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:
1. “You shall have no other gods before me”
2. “You shall not make for yourself an idol”
3. “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD”
4. “Remember the Sabbath day keeping it holy”
5. “Honor your father and your mother”
6. “You shall not murder”
7. “You shall not commit adultery”
8. “You shall not steal”
9. “You shall not give false testimony”
10. “You shall not covet”
Do these sound familiar to you. You and I learned these in Sunday school. Our parents taught us these things. These are restrictions or things we should not do, but guess what – we are just like Adam and Eve in that we are tempted by the great tempter himself and we do what we are told not to do.
Satan convinced Adam and Eve that it was permissible to eat of the tree just as he convinces us to do what we know is not just and proper in the sight of Almighty God. The problem is temptation while the act is disobedience and the result is sin which separates us from God.
Those of us who grew up with brothers and/or sisters know that there were times of disagreements and times of anger. Cain and Able were brothers and children of Adam and Eve. Cain was the older of the brothers. Scripture indicates that “Able kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil” (Genesis 4:2).
At one point in their life, Cain brought an offering to God as did Abel. For whatever reason, Scripture does not tell us, God rejected Cain’s offering but accepted Abel’s offering. When this happened a problem surfaced.
The issue of anger arose in Cain’s mind and coupled with his attitude he made a decision. The decision he made was that of murdering his brother Abel. Cain’s life would not be the same, but God was still in control. People murder this very day, but God extends forgiveness and mercy.
Noah was a man of God who was faithful and obedient, but he was also worldly. He was human and made mistakes just as we do. He faced a problem in that he liked to drink. “Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent” (Genesis 9:20-21). He was a disgraceful example of godliness to his sons Shem, Ham and Japheth. Each of us may be faithful, but our sinful nature will always be a part of us.
David had the problem of lust of the flesh. This problem is prevalent today and is the reason for the break-up of families. Woman is a special gift from God and is to be admired, respected and appreciated, but not to be used as a means to satisfy man’s selfish wants and desires. God created marriage that man and woman could live together in union and thereby maintain a right relationship with Him.
Scripture tells us that “One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing” (2 Samuel 11:2). Temptation came into play and David chose to take the road of destruction. He could have looked the other way or he could have called upon God for help, but instead David chose to follow the sinful desire of his heart.
“David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. Then she went back home. The woman, whose name was Bathsheba, conceived and sent word to David, saying, ‘I am pregnant’” (2 Samuel 11:4, 5).
This is an act that goes on every day in our society. It seems to be acceptable by many people. There is a problem with the way people think today.
According to the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, teenagers account for 23 percent of current births outside marriage. Out-of-wedlock births are greatest among the women 25 to 29 years of age.
In 1960, about 5% of the children born were born to unwed mothers. Today, 40% of the children born are born to unwed mothers. I would say this is a major problem. Most people are intelligent enough to know this is not right.
Satan is working hard to destroy the family and draw people away from God. People today are just like David in that they are only thinking of satisfying their own selfish desires.
Job was a wealthy man. He owned a vast spread of land and he had a large herd of livestock. He was a Godly man with a great deal of faith and patience. Job took very good care of his family and all the servants that worked for him. He was committed to God. People who are committed to God are perfect targets for Satan.
Satan, who was an angel of God before his own pride caused him to fall, considers God to be his number one enemy. He works hard to draw people away from God, especially people who are committed to God and doing His work. Satan is limited by God’s power in what he can really do. I say this because he is a created being just like all the angels and God is in control of all His creation.
Job did not have any problems per say until God permitted Satan to test him. God said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8).
Satan indicated to God that God had a hedge of protection around Job, his family and everything that he has. But then Satan made this comment: “But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face” (Job 1:11). In other words, Satan is saying that Job is faithful and righteous because everything is going right for him, but he will change if his circumstances change.
God then decided to prove His point and permit Satan to test Job. God said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger” (v. 12). God knows Satan’s tactics. He knows how Satan tempts people bringing suffering and pain upon them. Here is a lesson for each one of us. Satan tempts us and causes us to suffer in various ways, but the lesson is that God is still in control and will not leave or desert us, but will remain with us through our suffering and misfortune.
Job did not understand all his suffering and loss just like will do not always understand why things happen as they do, but one thing is sure: “He will never leave us nor forsake us” (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:7).
Job lost everything he had. He lost his family, his servants and his livestock. He was “….afflicted with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head” (Job 2:7). Would you say Job had a problem?
Job’s wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” (vs. 9) Job replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (vs. 10)
There is a lesson present in Job’s reply. Some people believe that when they are Christians or they are believers in Almighty God that He will protect them from trials and tribulations. When suffering does come upon the scene, they question God as to His goodness and His justice.
Job had problems and issues but he was not willing to give up and lose faith in God because of these problems. Job was faithful just as Christians may be faithful, but this does not assure any of us of a life of prosperity free of troubles.
Trials and tribulations, mountains impossible to move, and rivers too rough and deep to cross bring us to our knees and to a closer dependence on the One who created us and knows us. We all have problems of some sort. We all have aches and pains that at times seem unbearable. We all feel at times that we are unable to continue and we feel like giving up.
These are not times to curse God. He knows what we are going through and He wants to help us, but He wants us to ask for help. He listens to our prayers and responds with what is best for us.
Amen.
