Surge of trouble could be made for Good

*God uses the surge of trouble for good* 

“As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;  in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;  in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love.” 2 Corinthians 6:4-6

The surge of trouble is nothing new to God's people. The Bible is filled with stories of those in trouble. The Hebrew children had their fiery furnace. Daniel had his den of lions. Joseph was cast into prison. Paul was shipwrecked and beaten with stripes. Peter was sent to prison. John was exiled at Patmos. James had his head cut off. David fled from Saul. Samson had his eyes put out.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body."

Psalm 34:19 we read, Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

Clyde Gordon, who was completely paralyzed from his neck down, edited a magazine called The Triumph. In it he said: “Christ is no security against storms, But He is perfect security in storms. He does not promise an easy passage, But He does guarantee a safe landing.”

God will use a “surge of problems” in our lives *to Direct Us.* Sometimes God must light a fire under us to get us moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get our attention? God could have kept Daniel out of the lions' den, Paul and Silas out of jail, the Hebrew children from the fiery furnace; but it was good for all these to go through these experiences.

God will use a “surge of problems” in our lives *to Inspect Us* . People are like tea bags. If we want to know what's inside them, just drop them in hot water! Has God ever tested our faith with a problem? What do problems reveal about us? James 1:2-3 we read, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

God will use a “surge of problems” in our lives *to Correct Us.* Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It's likely that as a child our parents told us not to touch a hot stove. But we probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something by losing it. Psalm 119:71 we read, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.”

God will use a “surge of problems” in our lives *to Connect Us.* When someone dies in the family, loved ones gather from far and near for the funeral. People want to be together when in trouble. When someone is seriously ill, their friends and neighbors gather in to check on them and make sure things are all right. Trouble not only draws people together, but it also draws them to the Lord. David said in Ps. 119:67, "Before I was afflicted, I went astray".

God will use a “surge of problems” in our lives *to Protect Us.* A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents us from being harmed by something more serious. Joseph said to his brothers in Genesis 50:20, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” God is the only true “surge protector!”

God will use a “surge of problems” in our lives *to Perfect Us* . Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in our character than our comfort. Our relationship to God and our character are the only two things we're going to take with us into eternity. Romans 5:3-4 we read, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope.”

Did we know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks? The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it. The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm. When the storms of life come upon us we can rise above them by setting our minds toward God. The storms do not have to overcome us. We can allow God's power to lift us above them. It is not the burdens of life that weigh us down; it is how we handle them. Isaiah 40:31, we read, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

God is at work in our lives - even when we do not recognize it or understand it. He’s in the storm with us. He’s calling us to rise above it. Let us keep your eyes on Him during the storm so it doesn’t get us down!

 *Question to Ponder:* 

Do I understand God is at work in my life?

Have a blessed week that you would continue to allow God to work in your life!

Scribe: Justin 🖊 

Posted by: D.K.