Today I'd like to share with you what the Bible says about troubles in the life of the believer in Christ.
First of all, let me begin by saying that God is very involved in our lives, much more than we realize. He sees us when we pray, and knows all our thoughts. That is why the Lord taught us that we should give alms secretly (Mt 6:4), fast secretly (Mt 6:17), and pray secretly (Mt 6:6), because God sees what is done in secret. God is not too busy for us, but in love He is watching us and studying us very carefully, so He is well aware of everything that is going on in our lives -- every single detail. Before a word is on our tongue, He knows it completely (Ps 139:4). But He wants us to talk to Him and bring everything to Him in prayer, including our need for daily bread (Mt 6:11). He hears us when we pray and answers us. As we seek Him and His kingdom first, he provides for all our daily needs (Mt 6:33).
Moreover, the Lord Jesus taught that each day has enough trouble of its own, which is why He told us not to worry about tomorrow (Mt 6:34). We cannot handle today all the troubles of all our tomorrows. That would be too much to bear. Rather, today already has plenty of troubles for us to deal with. And there is not a day that goes by that we don't have troubles of some kind. In fact, we have trouble everyday, according to Jesus. He never said that life would be a bowl of cherries if we follow Him, nor did He promise that all our problems would go away. If they did, then everyone would want to put their faith in Christ, in order to eliminate all their troubles. But while Jesus certainly is the answer to all our troubles, that doesn't mean He makes them all go away.
However, God does cause all of them, along with all other things, to work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28). Jesus said that we would have trouble as long as we are in this world, but that we should take courage, because He has overcome the world (Jn 16:33). In other words, we can actually count it all joy when we face trials of various kinds (James 1:2), and we can rejoice always, giving thanks in all circumstances, knowing that God is in control. We can rest assured that God turns all our troubles into good, and all our negatives into positives. That is 100% guaranteed in Scripture.
When Jesus died for us on the cross, He not only bore all our sins in His body, but also all of our griefs and all of our sorrows, including all our illnesses and pain (Is 53:4). That's why the Scripture says that by His wounds we have been healed (Is 53:5; 1 Pe 2:24). On the cross, He did much more than purchase forgiveness for our sins. In His finished work on the cross, we find the solution to all our troubles.
The cross is a plus sign (+), which is always positive. The vertical line on the cross represents our relationship to God, and the horizontal line represents our relationship to man and the things that pertain to us in this world. We have to intentionally apply the cross to each negative situation in our lives, as we encounter it, because it is not automatically applied. We do this in prayer and by declaring words of faith (see
here and
here). When we apply the cross to any situation, any trouble, any problem, any sin that we repent of, the Lord will eventually turn it around for us, causing it to work together for our good. Whenever we apply the plus sign of the cross to our negative situation, God will turn it into a positive for us in one way or another, whether we are able to see it or not.
Matthew Henry's Comments
After I wrote this article, I read the following comments of Matthew Henry, the sixteenth century English preacher and author of his famous Bible commentary:
"(1.) That thoughtfulness for the morrow is needless; Let the morrow take thought for the things of itself. If wants and troubles be renewed with the day, there are aids and provisions renewed likewise; compassions, that are new every morning, Lam_3:22, Lam_3:23. The saints have a Friend that is their arm every morning, and gives out fresh supplies daily (Isa_33:2), according as the business of every day requires (Ezr_3:4), and so he keeps his people in constant dependence upon him. Let us refer it therefore to the morrow's strength, to do the morrow's work, and bear the morrow's burden. Tomorrow, and the things of it, will be provided for without us; why need we anxiously care for that which is so wisely cared for already? This does not forbid a prudent foresight, and preparation accordingly, but a perplexing solicitude, and a prepossession of difficulties and calamities, which may perhaps never come, or if they do, may be easily borne, and the evil of them guarded against. The meaning is, let us mind present duty, and then leave events to God; do the work of the day in its day, and then let tomorrow bring its work along with it.
"(2.) That thoughtfulness for the morrow is one of those foolish and hurtful lusts, which those that will be rich fall into, and one of the many sorrows, wherewith they pierce themselves through. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. This present day has trouble enough attending it, we need not accumulate burdens by anticipating our trouble, nor borrow perplexities from tomorrow's evils to add to those of this day. It is uncertain what tomorrow's evils may be, but whatever they be, it is time enough to take thought about them when they come. What a folly it is to take that trouble upon ourselves this day by care and fear, which belongs to another day, and will be never the lighter when it comes? Let us not pull that upon ourselves all together at once, which Providence has wisely ordered to be borne by parcels. The conclusion of this whole matter then is, that it is the will and command of the Lord Jesus, that his disciples should not be their own tormentors, nor make their passage through this world more dark and unpleasant, by their apprehension of troubles, than God has made it by the troubles themselves. By our daily prayers we may procure strength to bear us up under our daily troubles, and to arm us against the temptations that attend them, and then let none of these things move us."
Closing Words
Let this encourage you, my friend, to live one day at a time, applying the cross to all the negatives in your life each day, and allowing God to turn them around into positives for you. I hope this has given you some new insights, so that you can be victorious in Christ in every situation in which you find yourself.
Attributes: Most Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, all rights reserved, used by permission.
Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like
Personal Proclamations of Faith,
The Biblical Word of Faith,
The Blessings of Being in Christ,
Speak to the Storm,
The Authority of the Believer,
Faith in Action,
Run with Endurance,
Faith Works,
Walking by Faith,
Overcomers in This Life,
From Self-confidence to Confidence in the Lord, and the other posts available through the links on the
Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at
Writing for the Master.
Do You Want to Know Him?If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?
“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe. Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?" ______________________________________
Len Lacroix is the founder of
Doulos Missions International. He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission.
www.dmiworld.org.
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