How do we respond?

When trouble, trial or hardship come upon us, how do we respond? Do we try to fix it ourselves? Do we seek other people's help? Do we cry out to God for His help or solution? If something bad happens to us how do we feel about that? Are we disappointed with God because this thing has happened to us? In other words are we really blaming God for our misfortune? Have we said in our hearts that we are good christians that have done nothing wrong and therefore it is unrighteous for this thing to happen to us?

Well there is no unrighteousness in God and if something bad is happening to us then we are being corrected. God punishes the ones that He loves. If we can not understand God in His Sovereignty and do not turn to Him for understanding, with humility, then we will miss His lesson for us and could potentially resent Him. It does not in some ways seem logical that you would be punished by the one who loves you. A good example is the parable of the Prodigal Son, where the son decides that he would like to come out from under his father and do life his own way. The son is punished by his own sin and learns that the best place is back under his father.

JOHN 5 : 1 - 14 NKJV


After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.
And that day was the Sabbath. 10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”
11 He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’
12 Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."

From verse 14 we can see that Jesus was making sure that the man who He had healed knew that it was his sin that was the cause of his physical problem. Jesus did not want that man to miss the valuable lesson and have something worse happen to him. Does God want bad things to happen to us for the sake of it? No! Does God want us to remain in our distress? No! Does God promise us abundant life? Yes! If we then are not having such an abundant life we have an answer. We can humble ourselves before God and ask Him what we are doing, or what we have done, that is wrong. If we struggle to hear God in these things then we can ask for the help of others.

JAMES 5 : 13 - 16 NKJV

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.


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