The Way Out of Worry

Matthew 6:25-34 (Amplified Bible)

²⁵Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?

    ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?

    ²⁷And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life?

    ²⁸And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin.

    ²⁹Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these. [I Kings 10:4-7.]

    ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith?

    ³¹Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?

    ³²For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.

    ³³But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

    ³⁴So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

How to Find “The Way Out of Worry”

Matthew 6:25-34

Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes sat one day, distressed. His wife wrote him a note and left it in his study. I read: “You have suffered through many troubles in life—most of which have never happened.”

Regardless of who we are, we all deal with the problem of worry.  Worry  can be defined as “an anxious, troubled or fearful state of mind.” Someone has said that worry is thinking with our emotions.

Worries experience the phenomenon of the “racing mind”, characterized by an endless stream of anxious thoughts that seem unstoppable. With worry comes increased muscle tension, upset stomach, anxiety and depression, which leads to more serious health problems. Chronic worries often suffer low self-esteem.

The Greek word means “to be divided or inwardly distracted.”  The Anglo-Saxon derivative means “to choke or strangle.” E.S. Jones said, “Worry is the sand in the machinery of life.” On a more humorous note, “worry is today’s mouse eating tomorrow’s cheese.”

Worry is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do, but gets you nowhere. I like the beatitude that says, “Blessed is the man who is too busy to worry during the day, and too sleepy to worry at night.”

The Bible addresses the problem of worry head-on. Worry is no respecter of persons (see Psalm 37:1; Mark 4:18-19; Luke 21:34; 1 Peter 5:7). The only antidote to worry is the peace that only God gives. He will keep us in perfect peace as our minds are fixed on Him (Isaiah 26:3-4).

We sometimes worry about what people think. Recently, I read: “At age 20, we worry about what others think about us. At 40, we don’t care what they think of us. At age 60, we discover they haven’t been thinking about us at all.”

We worry about money. “Why can’t you sleep?” the wife asked her husband, who was pacing the floor at 3a.m. “Honey, I borrowed $1,000,00 from Sam next door, and I owe it to him by tomorrow,”  he said, wringing his hands. “I just don’t have the money!”  His wife jumped out of bed and flung open the window. “Sam,” she shouted, “Sam! Sam!” Finally, the groggy neighbor opened the window. “What is it?” He asked. “You know the $1,000.00 my husband owes you? He doesn’t have it.” She slammed the window shut. “Now,” she told her husband, “you go to sleep and let him worry about the money!”

Jesus teaches us how to practice the peace He has given us as a gift (see John 14:27).

I. – Observe God’s Care in Creation (Matthew 6:25-29).

The doctrine of divine providence is in view. “Look at the birds of the air and the lilies of the field.” Deism states that God created the word but has left it to our own devices. Deism is Bette Midler singing, “God is watching us from a distance.”  But providence means that God is Creator and that He cares for and watches over His creation (see Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 91:1; Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 10:29-31; Jude 24).

II. – Surrender to God What You Cannot Control (v. 27).

1. Jesus asks a provocative question: “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”  Recognize the limitations of worry. Illustration: GOD BOX: What we need is a “God box.” Put your cares and worries in the God box and leave them there. There are people and situations you simply cannot control. Only God can reach them or change the situation. Who or what are you worrying about today that you need to put in the God box?
2. Here are three lessons about worry:

1)      Worry is an exercise in futility.  

   Worry won’t pay the bills, secure a job promotion, restore a marriage, control your children, heal sickness, or make you happy. Besides, 91% of things we worry about never happens, and the other 8 percent we end up handling.

2)      Worry is a luxury no one can afford.  Worry is a contributing factor in high blood pressure, arthritis, heart disease and ulcers. One study of 450 people who lived to be 100 year old or older found that these people lived long for the following reasons: 

a) They kept busy; 

b) They used moderation in all things; 

c) They ate lightly and simply; 

d) They got a great deal of fun out of life; 

e) They were early to bed and early up; 

f) They were free from worry and fear, especially fear of death; g) They had serene minds and faith in God (Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking, page123)

3)      Worry is contrary to the Christian life of faith. Worry is a divided mind between faith and fear. Focus your mind purely in the promises of God and overcome your doubts and fears.

