Got Problems!

Text: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19).

I am sure that you have said or you have heard someone say, “I have a problem or I have a multitude of problems I am dealing with.” What is being said is that there are situations of uncertainty present.

People’s problems can be simple problems like trying to determine if they need to go grocery shopping, debating whether they should purchase a certain item, planning an auto trip out West or taking a cruise to the Bahamas. You might think these are not really problems, but they are when you consider the financial aspect.

More serious problems might be an addiction of some sort. One could be addicted to alcohol, drugs, tobacco or gambling. The issue of health is a major factor as well as the need for money to continue the addiction. The need for money to satisfy these addictions leads to stealing, lying and cheating.

Another problem is sickness or illness which occurs for some unknown reason. Children born with heart issues, blindness, missing limbs, breathing difficulties, malfunctioning organs did nothing to warrant these problems, but nevertheless, they are real.

There are people who have such a low self-esteem that that believe they are of no value. These people think others are better and can do more than they can do. Association with others is a major issue. Trying to be social or trying to have a normal social life is extremely difficult.

On the other hand there are people just the opposite in that their ego is inflated to the point others cannot stand them. In their minds, they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. These people speak very highly of themselves and they have the answer to everything. They are never wrong in what they do or say. People like this have a major problem, but some refuse to see it that way.

The bottom line is everyone has problems of some kind. People have had problems since day one. God created all there is before He created man. That is to say, He created the earth and everything in it. After all this creation, God didn’t have anyone He could communicate with or anyone who would care for and enjoy all that He had created. This was not a major problem for God, but it was an issue God wanted to take care of; consequently, God created man.

Scriptures tells us that God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Genesis 1:26).

Now God had a creation that was very different from all else He had created. He had someone created in His image and someone with whom He could communicate. God was happy, but Adam’s problem was that he had no one of his nature or of his kind with whom he could communicate.

Adam couldn’t do any thing to rectify the problem, so God, being the Father that He is, took care of Adam’s problem. “The LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept, and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man” (Genesis 2:21 – 22). Adam now had a mate and the two could be fruitful and the human race could grow.

God gave Adam and Eve control or dominion over all that He had created. He even gave them a wonderful garden in which to live. They could “….eat the fruit of the trees of the garden….” (Genesis 3:2). Adam and Eve had it made. God placed restriction on one tree in the garden when He said, “….but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden….you shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die” (Genesis 3:3).

Adam and Eve were blessed and I believe they were conscious of that fact. We, too, are showered with many blessing from God and we, too, know about and appreciate these blessings. A major problem arises when a restriction is placed before us. We don’t like to be told that we can not or are not allowed to do something. We have a mind of our own which God gave us that entitles us to make a decision.

There is nothing wrong with making decisions, but the problem arises when we make the wrong decision. Adam and Eve were distinctly told by God “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die” (Genesis 3:3). You and I have also been told by God, through His Word, what we are not permitted to do. Listen to these words: