Somewhere along the many miles of southern California shoreline walked a young, 20-year-old woman with a terminal disease in her body and a revolver in her hand. She had called me late one evening. We talked for a long time.
Read MoreCategory Archives: Crisis
Sorrow and Hope
If tears were indelible ink instead of clear fluid, all of us would be stained for life. The heartbreaking circumstances, the painful encounters with calamities, the brutal verbal blows we receive from the surgeon or an angry mate, the sudden loss of someone we simply adored, riding out the consequences of a stupid decision—ah! Such is the groan and grind of life.
Read MoreWhen We’ve Handled Troubles Correctly
James 1:12 offers two specific promises for those who have handled troubles as they should—one for now, the other for when we stand before our Lord to receive our eternal rewards. First, right now, “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation”. There’s our word again—endure. Not only does God grant us the strength to endure, but He also rewards us for that endurance. What grace!
Read MoreHow Do We Handle Troubles?
The third question about troubles flows from James’s answer to the first two. We can’t avoid the various troubles in life, but we can accept that God has purposed them for our good. We’re to view them as opportunities for rejoicing in the work He’s doing in our lives—challenging us so He can change us. But how do we keep the trials designed for our good from crushing us?
Read MoreWhat Is the Purpose of Troubles?
When the inevitable troubles of various kinds come, remember the second truth about them—they have a purpose. We’re not just tossed into the crowd and left to fend for ourselves as God runs the world from a distance. The various troubles that occur are all part of His plan. When we accept this, we can view them as opportunities for growth.
Read MoreWho Will Face Troubles?
As James begins his discussion of troubles, notice his word choice: “when troubles . . . come your way” (James 1:2, emphasis added). His use of “when” here tells us troubles are inevitable for all of us. James doesn’t say “if troubles come” or “when troubles come to somebody else” or “in the unlikely event that a trouble or two crosses your path.” It’s when, not if.
Read MoreThe Bible’s Realistic Portrayal
The Bible doesn’t varnish over the rough realities of life with a thick coat of empty clichés. God’s Word meets the truth of unbudging troubles head-on. Scripture speaks often of the bruises of adversity. In the Psalms, King David reminds all the faithful through the ages that “the afflictions of the righteous are many” (Psalm 34:19, NASB).
Read MoreTough Days, Part Two
Tough days. We all have them. And most of us, if we’re honest, must admit we don’t handle them well. Others who love us try to help, but they tend to complicate matters. Take the four guys who decided to go mountain climbing one weekend. In the middle of the climb, one fella slipped over a cliff, dropped about sixty feet, and landed with a thud on the ledge below. The other three, hoping to rescue him, yelled, “Joe, are you okay?”
Read MoreTough Days, Part One
You’ve heard them. Those all-too-familiar cries of exasperation. Maybe a couple have crossed your mind today sometime between the too-early clang of the alarm and the too-late racket of the neighbors next door. Going from bad to worse. Jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Between a rock and a hard place. He said, “Cheer up, things could get worse.” So I cheered up—and sure enough, things got worse!
Read MoreThe Hammer, the File, and the Furnace
It was the enraptured Rutherford who said in the midst of very painful trials and heartaches: Praise God for the hammer, the file, and the furnace! Let’s think about that. The hammer is a useful and handy instrument. It is an essential and helpful tool, if nails are ever to be driven into place. Each blow forces them to bite deeper as the hammer’s head pounds and pounds.
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