III. – Focus Your Faith on the Eternal (vv. 32, 33).

1. The pagans run after these things. The material world is important. We all need food, clothing, and shelter. We need love, belonging and self-worth. But the pagans’ lifestyle is consumed with the material.
2. Seek first the kingdom of God. Worry is so often focused on things that are temporary. We need an eternal perspective in a temporal world and remember the things that really matter. Eternity changes our view of:  1) Wealth (Matthew 6:19-20); 2) Ethics (2 Corinthians 5:8); 3) Accountability (Hebrews 9:27); 4) Sufferings (Romans 8:17); 5) Success (Matthew 25:21).
3. Here is final Jesus’ down-to-earth advice: “So do not worry… each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:31, 34).  The past is gone. The future is not yet here. So live fully in this day God has given you and trust your future to God.

(Source: "Preaching Through the Year" -  By Dr David Cooper)

 

Dr David Cooper – He is the Senior Pastor at Mount Paran Church of God in Atlanta, GA. - Dr. David Cooper’s personal mission in life is to give the world hope in Christ. He has a unique way of sharing biblical truths in a simple, down-to-earth style that anyone can understand. Click here to know more about Dr. Cooper.

How You Can Have Eternal Life Through the Cross of Jesus Christ

Accept Jesus today, and He will receive you in heaven.

John 11:25-26 

(New International Version, ©2010)

 ²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

John 3:16 

(New International Version, ©2010)

 ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

John 14:1-3 

(New International Version, ©2010)

¹ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

How You Can Have Eternal Life Through the Cross of Jesus Christ

If you are ready to take that step to triumph over death…to know that you have eternal life…then please read on.

It starts by understanding that God has given us an important manual for life called the Bible. He is the Author of this book and has given significant, truthful instructions for how we can have joy, hope, and peace in life, and how we can have eternal life.

The New Testament book of John tells us, "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life ."(John 3:16).In the Bible we also learn that we have been separated from God because of sin. In the New Testament book of Romans we are told, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). 

(Click on the picture to see it better)

Sin causes death, but because God sent His Son to die for your sins, you can have the free gift eternal life. As we are also told in Romans, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who lived on earth as man like you and me, suffered punishment, and died on a cross to pay for your sins and mine. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead. Why did He do that? Because He loves you and desires to have a personal relationship with you for eternity. But sin continues to separate you from Him. 

Now, you may think you need to fix things or make things right in your life before you will be accepted by Christ. And many people feel that way. But, friend, it’s not true!  As we are told again in Romans, "God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

So what must you do? Simply trust Jesus for your salvation. Believe that what He did on the cross paid the price for your sins and that His resurrection guarantees your eternal life. That is how you accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior. You will be saved by the grace of God, not because you try to make things right in your life. He wants you to accept this salvation only because He loves you! It is not something to be earned…it is a free gift.  In fact, this is what the New Testament tells us, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

All you have to do is to accept Him and confess Him as your personal Lord and Savior. "If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved"(Romans 10:9-10).

If you are ready to accept the gift of eternal life through Jesus, and if you truly desire to ask Him into your heart to be your personal Lord and Savior, then pray this prayer:

Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I believe that You died for my sins and rose from the grave so that I might have eternal life in heaven with You. I willingly repent of my sins and ask you to come into my heart and life. Take control of my words, thoughts, and actions. I place all of my trust in You for my salvation. I accept You as my Lord and Savior, and this free gift of eternal life. Amen.

by Dr. Jack Graham

If you have just prayed this prayer with sincerity and accepted Christ, welcome to the family of God! Find a good Bible based Christian Church, grow in your new faith and life. You have just born again and you need spiritual care in order to grow in the presence of God. If you want, please write to us at godisatwork4you@gmail.com. May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Big Anxieties, Little Faith

Matthew 6:25-30 

(New International Version 1984, ©1984)

Do Not Worry

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  

²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  

²⁷ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  

²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  

³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Stressful situations come in a variety of forms and intensities, and in this earthly existence, we will never be totally free of them. However, the important issue is, what are we going to do with our anxiety? If we let it dominate, fretfulness can become a way of life. But if we believe what the Bible says about God and His care for us, we will experience an awesome liberation from worry.

Do you sometimes doubt whether our heavenly Father really cares about the ordinary things that cause you anxiety? After all, He’s got the entire universe to run, and your issues are so small in comparison. Consider how inconsequential birds and flowers are, yet Jesus says that the Father cares for them (Matt. 6:26). Don’t you think you are worth much more to Him than they are?

At times we let ourselves get all worked up and stressed out because we’re trying to change something that is beyond our control. Just as no one can add a single day to the length of his life, so there are some situations that we are powerless to alter. But the sovereign Ruler of the universe loves us and holds EVERYTHING in His hands—including our stressful and seemingly out-of-control situations. Therefore, we have no reason to fret or fear.

Perhaps the biggest reason we worry is because we don’t trust the Lord. Anxiety is no more than unbelief. The Bible is filled with God’s promises to provide, but so often we doubt that He will. If you can trust Him for your eternal security, can’t you also trust Him for your earthly needs?

By Dr Charles Stanley

Rejoice in Our Suffering

The other day, I was counseling a Christian friend, who has suffered financial difficulties as a result of the challenging economy we’ve all faced the last few years.  She was struggling to understand her suffering.  She finally concluded that her difficulties must some how be the result of her not living up to God’s expectations of her.  I told her that, although it’s true that there are negative consequences to poor choices we make, and that sometimes suffering may even come as a result of some sin in our life, the reality is we live in a fallen world where suffering is common to us all.

I’ve had the privilege of ministering to the Body of Christ around the World in many different countries.  One thing I have observed is that we all experience suffering.  Even in America, as rich in luxuries as we are, we are not exempt from suffering.  Some may argue that Americans never experience suffering as most of the World does through famine, disease, war, and poverty.  And in most places in the World, if you are a Christian, you can also add to that…persecution.  However, I have concluded through my own journey the last few years, and based on what I know about many of you, that suffering comes to us all.  Suffering may come to us in different ways, such as financial lose, broken relationships, sickness, stress, worry, fear, and anxiety, nonetheless, it’s still all suffering.

Sometimes, as Christians, we think we are entitled to be exempt from suffering.  However, if God did not even spare His own Son from suffering, why should we be arrogant enough to think we should be exempt from it?

The Apostle Paul tells us, and even from a prison cell, that we should “REJOICE in our sufferings”.  Four years ago I would read Paul’s suggestion in Romans 5:3 and think that he must have been delusional from being in confinement.  Why else would he suggest such a thing!  But, tonight I want to share with you 3 reasons why I now believe we should…REJOICE IN OUR SUFFERINGS!

1.      Suffering Qualifies us to Share in the Glory of Jesus

In Philippians 3:10-11, Paul expresses his desire to identify with Jesus in his Glory when he says, “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.”  Then he qualifies his desire by saying, “I (also) want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”  In Romans 8:16-17, he tells us, “that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But (he says) if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”  Finally, Peter counsels us in 1 Peter 4:12-13 not to “be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through…Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.”

2.      God Uses Suffering to Make Us Disciples

In Job 23, Job confesses that he doesn’t understand God’s ways, but declares that God “knows the way that I take; (and) when he has tested me I will come forth as gold”.  Have you ever watched a goldsmith purify gold?  He carefully heats the gold until it becomes a liquid, then he brings it just to the point of boiling.  As he does this, the impurities rise to the top and he carefully scrapes them all away until he is able to see his own image in the reflection of the gold.  God is the goldsmith in your life and mine, allowing us to endure just enough suffering to cause the impurities in our lives to be carefully scrapped away by His loving hand until He is able to see His image in us.  God says to us in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  God has a plan for us in our suffering and be assured, tonight, that he will see his plan to completion.  Paul said in Philippians 1:6, “that we can be confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

So…We should rejoice in our sufferings because Suffering qualifies us to share in the glory of Jesus, God uses suffering to make us disciples, and finally, we should rejoice in our sufferings because…

                 

3.      Suffering Affords us the Opportunity to Experience God’s Power

2 Corinthians 1:5 says, “For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.”   It is in the times of suffering that we learn to “trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding”… our own ability, our own resources, our own skill.  It is in these times that we become utterly weak and helpless, and completely dependent upon Him.  In 2 Corinthians 1 Paul was telling about the trouble he experienced while in the province of Asia.  He said, “We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it.  In fact,” he says, “we expected to die.  But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely ONLY ON GOD.”   And so, when we come to the place of complete dependence on God, through our suffering, we then experience the power of God that sustains us through all our circumstances.   The Lord said to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  And so Paul’s response was and ours should also be, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Therefore, let’s do as Paul suggests in Romans 5:3 tonight, and REJOICE IN OUR SUFFERINGS, instead of suffering in our sufferings, and learn to sing, in defiance to the enemy of our souls,

“No matter what comes my way… I lift my voice and say…Hallelujah Anyhow!!”

By Paul Clayton -- Paul Clayton is a dedicated Husband, Father and Christian. He is a Minister and an International Evangelist. He is one of the Mount Paran Choir members, singing as "Bass" singer. Also he travel many Countries with Mount Paran Mission Team to places such as India, Africa, Central America and many other places.  - Paul is also a blessed businessman Owner of Builders Floor Covering.

