TROUBLES ARE TEMPORARY
By: C. Mason Davis
Late one night a burglar broke into a house and while he was sneaking around, he heard a voice say, “Jesus is watching you.” He looked around and saw nothing. He kept on creeping and again heard, “Jesus is watching you.” In a dark corner, he saw a cage with a parrot inside. The burglar asked the parrot, “Was it you who said Jesus is watching me” The parrot replied, “Yes.” Relieved, the burglar asked, “What is your name?” The parrot said, “Clarence.” The burglar said, “That’s a stupid name for a parrot. What idiot named you Clarence?” The parrot answered, “The same idiot that named the Rottweiler Jesus.”
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
2 Corinthians 4:17-18, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
We all face difficulties that don’t seem like they’ll ever change. It seems like the more we pray the worse it gets. We don’t see any sign of things improving. It’s easy to live discouraged and accept that good things aren’t meant to be. What you’re up against may look permanent. If you have been sick, it might seem like it’s going to take weeks to get well, if at all. If you’re behind in your debts, you may feel as if you’re never going to get ahead. Don’t be fooled by what you’re going through. Troubles are only temporary unless you allow trouble to fester instead of trying to change what you’re experiencing.
But if you’re looking at it from the human perspective you can become complacent with your troubles as if living that kind of life is as good as it gets. But we serve a loving god. Remember that through Jesus Christ, all things are possible.
God can make things happen that you can’t make happen. Just because we’re people of faith doesn’t mean we won’t face difficulties. Don’t get discouraged by difficulties, it’s just a part of life. The promise we have is not that trouble won’t come but the trouble is not going to last. This is where your love for Him and your faith will help you in life. You must remember that God will not put more on your plate than what you can handle.
When Job looked at all his circumstances, everything that went wrong, all that he’d lost, he became depressed. He sat down in the ashes and wanted to die. One reason he was so discouraged is he thought of his troubles as permanent; he didn’t see any other way. In fact, God will always make a way for you to get thru all troubles, but you must be open-minded enough to see it or find it.
God let us see both sides of Job. His discouraged and despondent side and then his faith-filled side. We hear a lot about the suffering of Job and all he went through; it seems like it lasted his whole life. The entire book of Job is about his struggles. You would think that all his trouble, heartache, and pain went on for years, but theologians believe the whole struggle lasted only nine months. All the sickness, all the trouble, didn’t last years, but just months that seemed like years. If you’ll keep praying and keep your faith in Him, he’ll bring healing, restoration, and joy back to you in His time. It’s not by your might or by your power, but by the spirit of our living God. The biggest battle taking place is in ourselves and in our thinking. But you’re not in this by yourself. God is there for you. He knows how to move people, obstacles, and adversaries out of our way. He can do what medicine cannot. Sooner than later, you’re going to see the hand of God making things happen that you couldn’t make happen on your own. He will open doors that no person can shut. But you must lead a life that includes faith, love, trust, understanding, and most importantly includes God. Regardless how desperate for change you are, all things come in God’s own time. It’s like the old adage, “all good things come to those who wait.” You may be asking yourself, “What if I believe and situations aren’t changing?” But what if you believe it and it does happen? Won’t the latter be worth the wait?
But why do we seek God in times of trouble? His presence is an objective fact, even in times when we can't feel Him. This is why we pray, stay in the Word and seek the Holy Spirit. This reality supports and empowers us to continue. For some of us it can be difficult to trust God during uncertain times, but as believers we know that His ways are not our ways, and He will ultimately work all things for good. Having faith in difficult times can allow you to find peace in God's presence. Regardless, we must always keep God in our hearts, souls, and lives, because the Lord God Almighty is always with us. When we are suffering, God is right beside us. Nothing can separate us from His love. He will ensure that our steps are firm. He will tell us the right place to put our feet in times of trouble. We might not be able to see Him, but He is there, and will guide us over every rugged mountain during times of trouble in our lives.
Another biblical character who was no stranger to hard times was David. He was anointed king of Israel and chosen by God, and yet he was also tormented by the jealous King Saul, who chased David for many years trying to kill him.
The apostle Paul had more trouble during his ministry than most of us can even imagine. But Paul was not troubled by his trouble, because he knew the trouble was only temporary. And he knew he had a shield against trouble, which would never fail him. We all have a shield against troubles, that being the Word of God.
What does God promise in times of trouble? Psalm 50:15 says, "And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." He also promises in Psalm 9:9-10, “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
What does the Bible say about a troubled heart. Psalms 34:18-20 says, “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: But the LORD delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: Not one of them is broken.” The good news is: Though you may feel defeated, God is closer than you realize. He is always with you and can heal your heart. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. 1 Peter 1:6-7 says, “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” Those verses describe several truths that are the same today as they were in Peter’s time.
