Faith In Times Of Adversity

Faith In Times Of Adversity

Scriptures: Hebrews 11:1; Proverbs 18:21; Genesis 45:3-8

Hebrews 11:1 from the Amplified Bible says, “Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality, faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].”

The title of my message this morning is “Faith in Times of Adversity.” In Church we spend a lot of time talking about faith and its power. We tell one another that anything is possible if we have enough faith. We can move mountains, heal the sick, raise the dead and do all of the things that Jesus said we would be able to do because we believe in Him. And you know what, we should be able to do everything Jesus said because Jesus never lied. So first and foremost if we are not doing these things it’s not because we do not have the potential, but that is a message for another day. This morning I want to focus your attention solely on our faith in God when we are experiencing times of adversity because it is doing these times that our enemy attempts to use our adversity to cause us to doubt what God is able and willing to do in our lives.

Before I go further, I want you to understand something about Hebrews 11. Again it says, “Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality, faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].” When we read this our minds goes to the promises of God based on our relationship with Him. But faith is universal and what I mean by this is that your faith will bring results based on what you believe – good or bad. Because you have freewill to choose, you can put your faith in the wrong things and thereby bring about negative results. This is why Proverbs 18:21 warns us about the things we allow to come from our mouth. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.” The words we speak powered by our faith will have results. Jesus further confirms this when He said Matthew 12:37, “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” My point with this is that because our faith can bring about both positive and negative results during times of adversity we must be extremely not to lose site of the One who holds us.

Webster’s dictionary defines adversity as “a state or instance of serious or continued difficulty or misfortune.” Life is not easy, and regardless of what preachers preach from their pulpits about positivity and prosperity, God never promised that it would be. But God did promise that He would be with us in the trouble. God told the Children of Israel, “(1) …..Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. (2) When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. (3) For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…...” (Isaiah 43:1-3) We must understand that adversity is not a sign of God’s absence, but they can be an opportunity for His refining presence. Albert Einstein said, “Adversity introduces a man to himself.” I want to read a story to you that I will circle back to throughout this message.

I ask for your indulgence if you have read or heard this story before. The story is called “Carrots, Eggs and Coffee.” “A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up as she was tired of fighting and struggling. Her mother, after listening to her, rose and took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots of water and placed each on the stove on high heat. Soon the water in each pot came to a boil. In the first pot she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last pot she placed ground coffee beans. She let them boil without saying a word.

After about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots and the eggs out and placed them in separate bowls. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ‘Tell me what you see.’ ‘Carrots, eggs and coffee,’ she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother asked her daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hardboiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, ‘What does it mean, mother?’