lose sight of that reality. Trouble comes upon us all in the form of temptation. But then, we see, by looking at the sisters of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, that even the faithful are not free from the sorrow that breaks the human heart. Upon the death of their brother, these women, like every bereaved family before and since, suffered debilitating sorrows. Jn. 11:19 says, “And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.” This is said in the context of their mourning the death of their brother. Regardless of how faithful we are, sooner or later the heavy blow of sorrow will drop us to our knees. One day, death will come in and steal away someone whom we love deeply, and like Martha and Mary our hearts will be broken. Life as we know it will be shattered, because no matter how faithful we are to the Lord, we will suffer trouble in the tragic form of grief.

But let me quickly add here that infidels and unbelievers also suffer. While troubles do come upon the believer, they also come upon the sinner. The psalmist said in Psa. 1:4, “The ungodly . . . are like the chaff which the wind drives away.” Unbelievers are subject to the same laws of nature as are all mankind. Sinners develop cancer and bury their children and other loved ones. Unbelievers lose their jobs as well as suffer from injustice, because the world is filled with unrighteousness. Paul wrote in Rom. 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” The truth, simply stated, is that trouble comes upon the whole human family, from the least to the greatest, from the richest to the poorest. Trouble comes upon the most vile and upon the most pious.

But did you also know that the Lord said something to the Christian that is not said to the unbeliever? Let’s revisit a passage we consider a while ago. Jesus said in Jn. 16:33, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Did you notice it? In spite of having tribulation in this world, the believer is told to be of good cheer. Why? It is because as Christians we can bring to Jesus our troubles, and tell him of our broken hearts and we can find divine help to endure and come through these troubles. For those who love the Lord, for those who serve him, Jesus is the healer of broken hearts. Listen to what Jesus said in Lk. 4:18:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”

When the problems of this life have beaten you down, and your heart is broken, be like the grief-stricken disciples of John the Baptist. After the death of their beloved John, the Bible tells us in Matt. 14:12, “Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.” Those who spend their lives serving the Lord can have their broken heart bound up by Christ. This is possible because he understands when no one else does. Psa. 103:14 says, “For he knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” Jesus lived in the flesh. He knows what is it like to face the problems associated with the flesh. He knows the meaning of pain and hurt. You can bring to Christ those burdens that have caused your shoulders to stoop. You don’t have to carry these loads alone. Jesus knows and he cares, and if you have spent your days serving him, then he awaits the opportunity to help you. The Hebrew writer said in Heb. 4:15–16

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

This is only promised to those who have chosen to love and serve Christ. Those who reject him will not find help or comfort during their troubles.

The Lord will not remove the difficulties that you might be forced to encounter. But he certainly will provide you with the mercy and help that is necessary to see you through those difficult times. One of the most obvious things that can be seen about Jesus is the compassion he shows to those who are bent over with trouble. He was often moved with compassion when he would see people who were sick or hungry. Lk. 7:12–13 says:

And when he came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, do not weep.

How many times since then has Jesus whispered (through the passages of scripture) these same words? Do not weep! Just remember that Jesus knows of our suffering and he desires to help because he has compassion upon us. If you have not been beaten down with trouble, you will be! And when you are driven to your knees, try praying before you get up. If you have not yet suffered from the ravages that befall the entire human family, why not fall before the Lord and give him thanks, and ask that he prepare you for when trouble comes? And when trouble does come don’t spend your time blaming God for your troubles. Don’t spend your time wringing your hands in desperation. Tell Jesus because he cares.

Furthermore, Christ has the power to strengthen us in our every weakness. Remember what the Lord said to Paul during some very difficult times in his life. In 2 Cor. 12:9, Paul wrote that Christ “said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Also, we read in Psa. 18:32, “It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect.” Often we are asked, “If both the believer and the unbeliever suffer in this life, what is the immediate benefit of being a Christian?” The immediate advantage is, no matter what may happen to us, Christ will give us the strength to help us through our difficulties. Take the time to consider these two Psalms. The first is Psa. 28:7, which says, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise him.” The next, Psa. 23:4, says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Often we overlook what Jesus provides through his word to those who are suffering. It is absolutely profound. This is found in Isa. 9:6: “His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Among many incredible things said about Jesus in this verse is the promise that he would be a wonderful counselor. I’ve often noticed that whenever tragedies occur that many people seek out counselors to help them cope with the misery. But let me suggest, to you, that you consult the mighty counselor — Jesus Christ — when you are hurting. The next time your family is in an upheaval, seek out the advice of Christ. Look to his word for counsel and wisdom, strength and comfort; help in the time of need. The Psalmist said to God in Psa. 60:11, “Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man.”

Remember, believers as well as unbelievers will suffer many things while passing through this veil of tears known as life. But only the Christian has the promise of divine help with those things from which he suffers.