Troubles Are Temporary Series

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.