10302020 Life Is Trouble

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God of peace. Even in difficulty, we can have peace in Him.

Lesson #12. Trouble is part of life. We don't want it to be, but it is. Ever since the fall in the Garden of Eden, sin has had an terrible impact on our world and upon the people who live in it. "Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward" (5:7). "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble" (14:1). The first quotation is from Eliphaz, and the second is from Job himself. Both realized this bleak reality regarding life.

Neither plentiful nor careful observation is required in order to arrive at this conclusion. It is said that good literature reflects life; one of the primary elements of literature is conflict. Even the most upbeat and positive writings often center around conflict. In something as benign as "Little House on the Prairie" or "Little Women" or countless other books and portrayals, the characters work through the conflicts that come as a regular part of life. The joy of the story is in working out the conflict to a successful resolution.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was most likely not a believer, although his writings are filled with Biblical content and God-centered insights. In his poem "The Rainy Day," he says:

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the moldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.
My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the moldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast
And the days are dark and dreary.
Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

The Bible writers also acknowledged "the common fate of all." Peter addressed it extensively in his first epistle. "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you" (I Peter 4:12). "Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world" (I Peter 5:9).

This truth about the universality of trouble can be heavy, but God always has hope to offer, even in a world damaged and suffering under the weight of sin.

David wrote, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all" (Psalm 34:19). Every difficulty is an opportunity to experience the gracious, intervening hand of our mighty God.

Moses taught, "The days of our years are threescore and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore eighty years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. ... So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" (Psalm 90:10&12). In our short and challenging lives, we must seek to maximize the opportunities. Certainly, we must grow through the challenges so that we are better equipped to serve God during our brief sojourn.

Jesus spoke these hopeful words regarding difficulty in life: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Even in the heaviest trials, we can have peace in Him. And what hope! What reason for courage! Our Savior has overcome the world! He has conquered. Because of His victory, the day is coming when all our trials will be over. Meanwhile, the One with all the power in the universe is on our side, helping and encouraging us.

Yes, trials both large and small are part of life, but for the Christian, trials are opportunities for growth and for seeing God's power and deliverance on display. With God at our side, we can have peace, even as we wait for the victory.

May God give you peace through each challenge of this week, and may your eyes be fixed in hope upon our great God.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA