Why? Why Not?

“Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.” (Job 14:1 NKJV)

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NKJV)

Some Days!

There are days when one hates to hear the telephone ring.  Some calls bring good news; but, lately, the news has been bad.

We recently received word that a nephew’s wife has just died at a young age. My sister-in-law is in a nursing home because of a stroke.  I lost a sister this last year because she was recovering from an eye operation and visited friends who had a door opening to the basement in the same hallway as the door to the bathroom.  Because she couldn’t see well, she opened the wrong door and fell down a flight of stairs and lost her life.

We have been getting updates on a granddaughter that has been stricken with mono, encephalitis, a sinus infection and now we understand that she has another virus that has required a visit to the ER.  Fortunately, she is recovering.  My wife had an operation on her back a year ago that was supposed to get rid of her pain.  Instead of getting rid of the pain, she lost the hearing in one ear while still in the hospital and now has pain in her hip and knee, and is probably worse off now than she was before the operation.  Of course, we don’t know how she would be feeling if she had not had the operation.

But what about all the people that are dying in Ukraine and in Gaza?  Without taking a political position on who is right and who is wrong, it breaks my heart to see people going into eternity just so some tyrant or tyrants can be in control.  We are celebrating Memorial Day today, a day that honors all those who have died in US wars since the Revolutionary War. Apparently over 620,000 died in the Civil War alone.  War deaths are Satan’s tool to take as many people to hell with him as possible. I realize many who die in wars are Bible believing Christians, but the Bible seems to imply that most people who die are not.  

These war deaths could be prevented if instead of asking people to die for some cause or ideology, people were willing to “turn the other cheek” when confronted by evil.  That was the attitude of the Lord and it should be the attitude of a true believer.  Memorial day should be a day of mourning and fasting when we consider the number of lives lost unnecessarily. I confess, I do not like turning the other cheek when injustices occur but we need to remember that the Lord is the only One who has the right to judge those who are and who do evil.  And His judgment will be just.

Why, Why Not?

When I look at the trials of life, I know it is possible to ask, “Why Me, Lord?”  But since Satan convinced Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, we have all tried to remake God after our image instead of accepting the fact that God wants us to worship Him in spirit and in truth.  That requires a change of mind since God doesn’t think like we sinners think.  Job was a righteous man and yet his ordeal taught him to justify God.  He then became an encouragement to others who go through trials.  When troubles come instead of asking “Why me?,  perhaps we should be asking “Why not me?”  I thank God for the trials from which He has spared us.  I hope we have learned from the trials He has allowed.  

James (the Lord’s brother) reminds us, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. (James 1:2-3.)”

Peter reminds us, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:6-7 NKJV).”

So the trials of Christians produce patience (or endurance) according to the Lord’s brother.  I like the word patience better. Peter says that It proves the genuineness of our faith.  And the Lord does not forsake us if we are believers during these trials.  He tells us, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV).”

Some trials we bring on ourselves and some trials or temptations are the result of that forbidden fruit that Eve decided to eat.  (I hope it was ripe and tasted good.) In other words, by being born into a fallen world we are all going to experience trials.  However, some trials are the result of being the disciples of the Lord.  But whatever the case, we will experience trials, temptations and tribulations.  

Conclusion

I would rather have the Lord in the trials that are going to come, than to have no trials and no Lord.  That would surely be a life without point and without hope.  Recent events in the world and in our personal experiences remind us that life is short, eternity is long, and it is the wise person who prepares for eternity.  When everything is going well, it is easy to forget about the fact that one day we are going to meet our creator.  But trials force us to think about where we are going to be when we leave this life and enter our eternal existence.

Bruce Collins

Meditation for the week of May 26, 2024