TEXT: JEREMIAH 29:1-9
Key verse: “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them” (Jeremiah 29:4,5).
Billy Graham, in his book entitled, Worker’s Handbook, said: “If life were all easy, wouldn’t we become flabby? When a ship’s carpenter needed timber to make a mast for a sailing vessel, he did not cut it in the valley, but up on the mountainside where the trees had been buffeted by the winds. These trees, he knew, were the strongest of all. Hardship is not our choice; but if we face it bravely, it can toughen the fiber of our souls. God does not discipline us to subdue us, but to condition us for a life of usefulness and blessedness.”
Jeremiah wrote to the Israelites, who were in captivity in Babylon as a form of discipline by the Lord, that they should move ahead with their lives and pray for the heathen nation that enslaved them.
From experience, we discover that trials and suffering can come from three sources. Firstly, it can come due to disobedience to the commandment of God, that is, as a result of sin. Secondly, it can also be permitted by God without any iniquity on the part of man. Job’s experience is an example. Thirdly, it can be as a result of satanic oppression. In all these causes of calamities, it is the one by Satan that is the easiest to handle. When God demonstrates His omnipotence by allowing divinely arranged trials in our lives, we should realize that it is to achieve His own glory through us. If it is from Satan, all we need do is to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, pray and believe God for solution. The most difficult of all trials to tackle is one caused by sin. Some people hide sins in their hearts and go about as if there is no problem. But God, who knows the state of their hearts, will not answer their prayers.
Whatever your calamity, you need to, first of all, examine your life. Ask God to reveal, through His Spirit, the cause of the problem to you. Then, make your way right with God.
Thought for you: Chastisement is designed for our good; to bring us closer to God.
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