I feel these subjects go *hand in hand*, and I have scripture to prove it! Bible quotes are KJV from the BlueLetterBible.org: My comments are in {curly brackets} where ever the spirit moves me.
| Rom 5:1-9 Therefore being justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have
access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope
of the glory of God. And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations
also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience;
and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the
love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given
unto us. For when we were
yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely
for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would
even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified
by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. |
Tribulation is a fact of life for all mankind, but we Christians will NOT have a *perfect life* here on earth as some modern day so-called-ministers preach today. If anything, we will suffer more than our fair share of trials and tribulations for the sake of our faith/belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. The devil (satan) hates God and all things of God, that includes you and me ... therefore we are constantly being attacked to wear us down so that we loose heart.
Why does God allow this? Because the point of tribulation is to persevere through it, eventually coming out the other end stronger and wiser than we were beforehand. Trials and tribulations in one's personal life are necessary. Remember, our Lord lived on earth and also had more than His fair share of temptations and trials ... you try living 40 days and nights without food and during constant temptation, see how long you last! He knows what we are feeling at ALL times but it's up to US to stay in touch with Him for all our needs! Learn your lessons quickly and you'll get to move on faster ... go kicking and screaming and you yourself draw the situation on much longer than need be, you will stay in your loop of a lesson until you grasp what it is you are to know. Surrender yourself to God in ALL THINGS and He will lead you safely through all your problems.
If ever you think you have trials & tribulations in your life, consider this: There are many others who haven't eaten in DAYS, they are starving to death; There are many others suffering sickness and disease far worse than your own; There are many others that have no hope of a future because they do not believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Savior, the hope of eternity ... personally I think this is the greatest tragedy of all. You have much to be thankful for, I know I do! So, let's cover a bit of scripture about tribulation first, so that we can better understand why we need to have faith, and through faith hope, and through those things we persevere for triumph and spiritual strengthening...
| Deu 4:29-31 But if from thence thou shalt seek
the LORD thy God, thou shalt find [him], if thou seek him with all thy heart
and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these
things are come upon thee, [even] in the latter days, if thou turn to the
LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the LORD thy God
[is] a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor
forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
{This is a wonderfully uplifting scripture that reminds you to seek the Lord
with all your being, and even though you will have tribulations in your life
know that God has not forsaken you, nor has He forgotten you. If you are in
a stage of trial or tribulation in your life, look and reach toward the future
end of it and seek what it is the Lord is trying to teach you. You are a
child of the Most High God, don't forget that ... no matter the situation
... it will pass!} |
| Matt 13:18-21 Hear ye therefore the parable of the
sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth
[it] not, then cometh the wicked [one], and catcheth away that which was sown
in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. He also that
received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care
of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh
unfruitful. But he
that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the
word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but
dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of
the word, by and by he is offended. But he that received seed into the
good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth [it]; which also
beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. {This means
that you received the seed, the word of God of salvation through Jesus, but
that your heart was as stone and when trials and tribulations come upon you
you fall away because you are offended due to your lack of understanding.
And again, if riches and cares of the world are your constant priority then
you waste the seed that was given you and you become choked and unfruitful.
One's lack of understanding is voluntary and is of your own lack of gusto
to get to know your Lord and His will for your life. Know this, ALL the answers
are in the Bible and freely available to anyone who wants to search them
out! We Christians have the Holy Spirit within us to help us understand the
things of God. The part above that says "because of the word" is truly what
I mentioned above in that Christians are hated on account of Jesus and His
gospel, the good news of eternal salvation, we are light in a dark world
and the world hates our light ... it should be well worth it to you to suffer
any trials or tribulations in this life, for the sake of the Word, if you
are looking toward heaven for the ultimate prize. I'm hoping the "seed into
the good ground" is you!} |
| Jhn 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you,
that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation:
but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. {WOW, isn't
that a wonderful promise? Be of good cheer! Your enemy the devil was overcome
2,000 years ago, that doesn't stop him from trying to bring you down but our
Lord assures us that He has overcome and through Him so can we! Focus my
friend, focus ... keep looking UP!} |
| Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples,
[and] exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much
tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. {We NEED to be tempted,
and to have trials & tribulations, for through those situations we become
stronger in Christ. ALL of the apostles, save John, died martyrs ... are
you willing to do that for your Lord if need be? What is this life but the
blink of an eye in regard to all of eternity!?} |
| Rom 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we
are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved
us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God,
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. {Remember, whatever we do
in life, even through our trials & tribulations, we should do it to the
glory of God through our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ! Satan is trying
to separate us from God DAILY, hourly, by the minute if possible, this is
key to understanding what influences are over your life! How you react to
these situations has everything to do with their outcome and with your eternal
salvation!} |
| Rom 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation;
continuing instant in prayer; {Prayer is an important factor also,
talk to God every chance you get ... He is your Father and He loves you dearly!} |
| 2Cr 1:3-5 Blessed [be] God, even the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them
which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted
of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation
also aboundeth by Christ. {Be sure to bless and praise God,
don't just ask for your needs but be considerate of the Almighty, your Creator
and Father. Give Him praise, give Him thanks ... even during the hard times
... but above all ... do ALL things through Jesus Christ for it is He that
paid your penalty of death with His own life ... now THAT my friend is LOVE!} |
Faith! What exactly is it and how do we attain it? How do we hang on to our faith, in hope, especially during the hard times in life? That IS easier said than done for most of us. We tend to forget the words of our Lord, and of the prophets and apostles, who worked so diligently to bring us to God through our Lord & Savior, Jesus. Be sure to read all of Hebrews 11, it's called the "Faith Chapter" of the Bible. This section on faith should hit home in times of trouble and serve as uplifting food for the soul in need...
