In the Midst of Trouble

"Now, do not be upset 

and do not be angry with yourselves 

because you sold me here,

for God sent me ahead of you to preserve life!

For these past two years 

there has been famine in the land

and for five more years there will be neither plowing

nor harvesting.

God sent me ahead of you to preserve you on earth

and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

So now,

it is not you who sent me here,

but God.

He has made me an adviser to Pharaoh,

lord over all his household,

and ruler over all the land of Egypt."

Genesis 45:5-8

It was just plain wrong!  Here she was, a woman enduring every mother's nightmare, yet instead of being treated with sensitivity by the media, her story was used to bring in higher ratings for the station's news program.  While the investigative authorities had the opportunity to bring justice for her daughter's sake, they instead used her as a means for their own political ends.  Even though she had many friends, colleagues, acquaintances and well-wishers, many condemned her demeanor throughout the crises, treated her like a celebrity or only cared about what details of the case they could glean from their conversations.  This woman had every reason to be angry.

Even though I will probably never face such injustice, there are times when others use or abuse me or I face what I think are unreasonably hard times.  When I'm mistreated, I have two choices.  Either I can grow angry, letting bitterness fester and the desire for revenge control me, or I can look for God's sovereign plan in the midst of the trouble.  

Forethought

It is always said that hindsight is 20/20.  Looking back on the past, it is easy to see signs of what was to come that I missed at the time.  Peering into the future, however, there is no way for me to know how all the pieces of my life are going to come together. 

This is precisely the reason we need God.  He has a plan that takes into account what is to come.  The Lord places each person where they need to be and only He knows the perfect timing for the forward progress of His plan.  Nothing can advance until everyone is position.

Since God is the One who possesses the vision, only He knows why there is a delay.  While I may perceive a time of little or no movement as a holdup, frustration or even a setback, God knows it is a necessary time of shifting all the pieces into place.  In the same way that I need all the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to come together before the picture can be completed, the Sovereign Lord is putting all the necessary players into place in order to finish His masterpiece.

When I'm stuck in traffic and my blood pressure is rising, I'm usually only focused on the time I'm wasting or the appointment I'm missing.  God, however, sees the future and is protecting me from an accident that is about to happen.

It is easy for me to feel abandoned when I'm waiting for God to deliver me from my present crisis.  The truth I can't perceive is that God is building my faith until I'm strong enough to handle the resolution He has planned for my predicament.

There are even times when I want to enthusiastically rush forward, believing I am ready to take on the world.  God, however, knows the training I need to undergo before I'll be prepared for such a heavy mission.

When it seems life is not fair, I must remember the forethought of God and let Him move in His own time.

Preservation

People all around them were starving to death.  The man considered his options, consulting the Lord for guidance, and settled on the plan to send his sons down to Egypt to purchase some grain.  While it may have seemed risky, it was part of God's sovereign plan to deliver His chosen people from a slow and steady demise.  

When Jacob saw how desperate was his family's situation, he would have done anything to save them.  Little did he know, however, that God already had a plan to preserve those who called Him Lord.  While many suffered around him, calling on their gods and making sacrifices to their idols as they sought mercy, God had a stake in those who claimed His name as their own.

In the same way, I belong to the Lord as His very own.  I am His adopted daughter through faith in Jesus Christ and thus am infinitely precious to Him. (1 John 3:1, Matthew 6:26)   Therefore, He will go to great lengths to preserve my life and the lives of those who are called by His name.

So, when I'm tired of the struggle against the disease that ravages my body, I can remember how God is using me to deliver the good news of Jesus Christ to all with whom I come in contact.  Or, when I feel like God is against me as He sends trial after trial, I can take heart as I keep in mind how the hard times are keeping me on my knees and in His arms.  I can even draw strength from the fact that God is shielding me from harm that is found in the world by occupying my time with caring for others at home.

When it seems life is not fair, I must remember how God uses circumstances to preserve the lives of His holy people.

Sovereignty

The young woman found blessing and treasure in her enemy's demise.  While Esther would have never killed the evil Haman herself, his death meant great fortune for her.  It also meant deliverance for her people. (Esther 8:7-8)  God is so much in control that He can even use evil to bring about good.  

It is hard to stomach all the news that comes at me in this modern age: There are killings, kidnappings, violent protests and terrorist attacks to name a few atrocities.  If I can keep in mind the sovereignty of God that allows Him to use the bad to His own advantage, however, it may be a bit easier to stomach the reality of living in this fallen world.

The next time I hear some bad news, then, I can look for the good that is hidden within.  As His child, it is vital that I become an expert at recognizing His hand in the midst of evil.  While it is true that I live in Satan's domain, I must always remember that God's plan is not thwarted by the wicked, nor is it overcome by evil.  Instead, Jesus has conquered the world (John 16:33) and nothing is outside of His sphere of influence.

When it seems life is not fair, I must remember the sovereignty of God, trusting that He can even use the evil to bring about good.

When life deals me an unreasonably difficult blow, I can either simmer in my resentment, or I can look for the hand of God in the middle of the crisis.  When I choose the latter, I may see a bit of the forethought of God, how He works to preserve His people, and the miraculous way that He uses even the enemy of our souls to bring about good.  It is then that I will find peace in the midst of the trouble.   

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep my eyes of Jesus and all the good that is coming out of the trouble.

When do I lose sight of what God is doing?

How am I paying more attention to the trouble than in looking for God's plan?

Jumping to Conclusions

"'Yes,' the man told him.

