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- Apr 25, 2006
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Today's Insight
What Problem?
There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while (1 Peter 1:6, NLT).
Dear friends:
Do you ever wonder why Christians have problems?
The morning that Dave and Sue were to leave on vacation, the plumbing in their house backed up. The plumber could not come until the next day, so they were unable to leave in time for their cousin's graduation.
Glen and Pam were stunned when their ten-year-old son was diagnosed with diabetes. Since he was so young, they wondered how they would help him deal with this chronic illness.
Problems are a part of life, and often we go through deep trials in which we ask ourselves, "Why me? I'm living for God. Why should I have to bear this burden?"
We do not always know why we have problems, or I should say "challenges," but we live in a fallen world where such things are commonplace. The difference between a believer and a non-believer in Christ is that the believer has Someone he can trust to see Him through the challenge to eventual victory.
Donna discovered that wonderful truth. She is an active young mother who seems to thrive on activity. When she is not driving her four children to school, sports events and music lessons, she teaches an aerobics class. She especially looks forward to this time because she uses the class as an opportunity to share her faith in Christ with other women.
On one occasion, a winter storm brought two feet of snow to the local mountains. Donna loaded the children and sleds into the car and headed for a steep slope.
Everyone was enjoying the outing thoroughly, when Donna's sled suddenly collided with a toboggan, throwing her into the snow in great pain.
She soon learned her left leg was broken in several places. As she lay in her hospital room, recovering from emergency surgery, she was worried. Her husband was out of town. Who would take care of the children? And what about her aerobics class?
"Oh, Lord," she cried, "Why did you let this happen to me?"
For days, Donna struggled with anger and frustration. Finally, in a quiet moment, a verse of Scripture drifted through her memory: "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials" (James 1:2, NKJV).
"O.K., Lord," she prayed, "I don't know what you're doing, but I guess I'm just going to have to trust you."
That was the wisest decision Donna could have made. Peter tells us: "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love" (1 Peter 1:6-8, NKJV).
Yours for fulfilling the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns,
Bill Bright
What Problem?
There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while (1 Peter 1:6, NLT).
Dear friends:
Do you ever wonder why Christians have problems?
The morning that Dave and Sue were to leave on vacation, the plumbing in their house backed up. The plumber could not come until the next day, so they were unable to leave in time for their cousin's graduation.
Glen and Pam were stunned when their ten-year-old son was diagnosed with diabetes. Since he was so young, they wondered how they would help him deal with this chronic illness.
Problems are a part of life, and often we go through deep trials in which we ask ourselves, "Why me? I'm living for God. Why should I have to bear this burden?"
We do not always know why we have problems, or I should say "challenges," but we live in a fallen world where such things are commonplace. The difference between a believer and a non-believer in Christ is that the believer has Someone he can trust to see Him through the challenge to eventual victory.
Donna discovered that wonderful truth. She is an active young mother who seems to thrive on activity. When she is not driving her four children to school, sports events and music lessons, she teaches an aerobics class. She especially looks forward to this time because she uses the class as an opportunity to share her faith in Christ with other women.
On one occasion, a winter storm brought two feet of snow to the local mountains. Donna loaded the children and sleds into the car and headed for a steep slope.
Everyone was enjoying the outing thoroughly, when Donna's sled suddenly collided with a toboggan, throwing her into the snow in great pain.
She soon learned her left leg was broken in several places. As she lay in her hospital room, recovering from emergency surgery, she was worried. Her husband was out of town. Who would take care of the children? And what about her aerobics class?
"Oh, Lord," she cried, "Why did you let this happen to me?"
For days, Donna struggled with anger and frustration. Finally, in a quiet moment, a verse of Scripture drifted through her memory: "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials" (James 1:2, NKJV).
"O.K., Lord," she prayed, "I don't know what you're doing, but I guess I'm just going to have to trust you."
That was the wisest decision Donna could have made. Peter tells us: "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love" (1 Peter 1:6-8, NKJV).
Yours for fulfilling the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns,
Bill Bright