GOOD EXPECTATIONS...!!

Philippians 1:12-21 

(New International Version, ©2010)

Paul’s Chains Advance the Gospel

¹² Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, 

that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.  

¹³ As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace 

guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.  

¹⁴ And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become 

confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.

 ¹⁵ It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.  

¹⁶ The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 

¹⁷ The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, 

supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.  

¹⁸ But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, 

whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

   Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,  

¹⁹ for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the 

Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.  

²⁰ I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 

²¹ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Expectations! We all have them. We expect that people will be nice to us, that we’ll have good health, great marriages, faithful friends, successful careers. But what do we do when life doesn’t live up to our expectations? In Philippians 1, Paul shows us the way. He faced broken expectations of place, people, and the future, yet he remained surprisingly upbeat.

Paul was stuck in prison—not a great place to be! When we get stuck in a tough marriage, an unrewarding job, or a challenging neighborhood, it’s easy to get discouraged. But Paul was wonderfully positive. He said that his suffering helped to advance the gospel (Phil. 1:12).

Maybe people haven’t lived up to our expectations. Paul likely expected other believers to encourage him. Instead, some were actually glad he was in jail and were preaching out of “envy and strife” (v.15). Paul’s response? “But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.” (v.18).

Maybe it’s an uncertain future—the loss of a spouse, a job transfer, or a health crisis. Paul knew that at any moment Nero might give the order for his execution, yet he declared, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (v.21).

Adopt Paul’s only expectation—for Christ to be honored no matter what! (By Joe Stowell)

___________________________________________

In all I think and say and do,
I long, O God, to honor You;
But may my highest motive be
To love the Christ who died for me.

(D. De Haan)

___________________________________________

You can expect to enjoy God’s presence when you honor Him with your life.

WAIT ON THE LORD

Psalm 27 

(New International Version, ©2010)

Of David.

 ¹ The LORD is my light and my salvation—
   whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
   of whom shall I be afraid?

 ² When the wicked advance against me
   to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
   who will stumble and fall.
³ Though an army besiege me,
   my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
   even then I will be confident.

 ⁴ One thing I ask from the LORD,
   this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
   all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
   and to seek him in his temple.
⁵ For in the day of trouble
   he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
   and set me high upon a rock.

 ⁶ Then my head will be exalted
   above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
   I will sing and make music to the LORD.

 ⁷ Hear my voice when I call, LORD;
   be merciful to me and answer me.
⁸ My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
   Your face, LORD, I will seek.
⁹ Do not hide your face from me,
   do not turn your servant away in anger;
   you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
   God my Savior.
¹⁰ Though my father and mother forsake me,
   the LORD will receive me.
¹¹ Teach me your way, LORD;
   lead me in a straight path
   because of my oppressors.
¹² Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
   for false witnesses rise up against me,
   spouting malicious accusations.

 ¹³ I remain confident of this:
   I will see the goodness of the LORD
   in the land of the living.
¹⁴ Wait for the LORD;
   be strong and take heart
   and wait for the LORD.

WAIT ON THE LORD

In Cantonese, a Chinese dialect, the word for wait sounds like the word for class. Making a pun on this word, some senior folks in Hong Kong identify themselves as “third-class citizens,” which also means “people of three waits.” They wait for their children to return home from work late at night. They wait for the morning sun to dispel their sleepless nights. And with a sigh of resignation, they wait for death. 

In the Bible, the word wait is more an attitude than an activity. To “wait on the Lord” is to trust Him. Psalm 27 is David’s exuberant declaration of faith in God. He sees the Lord as his salvation (v.1). In times of danger, he knows for certain that God will hide him (v.5). He remembers that God has asked him to seek His face, so he asks God not to hide from him. For, like a child, he longs to see God’s approving face (vv.8-10). In his darkest moments, David declares: “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (v.13).

Though no one knows how life will unfold, we can decide to trust God and to focus our mind on Him. For to those who wait on the Lord, the promise is given: Our heart will be strengthened (v.14).

________________________________________

I know not what the future holds—
What in one hour may be;
But I can wait while it unfolds,
And trust implicitly.  — (Elliott)

________________________________________

Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. 

— Isaiah 40:31

WHEN LIFE GETS HARD

"Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me."

(2 Corinthians 12:7)

WHEN LIFE GETS HARD

“The Bible is filled with the chronicles of people’s difficulties,” I said the other day, I hadn’t thought about that before. The Bible portrays problems, disasters, and disappointments in the lives of people. As we read, we learn they either overcame or succumbed. Many people see their lives the same way with not much else in between. It’s black or white; they succeed or they failed; they win or they lose. It’s all or nothing. Maybe that’s why they seem to lead despondent, despairing lives. If their life isn’t absolutely perfect, if everything doesn’t go their way, then their life is a complete failure. And we know no one’s life is perfect.

So imperfect people with imperfect lives (and that is all of us) bemoan the fact things aren’t completely perfect instead of being happy and enjoying what is good. They read in the Bible about contentment, peace, and victory and wonder how they missed out. In their worst moments, they examine their lives and have trouble focusing on anything positive.

I have three things to suggest (learned from personal experience) when life gets really hard. First, we need to make the assumption that there is a divine purpose behind the difficulties. Nothing happens by accident. Nothing happens to us outside of God’s notice. If we’re Christians, that’s an assumption we can have because we serve a loving, all-powerful God.

Look to the apostle Paul for guidance. Besides the physical pain, he was shunned, rejected, and despised. One of the things that made that man so remarkable was that he believed God had a purpose in everything that happened to him. Granted that none of us are like Paul and our lives aren’t in constant danger. We don’t have the horrible persecutions he endured. His life was far more extreme, and perhaps that’s why he understood something significant and could stand firm: He knew God had a purpose.

Paul understood much and had an amazing number of divine revelations, but God didn’t want him to become puffed up with pride. God gave him what Paul referred to as a “thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan.” We don’t know what either term means, but we do know God had a reason for sending the thorn. It wasn’t a capricious act; it was to keep him humble. Paul begged for deliverance and the Lord answered, “My grace is sufficient for you…” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Again, that’s the points: God had a purpose and he remained with Paul in the midst of his suffering.

Second, God might reveal the purpose for our difficulties, however, God might not reveal them. In those moments, we need to think God’s words to Israel: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law”(Deuteronomy 29:29).

In effect, Moses said to the people, God has secrets – hidden things – that we may never understand in this life. God doesn’t choose to make everything known to us, but God does reveal enough to us to obey.

I don’t know why we have so many problems and hardships. It’s not my divine calling to explain God’s purposes or patterns. What I can do is affirm that God has a reason, yes, a divine purpose, behind everything that happens in our lives.

Where does that leave us? It leaves us with a choice. If we can honestly say God has a purpose in the terrible things that happen to us, our major responsibility is to figure out how we can best serve that purpose.  It doesn’t mean we have to figure out the reason behind it. God calls for our loving obedience to the task we have, Just that.

It’s often not an immediate revelation or any high-level calling. I believe my purpose at this stage of my life is to spread my story of life after death and life and a meaningful life before death. I didn’t grasp that fact in 1989 or 1990 or even in 2000. Now I get it because I’m doing what I believe God has called to do.

The psalmist cries out, “I desire to do your will, O my God” (Psalm 40:8). That’s also my prayer, and I frequently pray that I’ll always delight in obeying God’s will.

The third thing to help when my life gets hard is to remember that God’s grace is always sufficient for every problem and for every moment we’re alive. The Bible assures us that God won’t put a load on us heavier that we can handle. I know that, but during my recovery there were times when I was in such pain that I thought it was more that I could handle.

Somehow I did handle it. I learned I had a stronger desire for survival than I would have believed. I learned many things about myself and I also grew spiritually in those horrible moments. I hope never to have to that kind of pain again, but I know that God was by my side every second and his grace was as sufficient then as it is in any need we have.

Let's Pray:

Lord God, I don’t see a lot of purpose in the problems I face. I wonder why such things happen to me . Help me to get my attention off the reason and to concentrate on obeying what I already know to do. Help me to do what you’ve already shown me to do with my life. In Jesus Name. Amen.

By Pr. Don Piper – He is the author of the book “90 Minutes in Heaven” where he tells us his story about when he was driving back home from a minister's conference, and his car collides with a semi-truck that crosses into his lane. He was pronounced dead at the scene. For the next 90 minutes, Pastor Don Piper experiences heaven where he was greeted by those who had influenced him spiritually. He hears beautiful music and feels true peace. While back on earth, a passing minister who had also been at the conference is led to pray for Don even though he knows the man was dead. Pastor Piper miraculously comes back to life... and the bliss of heaven is replaced by a long and painful recovery. For years Piper kept his heavenly experience to himself. Finally, however, friends and family convinced him to share his remarkable story in the book, we strongly advise you to read if you can.