'They have moved on from here,

but I heard them say,

'Let's go on to Dothan.'

So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan

and found them there.

When Joseph's brothers saw him coming,

they recognized him in the distance.

As he approached,

they made plans to kill him.

'Here comes the dreamer!' they said.

'Come on,

let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns.

We can tell our father,

A wild animal has eaten him.

Then we'll see what becomes of his dreams!'"

Genesis 37:17b-20 NLT

The brothers were consumed with jealous bitterness.  While it was true that their younger brother was a spoiled brat who could do no wrong in the eyes of their father, there was more to their hatred than simple resentment.  Because of this boy, none of them could have a close relationship with their father.  Each of them felt like a failure around this greatly admired man.  A son wants nothing more than the acceptance and love of their dad, but with Joseph around, their father seemed to only have eyes for the favored one.  They could never live up to the patriarch's high expectations, and that gaudy robe was only a painful reminder of this difficult truth.

Anger and hatred can stem from many sources.  Whatever the root, however, the result is the same: the hurt that turns to bitterness influences the way I think which, in turn, impacts my actions.  This may be one of the most powerful reasons why God commands His people to freely offer the gift of forgiveness. (Ephesians 4:32)

When I hold onto the pain wrought at the hand of another, I may assume they are my enemy.  When I see this person enter my life, I jump to the conclusion that they are here to inflict harm, thus withholding the love of God that is to freely flow through His people.  Instead, there may be another reason for the visit, but I'll never find out unless I give them a chance through the grace that God so liberally gives.

Eyes of God

As a people, we are rich.  I don't mean with money and stuff, although that is true for the most part.  What I am getting at is that we are abundantly blessed with a great inheritance from a gracious and extravagantly generous God.  He not only offers us a second (and third, and fourth, etc) chance when we fall for the lure of our sinful nature, but He lavishes us with His abundant love, He showers us with one blessing after another, and He cares about all the little things that trouble my heart.  We are rich indeed.

Most of the time, however, I go through life without realizing how rich is this legacy of faith that I've come into through Christ. (Ephesians 1:18)  Instead I see only the damage done by destructive hands, the injustice caused by greed and selfishness, or the difficulties that naturally occur as I live in a fallen world.  

If I am to be able to respond to the people God has placed around me in a loving way, it is vital that I use God's eyes through which to view the world.  When I look through my own sin-clouded lenses, I am unable to see the goodness of God.  If, however, I take on His perspective by offering myself as a living sacrifice and refusing to buy into the ways of this world, I will better be able to see things as He does.  (Romans 12:1-2)  Only then will I be able to see people as God has created them to be, loving them right where they are as I pass on the wealth of blessings God has given me.

If I want to love people as God calls me to, I will need to have the eyes of God.

Led by the Spirit

Playing "Follow the Leader" with a group of elementary-aged children is interesting.  While I would never normally walk like a duck or climb over a pile of sand, I just may do so when being led by a young child.

Likewise, letting my flesh lead me through life will mean that I will engage in all kinds of activities and behaviors that do not please God.  I may find myself lured into thoughts of lust, tempted to explore sexual pleasures readily available through any electronic device, convinced I am justified in my hostility toward a co-worker, deceived into thinking I'm striving so hard to reach the top for the good of others, or tell myself I'll only indulge in one drink.  (Galatians 5:19-21)

When I let God's Spirit lead me, however, I will find a different kind of fruit being produced.  Instead of my sinful nature winning out, then, I will notice a compassion for those who are hurting well up inside of me, a sense of well-being that is not dependent upon my circumstances flood my soul, a calm tranquility that cannot be explained build up in my heart and a desire to do good guide my actions. (Galatians 5:22-23)  Only then can I have any hope of treating people in a way that would honor God.

If I want to love people as God calls me to, I will need to be led by His Spirit.

Kingdom-Minded

My mind whirls like a high-powered computer as I lay sleepless beside my slumbering husband.  If I can save about $50 on groceries, I might have enough to pay the phone bill.  Then, there will only be a couple more expenses to cover this month.  Or, I might be able to scrimp on gas by staying home all week, skipping all my ministry activities so we could cover the water bill.  That's a great idea.  Maybe there's more I haven't thought of.  Ugh, why can't I go back to sleep?

A mind focused on meeting physical needs is a mind that worries at three o'clock in the morning.  Jesus taught us that only unbelievers should think this way because they don't have a benevolent Father to take care of them.  As children of God, though, those who follow Christ do enjoy this benefit.  Since my heavenly Father knows what I need and is perfectly willing and capable of supplying those requirements, I am free to focus my mind of His kingdom instead. (Matthew 6:31-33)  

In this way I will be able to concentrate on the ways God is working all around me and join in with what He is doing.  A mind focused on worldly worries, however, will never detect these activities and will only tend to what will not last.  My focus, then, determines the nature of my actions.

If I want to love people as God calls me to, I will need to be kingdom-minded.

It is easy to only treat people the way they treat me, or to let my feelings influence my actions.  If I am to truly let the love of God flow through me, though, I will need to take on His way of seeing those around me, let His Spirit lead me, and focus my mind of kingdom pursuits.  In these ways, I will not jump to conclusions, but will stand firm on the solid rock of my faith in Christ.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can let go of all the hurts that can lead to hatred and bitterness. 

How do I focus on my needs, acting like I don't have a Father in heaven who takes care of me?

When do I follow only my flesh, letting my feelings be my guide?