SCRIPTURE: 'He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings, you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;' Psalms 91:1-10.
LESSON: If this scripture (and others like it) is true (and indeed it is), then why do bad things happen to God's people?
PRAYER: Father, give us the grace to remain faithful through the storms of life
LESSON: If this scripture (and others like it) is true (and indeed it is), then why do bad things happen to God's people?
- As humans, we have the ability to make our own choices. However, this may sometimes cause us to stray from the safety of God's protection and become vulnerable to attacks from the enemy. In such situations, the best course of action is to acknowledge our mistakes, ask for forgiveness, and return to following God's will.
- Some sufferings are meant to help us develop the fruit of the Spirit. "Although He (the Lord Jesus Christ) was a Son, He learned [active, special] obedience through what He suffered." (Hebrews 5.8). "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy." (1Pet 4.12-13). We just need to patiently wait and cooperate with the Holy Spirit during this time.
- The suffering that one may experience, especially when it is undeserved, can be seen as a means of building a case against the devil. This is because when judgment is given in your favor by the Just Judge, who is also our Father, a restraining order will be served to Satan and his accomplices. This will prevent them from having any legal grounds to come near your dwelling, as seen in the story of Job. Moreover, the suffering will also be added to the list of indictments that will ultimately lead to the permanent putting away of Satan and his team in Hell! "[It is a fair decision] since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with distress and affliction those who distress and afflict you, And to [[a]recompense] you who are so distressed and afflicted [by granting you] relief and rest along with us [your fellow sufferers] when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in a flame of fire, To deal out retribution (chastisement and vengeance) upon those who do not know or perceive or become acquainted with God, and [upon those] who ignore and refuse to obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2Thess 1.6-9). We just need to patiently wait and cooperate with the Holy Spirit during this time.
PRAYER: Father, give us the grace to remain faithful through the storms of life