How many of you have ever considered your problems to be useful? Most
of us usually consider life's difficulties to be a hindrance or a setback,
rather than a positive experience. Not so with the Lord...
Genesis 12:10, "And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down
into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land."
Problems test our faith. When famine struck (a most definite problem!),
Abram went to Egypt where there was food. Why would there be a famine
in the land where God had just called Abram?? This was a test of Abram's
faith, and Abram passed. He didn't question God's leading when facing
this difficulty... Many
Christians find that when they determine to follow God, they immediately
encounter great obstacles. The next time you face such a test, don't try
to second-guess what God is doing! Use the intelligence God gave you,
as Abram did when he temporarily moved to Egypt, and wait for new opportunities....
Philip. 1:12-13, "But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the
things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance
of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace,
and in all other places;"
Problems open up opportunities for service. Being imprisoned would cause
many people to become bitter or to give up, but the apostle Paul saw it
as one more opportunity to spread the gospel of Christ. You see ladies,
Paul realized that his current circumstances weren't as important as what
he did with them. Turning a bad situation into a good one, Paul reached
out to the Roman soldiers who made up the palace guard and encouraged
those Christians who were afraid of persecution. We may not be in prison
today, but we still have plenty of opportunities to be discouraged - times
of indecision, financial burdens, family conflict, church conflict, loss
of income etc. How we act in such situations will reflect what we believe.
Like Paul, let's look for ways to demonstrate our faith - even in bad
situations. Whether or not the situation improves, your faith will grow
stronger as you trust in the Lord!
2 Thes. 1:5, "Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God,
that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also
suffer:"
Problems may be confirmation that we are living for Christ. As we live
for the Lord, we will experience troubles simply because we are trying
to be godly in an ungodly world. Some people say that troubles are the
result of sin or lack of faith, but Paul teaches that they may also be
a part of God's plan for His children.Yes, our problems can help us look
upward and forward, instead of inward; they can build strength into our
character; and they can provide us with numerous opportunities to comfort
others who also are struggling. Ladies, don't rule out the fact that your
troubles may be an indication that you are growing in the Lord!
From time to time when we are facing various problems, we don't always
handle them properly, amen? What are some of the mistakes we commonly
make when problems come along? Let's look into a few examples...
Genesis 16:1-3, "Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she
had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto
Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee,
go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram
hearkened to the voice of Sarai. And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her
maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan,
and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife."
We fail to wait patiently for God's solution. Sara took matters into her
own hands by giving Hagar to Abraham. Like her husband, she had trouble
believing God's promise that was directed specifically toward the two
of them. Out of this lack of faith came a series of problems... This invariably
happens when we take over for the Lord, trying to make His promise come
true through efforts that are not in line with His specific directions.
In this case, time was the greatest test of Abraham and Sara's willingness
to let God work in their lives. Ladies, sometimes we too, must simply
wait! When we ask God for something and have to wait, it is a temptation
to take matters into our own hands and interfere with God's plans.
Genesis 3:12-13, "And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with
me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto
the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent
beguiled me, and I did eat."
We blame others when our solutions fail. Although Sara arranged for Hagar
to have a child by Abraham, she later blamed Abraham for the results!
It is often easier to strike out in frustration and accuse someone else
rather than admit an error and ask forgiveness. Adam and Eve did the same
thing, amen?
Genesis 16:4-6, "And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when
she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid
into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised
in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee. But Abram said unto Sarai,
Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when
Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face."
We run from problems we should face. Hagar was running away from her mistress
- and her problem! The angel of the Lord gave Hagar this advice: (1) to
return and face Sara, the cause of her problem, and (2) to submit to her.
Ladies, Hagar needed to work on her attitude toward Sarai, no matter how
justified it may have been. Running away from our problems rarely solves
them. It is wise to return to our problems, face them squarely, accept
God's promise of help, correct our attitudes, and act as we should!
Job 2:7-10,"So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote
Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took
him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse
God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish
women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall
we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips."
We question God's purposes in our life. Many people think that believing
in God protects them from trouble, so when calamity comes, they question
God's goodness and justice as did Job's wife. But the message of Job is
that you should not give up on the Lord just because He allows you to
have bad experiences! Yes, the Lord is capable of rescuing us from intense
suffering, just as He was capable of rescuing Christ from the cross, but
He may also allow suffering to come for reasons we cannot understand.
It is Satan's strategy to get us to doubt God at this very moment. However,
Job shows a perspective that encompasses more than seeking his own personal
comfort... If we always knew WHY we were suffering, our faith would have
no room to grow!
In closing, the problem with our problems is that we don't understand
how God wants us to respond to them... Ladies, we must realize problems
in this life are inevitable. Rather than expecting the worst, expect to
grow as a result of problems! We can't really know the depth of our character
until we see how we react under pressure, amen? Our heavenly Father wants
to make us mature and complete, not to keep us from all pain... Have you
been seeking relief or growth?? Instead of complaining about our problems
or throwing our hands up in despair, we should see them as opportunities
for growth. Thank God for promising to be with you in rough times. Ask
Him to help you solve your problems wisely and give you the strength to
endure them. Then be patient. You know ladies, we can limit what God does
in us by assuming what is and is not possible. Don't let your estimation
of what can or can't be done keep you from taking on the situation at
hand. God can do the miraculous; trust Him to provide the solution. In
so doing, your problems can become either useful or useless - the choice
is yours.
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2001 Pamela A. Iannello
God Bless, Pam Isaiah 60:1&2 Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello Back to Top
