Adversity - there's a reason!

Actually, there's more than one reason..... (Grin)

Merriam Webster gives us this definition for "adversity" -- "a state or an instance of serious or continued difficulty."
Last week, we mentioned that adversity is sometimes a channel through which God works to accomplish His purposes. This week, we will explore some of those concepts.
Ready to dive in?

First, adversity grabs our attention. When troubles come, we are forced to face pressures and issues that are too big for us to resolve. God is able to get our attention, because we can't go on with "life as usual." We can't continue to pursue our goals and relationships the same way we have been; we must stop and evaluate the situation first. Then we need to ask God for wisdom, obey what we understand from His Word, and trust Him to be the help that we so badly need.

Adversity jolts us out of "auto pilot;" it points out the fact that we are not in control as we'd like to think! It shows us our weaknesses and prompts us to rely on God. Remember Christ's invitation?

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

These words are always a comfort, but when troubles are all around us, they are particularly sweet. It's the hard times that get in our face and remind us of our need of our Savior and Friend. Adversity invites us to learn more of Christ, to walk more closely with Him, and to become more like Him.

As we walk more closely with Him, we can talk freely with Him about our needs. Does it blow you away, as it does me, that we have the privilege of talking to the One Who created everything we see? Who breathed life into us? Pretty amazing . . . whether aloud or silent, we can pray for His help:

In you, Lord my God,    I put my trust.

Show me your ways, Lord,    teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me,    for you are God my Savior,
    and my hope is in you all day long. (Psalm 25:1, 4-5)

Difficulties also remind us of our weaknesses. Paul mentioned in his letter to the Corinthians that he knew what it was like to live with adversity. He even dealt with the fact that for him, it would NOT go away. It wasn't temporary. Instead of complaining, or becoming bitter, he learned to see the good that God intended to bring to his life through it. And he was able to rejoice in God's dealings with him. (He begins the passage below by proposing this difficulty was to "keep him humble.")

or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (II Corinthians 12:7-10)

As we learn to accept our temporary troubles (and our permanent ones, too!) we can ask God for wisdom; we can ask Him to show us the purposes for our difficulties. What happens next? We will experience the power of God in our lives! We can daily trust Him to care for us and to provide everything we need:

As a father has compassion on his children,    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed,    he remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:13-14)

Like Paul, when we find ourselves in trouble, we are motivated to cry out to God. That's another thing that adversity does. And when we cry out to Him, we can rest assured that He hears us.

I call out to the Lord,    and he answers me from his holy mountain. (Psalm 3:4)

And don't be shy -- call out to Him each day. Cry out to Him in humility, and with a pure heart.

have mercy on me, Lord,    for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant, Lord,    for I put my trust in you. You, Lord, are forgiving and good,    abounding in love to all who call to you. (Psalm 86:3-5)

He does not forget the cry of the humble. (Psalm 9:12b)

If I had cherished sin in my heart,    the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened    and has heard my prayer. (Psalm 66:18-19)

Troubles will come. They are not fun. But God can use them for His purposes. We will continue these thoughts next time.