We don’t have a choice, do we? We all have to face this life with all of its storms. The problems we face in life are many and varied. Some we bring on ourselves because of the choices we make. Some happen simply because of where we are in this fallen world. Some happen because you are a believer in Jesus, and Satan is attacking with his cruel power. David argues in Psalm 22 that our problems begin at birth. “From birth, I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb, you have been my God.” In verse 11, he says, “Do not be far from me, for trouble is near, and there is no one to help.” Moses tells us that our life span is normally about 70 or 80 years, yet, as verse 10 says, “Their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” When Job’s wife tells him to curse God and die, he replies, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?” Peter talks to suffering people and tells them in 1 Peter 4:12, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange was happening to you.” A. E. Houseman wrote one of my favorite poems, “Terrence, this is stupid stuff.” One of the lines has been unforgettable to me for some reason. He tells us to face the reality of suffering by preparing for it. He says, “Luck’s a chance, but trouble’s sure; I’d face it as a wise man would and train for ill and not for good.”
Having been born into this world, there is no escaping it. We all will face trials, suffering, pain, and, of course, eventually death. Some philosophers and some world religions say that there is nothing we can do about it. We are like chips of wood floating on a tossing ocean carried hither and yon until we become too waterlogged and sink to the slimy bottom only to rot into nothingness. Hogwash! Both Houseman and these philosophers present us with a defeatist attitude toward life. The Bible does just the opposite. No matter what problems you face – whether things in your past, present, or future – there is good news. Psalm 9:9 says, “The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” In Psalm 34:18-19, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all. Then, in Psalm 46:1-3, we read, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives away and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
When Christ came into the world, He demonstrated the depth of God’s love for us all by paying the penalty for our sins on the cross. He rose from the dead and offered us new life through faith that is received simply by faith. Paul, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, made it clear in Romans 8:35. He asks, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” The answer is nothing! We are loved regardless of the current situation of life in a fallen world. This will not eliminate the storms. But Jesus will provide for us in the midst of the storm. We need to understand this better. We do have problems and troubles, and we will have more – that is the nature of life on this earth. But nothing can separate us from God’s love. Psalm 3:5 says in the New Living Translation, “I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the LORD was watching over me.”