How many of us, when we are going through difficult times, question God, “Why are You doing this to me?” We don’t ask Him what His purpose is, or how we can learn from a particular experience. We simply are too quick to think that we are being singled out for His wrath or it’s out of His control, or that He just doesn’t care. I know that I’ve suffered from this near-sighted thinking before and it’s not until I step back and really evaluate the situation that I start to understand what is actually going on. In the Bible, Job is a man who had every human right to question God’s wrath toward him. Just after a rapid-fire barrage of very intense personal losses including an illness that would cause anyone to turn their back on God; Job’s wife suggested that he give up on his righteous posture, get the last word in against God and die. But Job said one of the most profound statements in the Bible when he replies to his wife, “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” He had just witnessed waist high rubble from destroyed buildings; walked through acres of barren land that use to be filled with livestock now stolen by his enemies; buried the corpses of his servants and even his own children; and is suffering with boils from his head to his toe. Even in the midst of his losses he is able to stay focused with superhuman ability as the Bible records, “In all this, Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” We’ve not experienced nearly as devastating circumstances as Job did, but what Jeannie and I are going through now seems to have every potential to make us want to “curse God and die.” Through this though, what started out as a feeling of “why are You doing this to me,” has slowly moved toward seeing our adversities through God’s eyes. The following are what we are finding out about God:

Adversities build character
In the letter to the Hebrews the author tells the reader to “not despise the discipline of the Lord” because He does it out of love. Trials and sufferings in the Christian’s life come from God who uses them to educate and discipline believers through the experience. These things are evidence of God’s love for us and need to be looked upon as just that—a molding of character into the lives of those being taught. “Father, thank You for caring enough to want to correct or clarify things in our lives that need work. We know that You do this because You love us. Help us learn the lessons well.”

Adversities are for testimony
James writes in his letter that “You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” The testimony of Job’s patience in his enduring suffering and God’s blessing in honoring Him through it gives us all great comfort. Our testimony of God’s compassion and mercy in the midst of our adversities are examples for others to trust Him and live. What we see and hear about God causes us to trust Him for those things we cannot understand. “Father, You can be trusted in all things—hard and easy. Continue to remind us of Your mercy in our lives so we can tell others of what You have done. Give us boldness to speak of Your works to all we come in contact with. Thank You for choosing us to reveal Yourself to our world.”

Adversities bring glory to God
In the letter to the Romans, the writer says “we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” We must realize that our problems or hardships are not all about us. It may seem at the time that we are the only ones affected but that is thinking too small. God working in your life causes good not only in your life but in the lives of the other members of His body. Our adversities as well as our blessings are for the glory of God to all who love Him—not just us alone. We need to look at the bigger picture and recognize what He’s doing in other people’s lives and worship Him for His mercy and compassion. “Father, remind us of your plan to glorify Yourself in all that happens in our lives as well as our brothers’ and sisters’. Help us see the bigger picture and notice the good that You are doing in and through us. We often only see the present problems; help us trust You for the end results.”

Don’t let your grief in times of adversity cause you to say or even think things against God. Christians are to accept trials and still worship God, not because we see the reasons for them, but because God wills them and has His own reasons which believers are to trust. Develop eyes that see His bigger picture. Thank you all for your prayers and generous actions of support to Jeannie and I and our family—you’ve done well.