Midweek Encouragement - "Why, God?”

“Why, God?”

             ^{“David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.”}

^{1 Samuel 30:6 NIV}

         ^{Sometimes it can seem as if the trials in life will never really end. On Saturday, June 29, Pamela and I attended the Celebration of Life for a former elder who served with me at the Plainfield First Church of God. His sister had died almost exactly two years before he did. As his sister-in-law’s parents were driving home from the service, a 20-year-old drunk driver ran into them head on, putting them both in intensive care. Surely that family is asking, “When, oh God, will these trials and sufferings end?”}

         ^{Maybe you’re either beginning a season of difficulties, or you’re in the middle of one, or you’re just ending one. Whether the trial is relational, financial, physical, or spiritual, it can be extremely draining and discouraging. And you know as well as I do that problems don’t happen in a vacuum. There are always new emergencies and troubles to deal with that make life even more difficult.}

         ^{Yet the Bible says that God is always good. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6). Obviously that can be a hard truth to accept when you’re going through a trial, because you only have a limited perspective on your dark moments. You can see you’re being affected in the moment, but you can’t see the bigger picture of what God is accomplishing during those dark times.}

         ^{If you want God’s best for your life and want to be used by Him, at some point you’ll travel the road of adversity. During those times, you’ll have to trust that God wants only what’s ultimately best for you. Keep this in mind though: The dark moments of your life will last only so long as is necessary for God to accomplish His purpose in you.}

         ^{Take a few minutes and read 1 Samuel 27:1-8. David had been anointed king of Israel by the prophet Samuel while the king at that time, a man named Saul, was still alive. David didn’t have it easy. In addition to waiting years for God to give him the thrown, King Saul wanted to kill him and anyone else who helped him. You can’t blame David for being full of despair. Everything was going wrong. He was unfairly targeted by Saul, driven from his homeland, rejected by his new neighbors, and constantly under the threat of attack. His family was taken captive, and his people were turning on him. If there was ever a moment for David to wonder what God was doing, that was it. Yet David did what we all should do when the dark moments of life overwhelm us: “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6). Instead of doubting God, David spent time in His presence, reminding himself of the mighty God he trusted and served.}

         ^{Let’s face it. Trials are confusing and never easy to endure. But God uses them to develop important character traits in your life. You can profit from your troubles if you trust Him. David did, and he passed those tests of faith. God taught David through the affliction he faced, and He’s teaching you, too.}

         ^{I know what you’re probably thinking. “Why does it have to be so painful?” I wish I had a simple answer for you, but there are none. God’s discipline and instruction are unique to each person. God must get your attention, teach you to turn only to Him, and train you to minister to others who have hurts (see 2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Usually that requires touching an area that’s deep in your soul. But know this . . . He’s doing something immensely important in and through you. God would never allow you to suffer without a significant reason or permit your trouble to continue a minute more than necessary.}

         ^{So don’t run from your problems. Face them with faith in God, knowing that He won’t give you more than you can bear.}

^{For those of you who will be in worship at the Mt. Laurel Church of God this coming Sunday, July 21, Pastor Dustin White will be bringing the message from God to you from Galatians 1:1-9.}

^{Pastor Dale}

Pastor Dale (PD) and Pamela his wife are honored to serve the Mt. Laurel Church of God. If this Mid-Week Encouragement has helped you, perhaps it may encourage someone else. Feel free to share this message with anyone you choose. And if you'd like to receive PD's Mid-Week Encouragement, just send an email to (kingdomguy@gmail.com) and I'll accommodate your request.