We need more than positive thinking to survive in this world. We need hope that’s a lasting hope because God is preparing you for eternity. God is using everything in your life from the good, the bad, to the ugly to prepare you for the trials and tribulations to come. Problems are temporary. They won’t last forever. But God is using these trials for his purposes. Problems are necessary. They are an indispensable part of preparing you for heaven. Problems are varied. You’ll experience trials of all different shapes, sizes, and levels of intensity. Problems test your faith. You build muscles by testing them. The same is true with your faith. Problems purify your motives. God is much more interested in your character than your comfort. He’ll use trials to refine your character. Problems prepare you for your rewards. The trials you’re going through now don’t compare to the rewards of heaven.
There’s no doubt that the troubles you experience aren’t fun. But the Bible makes it clear they can result in something good. They’ll make your faith stronger. I love these great reminders and I’ll pray that you will remember them each and every day so that your everyday will be beautiful, filled with love! That’s why we can have hope no matter what’s going on in our lives right now.
When trouble keeps getting in your way, it’ll be alright because your inward self is being renewed day by day. When you got up this morning, you had a renewed inward self. Tomorrow you’ll have a renewed inward self. The next day you’ll have a renewed inward self. The day that you don't renew your inward self is the day that you’ll be most susceptible to the trouble of this world.
Jesus had compassion for the poor since the wealth of many is too extreme and excessive. Afterall, we all know that we can’t take it with you when you die. But most of the wealthy have always had this mindset throughout history. James 5:1-4 says, “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.” Why this warning? Jesus wants all to invest in the eternal Kingdom of God which is an investment you will never lose. The main idea is that one must support God’s work in a manner that alleviates the pain and suffering of others.
What is predestined in life is that all situations will always be just for a moment in time, whether they be moments of pleasures and wealth, or moments of pain and suffering. The shifting of the power of nations has always been changing. Look how the world has changed in the past 50 years! Nothing is permanent, all things change but God never changes. His promises are true. His holiness remains steadfast. And His mercy and love endure forever! His Word is forever. Malachi 3:6 says, “For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore, ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” There are some things that are eternal, and those eternal things in the Word of God are not temporary; they're eternal. And eternal things will affect temporary things.
The problem with time and our situations and our perception of things is that time in our minds transforms into intense (or dull) recorded experiences relative to our feelings. In the good times time flies by fast, but in the bad times time drags on and on. God is in control of our lives and quite often we rarely take the time to sense it. There are many invisible forces of God at work within you and without you! God knows everything about you, even the number of hairs on your head! We must thank Him in every moment as He has a plan.
Life has a start and an end because we live in the ever-changing material world. A world of highly sophisticated organized bio and physical matter. You were born as an innocent baby but overtime your increasing size, age, and circumstances, you are forced to change by becoming responsible for yourself. No one can stop the changes and the seasons of life; it is God’s design. It says in 1 Peter 1:24, “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.” The reality is you and I have a beginning and you and I will have an end. We may gain a temporary abundance, or we might be in a time of the “lean cows”. But all circumstances are what? Temporary! Paul says in Phillipians 4:11 that, “Not that I speak in respect of want for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” God can inspire us to be happy despite our changing conditions.
Set your eyes on God. Focus on His great love for you. Choose to increase your faith. Sometimes, you feel so weak because you keep on looking at the negative. You carry all your problems on your own, that’s why you feel so tired and disappointed. Quit putting the weight of the world on your shoulders. You will never be able to bear all that weight. Never forget that you have a companion along the journey. Give that weight to God and let Him be the source of your strength, and you will experience peace and love through the His glory.
When you are in a battle in your life, you MUST remember what He said.
He said in Hebrews 13:5, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
He said in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
He said in Habakkuk 2:2-3 “And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”
He said in Psalm 30:5, “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favor is life: Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
He said in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways.”
He said in Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
He said in Romans 8:28, “All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.”
He said in 2 Corinthians, 4:6, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
He said in Psalms 138:7-8, “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me. The LORD will vindicate me; your love, LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.”
He said in Psalm 46:1, “I am your refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
If you lose sight of God in your struggle, what should be temporary, could end up becoming permanent. Not because this is what God had for you, but because you stopped fighting, stopped believing, stopped praying, and stopped reaching for the “higher calling God has for your life”. I know life is hard sometimes but keep believing. I know you’re tired but keep believing. I know you’re overwhelmed with negative issues but keep believing. I know it seems like your burdens have lasted forever but keep believing. I know it looks like it will never get better but keep believing. When you repeat the mantra "everything is temporary", it should remind you that everything in life goes through its own cycle. Nothing lasts forever, so there's no point worrying about what might happen tomorrow or pondering on past mistakes; everything has an expiration date and eventually comes to pass. Therefore, no matter what we may be going through today or no matter how long it seems that we have been going through rough times, we must remind ourselves that trouble does not last for always.
How do you give your troubles to God? Every day you can offer up your worries to God in prayer. Hand them over to him and trust him to take care of those matters. Do this as many times as needed to surrender to God, then you'll experience God's perfect peace. Stay in the present moment.
You also need to keep saying to yourself to “Give it to God.” It’s when you stop fighting and stop believing that you can get stuck in a place you were meant to just pass through. Because “the good work that God has begun in you, He will see it through to completion.” Always have faith that nothing can keep a good person of God down. And this is what I pray for all of us. Amen!
