Tough times and what to do…

To overcome trials and challenges we need to stand strong, persevere and press on. The following excerpts are some biblical principles that we need to recognise as Christians. I picked these up from a variety of sermons that I have heard that blessed me immensely.

1) Most challenges, trials have their origin in the spirit realm: Job Chapter 1 v 1- The bible describes Job as the type of man that today’s world sees as prominent, self-made and adept in business.
He was a very careful man because the bible describes him as ‘blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil’ v 1 such that he would send to have his children purified and even get up early to make a sacrifice unto the Lord just in case they would have displeased the Lord v.4-6.
On the other hand you have satan who is going about his business v 7. Satan went to present himself before the Lord and God being proud of Job v 8 talks about him {Challenge: Do you live the kind of life that God can describe you as Job?}. Also the spiritual realm is much organised and satan has been described as ‘the accuser of brethren’ (revelation 12:10) and his name means accuser; he stands before God (Job Chapter 1 v 9 -11) to accuse us. Imagine! Job was carrying on with his life unaware of the conversations taking place in the spirit realm. God is proud of him. Is Job aware of the hedge around him? Other people may look at him and think he was a clever and self made man. For every Christian there is a hedge around us that the enemy cannot touch him.
Job Chapter 1 v.13 starts by saying ‘one day…’ - it did not happen immediately satan is not omnipotent – he has no constant presence like God. It takes him a while to gather his angels to attack (1 Peter 5:8).
Job Chapter 1 v 17 The Chaldeans - are the tools and the symptoms of the attack. They are not the real enemy therefore we need to get to the root, that is, in the spiritual realm to start to uproot. Intelligence for a Christian is understanding the spiritual realm. Eph6: never pray against your natural enemies. We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and rulers of this dark world.
2) No trial, difficulty can come without divine permission: Satan is the accuser of brethren. If he has a case (i.e. was it something we did? If we profess to be Christians yet we go and sin against the Lord, Satan will go and stand before him and quote God’s law to Him, accusing us and requesting permission to attack us - heaven will agree for him to go ahead, the spiritual realm is organised and has laws and principles that are adhered to and God is a just God. Therefore our first question should be God why did you allow this- why did you grant divine permission? Not so that we charge God but so that we can close a gap in the hedge that we have created. If the Holy Sprit reveals that it is not us then God is preparing us for restoration like Job for in Job’s case he was blameless. When ask we need to believe that ‘My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory.’ He will tell us what we need to know.
3) There is no challenge or trial that you are facing that is unique: 1Cor10:13 – ‘… such that is common to man’. This is why we should share testimony. You will find that the principles / situations are the same though the facts different. As humans we like to think that our problems are unique – nobody can understand or can know what we are going through {Challenge – is this really true?} Do not feel sorry for yourself because…
4) You can handle what you are in: God is not wicked. He knows that He has put enough grace in you to handle. 1Cor10:13 God is faithful. He knows the challenges are coming and there is the grace and capacity in you to overcome.
5) Do not fail the attitude test: The fact that you are in it, you can handle it, James1v5 says that if you lack wisdom go to God who gives generously to all without finding fault and when you ask, do not doubt {Challenge: ask for wisdom – do you realise that when you doubt you don’t even know when you have received it? Because you question if this is really what God is saying to you and confuse yourself}. He will direct you so do not fail the attitude test because He is probably sat there and writing in His diary ‘Day 1 this is what [your name] did and this is how he/she reacted to the situation’. {Challenge: Honestly, where is your first port of call? When you hear bad news or things go wrong? – do you try and solve it immediately or do you bless the name of the Lord first and ask His will on the matter?}. Job had 7 sons and 3 daughters dead, all his business collapsed- lost his friends and people started seeing him as bad omen. They would not mix with him for fear his luck might pass on. Some may have even said that he must have sinned to be going through what he was going through. Not a single soul around, including Job, understood what was taking place and what had taken place in the spiritual realm. In all this he did not charge God foolishly (chapter 1 v 22). Your attitude counts in heaven. Remember that this was what was being tested of Job anyway! James1v2 advises that we should ‘consider it pure joy’ therefore our prayers should be more like “God I trust you completely even though I am confused”. Job’s first reaction (Chapter 1 v 20) was ‘the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord’
6) Testing of your faith: These things take place so that our faith may be tested. When we profess something surely it must be tested. It is as the bible describes it as putting gold through fire (Zechariah 13:9). 1Peter 1:7 says ‘These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.’ {Challenge: Our faith manifests itself in the heart, in the spirit and in the lifestyle we choose to live – can you describe your faith and attach it to your current situation to say that you are truly living it out in the situation?}
7) God uses it to develop character: James1:2-4 the testing of your faith develops perseverance that must finish his work so that you may be mature and complete - ‘not lacking anything’ – God has a plan and purpose for each of our lives (Romans 8:28-39) and does not want us to stay where we are but to continuously grow until we are mature and complete, not lacking in anything {Challenge: What is stagnating your growth? – is it you?} When these challenges come and we overcome and we think we want to rest a bit – more comes our way – do we complain to God for a break, to remain where we are? – He has a level of maturity He wants to get you to. Are you going to allow Him to get you there and at His own time or are you going to remain a spiritual baby drinking milk forever rather than maturing to solid food? You have to be promoted to maturity each time. Do not try to use the world's solution to solve your problems instead, start with God.


Prayer
Thank you Lord for everything that you have brought my way for I know that my steps have been ordered by you. Lord I ask for wisdom to be able to understand your will for my life. I also ask for forgiveness for times that I have resisted you and resisted the challenges that you have placed before me. I give my all to you Father and ask that you start your work in me and manifest the plans and purposes that you have set out for me.
I praise you Lord Jesus Christ for what you are about to do and are doing in my life. Teach me more about you and your ways oh Lord such that I may become mature and complete and not lacking in anything as declared by your word.

Be careful! Do not pray this prayer unless you mean it! This prayer means that you ill become surrounded by challenges! My Prayer for you is that in the midst of the challenges you remember your prayer and press on until you come out of the refiners fire proven as genuine articles of Christ Jesus. God bless you all. Amen.

With Love...