| Mat 6:30-34 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass
of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, [shall
he] not much more [clothe] you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought,
saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall
we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your
heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek
ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall
be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the
morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day
[is] the evil thereof. {I know, many of us don't like to be reminded
of this but the truth isn't so much in the not being concerned for what you
have or have not on a daily basis ... the gist of these verses is to seek
the kingdom of God first. That is truly what is most important!} |
| Mar 11:22-24 And Jesus answering saith unto them,
Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever
shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea;
and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which
he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore
I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye
receive [them], and ye shall have [them]. {Most don't believe
this scripture and therein lies the problem. Our lack of faith, or belief,
that we can do all things through God who made us hinders our abilities and
hinders how much He can use us. If our faith was even as small as a mustard
seed we could do great & marvelous things in the world!} |
| Rom 10:17 So then faith [cometh] by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God. {In other words, study your
Bible, the word of God, for in it your faith and understanding are strengthened.} |
| 2Cr 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye
be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that
Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? {Oh this
is a tricky one! Not many of us want to scrutinize our behavior or actions.
A clue on how to do this effectively is to look at yourself through the mirror
of the *ten commandments* of Exodus 20. Ask yourself such personal
questions, within the mirror of all of your past in mind: Have I ever
lied, even a small white lie? Have I ever stolen, even a thing that seemed
insignificant? Go through each commandment and ask yourself if you have
broken any ... if you have, and you have, we all have ... perhaps you will
realize in the light and reflection of God's holy laws why He sent His only
begotten, sinless Son Jesus to take your place in suffering and death. Only
by looking at yourself in this way can you truly appreciate Christ's loving
sacrifice for you. Your sins are now blotted out by Christ's blood, shed of
His own free will that you may live for eternity! Thank you Jesus!} |
| Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which
I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me,
and gave himself for me. |
| Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of
faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
{You should read this whole chapter on how to arm yourself, as a child of
God, against the powers of this world. The "shield of faith" is your belief
that Jesus fought, and won, the battle with satan already and through Him
you are victorious since He lives within you!} |
| Hbr 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and
finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne
of God. {Don't be misguided here, "the joy set before Him"
was YOUR SALVATION, not His own. He gladly took on the pain and the suffering
and the shame and the humiliation for YOU, so that YOU may come to the Father
through Him.} |
| Jam 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not
God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom
which he hath promised to them that love him? |
| 1Jo 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh
the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our
faith. |
| Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints:
here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
{This will be said of us that have run the race of life and made it to the
end with our faith in Jesus in tact! To us will be eteranl salvation and a
newly resurrected body so that we may live with our Lord forever and ever
... amen!} |
Hope, what a marvelous thing we have in that word. Our whole future is wrapped up in it. Hope is desires not yet manifested, existing in your mind as a need or want. However, it is not necessarily what God wants for you! He may or may not grant what you hope for, depending on how it would impact your life later on. We cannot see to far into our future, we all live day by day without knowing what tomorrow will bring. God knows what we have need of though, and He will provide! Here are some verses of hope...
| Psa 31:23-24 O love the LORD, all ye his saints:
[for] the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud
doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that
hope in the LORD. |
| Psa 33:18-22 Behold, the eye of the LORD [is]
upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their
soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the
LORD: he [is] our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him,
because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O LORD, be
upon us, according as we hope in thee. {This is very similar
in feel to Jesus' healings in the NT where He would say, "your faith has made
you whole".} |
| Rom 5:1-2 Therefore being justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have
access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the
glory of God. |
| Rom 8:24-25 For we are saved by hope: but hope
that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
But if we hope for that we see not, [then] do we with patience wait for [it].
{Hoping for what we *see not* is faith, belief without seeing. Those of us
that believe without seeing are, as told by Jesus, more blessed than those
who had seen Him ... we are more blessed than the apostles themselves.} |
| 1Th 1:3-4 Remembering without ceasing your work
of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the sight of God and our Father; Knowing, brethren beloved, your election
of God. |
| 1Th 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be
sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the
hope of salvation. |
| Tts 1:2-3 In hope of eternal life, which God,
that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times
manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according
to the commandment of God our Saviour; |
| Hbr 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. |
| 1Pe 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten
us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
|
| 1Pe 3:14-15 But and if ye suffer for righteousness'
sake, happy [are ye]: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give]
an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you
with meekness and fear: {WOW, that's potent! Yes we will suffer
our trials & tribulations but be not afraid or troubled. Not only are
we to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts (who by the way is the same Lord
God as the Old Testament, who is Jesus) we are to be ready to give account
in meekness of our faith & hope to anyone that asks! In so doing we spread
the seed of the Word that we have ourselves received.} |
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© Deb (Sandberg) Murtagh 2006
ALL Rights Reserved!