Faith in Good Times and Bad Times
Scripture: Job 1:7-12; Luke 10:1-3; 17-20
In the traditional marriage vows, we make the commitment that we will stay with our spouse in good times and bad, sickness and health and for richer or poorer. In other words we are to remain with the person that we choose for the rest of our lives. What a commitment, what a testament of our faith in the relationship and the person we have chosen as a life long partner. Now we all know that there are times when some lose faith in the relationship and decide to leave it, but the words we say in the original ceremony says we will stay “until death do us part”. That is a commitment not based on circumstances, but on the knowledge that you have chosen this person and you will honor your vow to them.
In our relationship with God, we sometimes go through the same circles of life as we do in our natural life. It is easy to serve God when things are going your way and you are on top of the world. When you have no troubles, when you have you issues that you are dealing with, it is easy to serve God. When others are having trials and tribulations, it is easy to say to them “just have faith – God will bring you through”, but when it is you, sometimes those words that you speak for others do not bring comfort to you. All of us go through times when we wonder, when our faith may falter and that is to be expected. But, it is also the expectation that you will rise up, or get up if you have truly fallen down. This morning I want to encourage you to remain faithful in good times and bad. Do not let the circumstances of life dictate your faith in God. Turn with me to Luke 10th chapter. Here we see Jesus is getting ready to send out the seventy in pairs. Look at what He tells them in verses 2 and 3, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go, behold I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.” When Jesus sent them out, he gave them authority to do the work that He had called them to do. They were excited about going out at His command. Can you imagine walking into a place or city and telling the inhabitants that you were there because the Lord sent you? This group of seventy had this opportunity – they stepped out on the word that Jesus had given them. Now notice their attitudes when they return. Luke 1:17 says, “The seventy returned with joy, saying ‘Lord even the demons are subject to us in your name.” Imagine what the room was like – there was excitement. Each pair had a testimony about what they were able to do in Jesus name. One thing that you should remember is that these were everyday men with no great position in society. This could have been the first time that most of them walked with this type of authority so it would be natural for them to be happy – and they were happy. Can you remember what it was like when you first started learning the Bible, how it opened up your eyes, how you begin to see things that you never saw before? Remember the hunger and excitement that you had for the next time you would get the opportunity to look up something else and apply it to your life. You found yourself feeling more confident, knowing that you had the resources within you to handle yourself and what came up in your life. You knew that you knew and that was the starting point of a change in your life. That is what these individuals were feeling – they were excited at learning the Word and stepping out on the Word. This was easy for them because Jesus was with them – He was alive, He taught them, He held them up when they felt they were falling – He was their anchor. So during this part of their ministry – there was much joy and faith in Jesus and therefore in God. In the good times your faith is high – you feel like you can do all things. Everything is clicking like a well-oiled machine and you are operating in the spirit. All is well until you personally come under an attack from every angle possible. For these Disciples of Christ it was when they took Him. Remember
2.
what happened when they arrested Christ – some of the disciples fled. This was the time that many had to evaluate their personal relationships with Christ. Did they really believe everything He had told them or were they along for the ride? Once this ride was over, was there all there was to it or was there more? The very thought that they were now on their own was more than some of them could handle at this point. What am I saying, when things are good is easy to serve God with fullness of faith. But your faith is really tested when you go through the bad times, when it seems you are standing alone.
The story that we are told in the book of Job really brings this to light. We cannot cover the whole story, but I want to point out a couple of things in the first chapter. In the first chapter we find where Satan comes into the presence of God, While he is there, God asks him has he considered His servant Job, that there was not another man like him on the face of the earth. Satan gave God this response in verses 9-10 of chapter one, “..Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land.” Basically he was telling God that the only reason Job was serving Him was because He had protected and blessed Job. Do you know any people like that? They bless the Lord and give Him the praise when everything is going well, but when things starting falling apart they do not know what to do or where they stand. I am here to tell you that when this happens, hang in there, keep your faith, God will pull you through. I remember a saying that a Pastor friend of mine had years ago “The Lord will pull you through if you can stand the pull.” In other words, if you do not break, do not fold up your tent, God will bring you through. Look down further at what Satan told God in verse 11, “But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” Satan really believed that if Job lost what we consider to be the blessings of this life, that he would curse God. Many Christians have wavered in their faith because of the trials and tribulations that they have gone through. Job lost his children, his wealth and finally Satan was allowed to attack his body. Job as hurting so bad that his wife in chapter 2 asked him to go ahead and curse God and die. Now here comes the part where each of us can evaluate ourselves. In verse 10 of Chapter 2, Job responded to his wife, look at what he says, “But he said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” Through all of this up to this point, Job never sinned with his mouth. You know the rest of the story, his friends came and talked with him trying to convince him to repent of anything that he had did. No one could believe that he was innocent based on everything he was going through. Sometimes it is easier for friends to believe that you deserve what you are getting when adversity hits versus when you are being blessed. Job’s friends had good intentions, but they did not help his case. In the end, God blessed Job with more than he had before the days when Satan tested him. Job passed his test – what about us? When it seems like everything is going bad and continues to get worse, will you maintain your faith in God? Do you believe that God is only taking care of you when everything is going your way, or is He taking care of you at all times? I hope your answer is that no matter what, just like Joshua said, “we will serve the Lord”.
