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Sunday, 26 July 2015

Do Not Worry. God Knows and Will Meet Your Needs

Jesus says, look at the birds, look at the grass: God takes care of them. Aren't you more important than a bird? God is going to provide. Now, that doesn't mean that we don't have to work. Obviously we do. The birds have to gather all their seeds, and make their nests, and do other bird chores, whatever those are, but they don't worry about it. When was the last time you saw a worried bird, wringing its little wings in worry? You never see that. 

Because bird brained though they are, they seem to know more than we do, that God is going to provide for our needs, maybe not all our wants, but everything that we need. I have had dozens of you tell me stories about being in tough financial times and wondering how you were going to make ends meet only to see, usually at the last minute, an unexpected raise, or you find your expenses were less than you thought, or you discover you didn't need as much as you thought you did. Jesus is saying we live in an economy of abundance. There's more than enough to take care of everybody: God's going to provide. Sometimes he does that directly, and sometimes he does that through other people. Many of you have heard the statistic that there is enough food in the world to feed everybody, but the reason that some people don't have enough food to eat is that some people aren't sharing what they've got, or there are wars, or bad governments, that make distribution hard. God gave us everything we need to meet everybody's needs. Our job is to distribute it. Do you know that there is $15 billion of loose change just floating around America? Talk about an economy of abundance: $15 billion sitting in people's piggy banks or behind their washers and dryers along with all the missing socks. What would happen if every Christian turned in all of their coins to go for job training for the urban poor? Jesus is saying we live in an economy of abundance and God will provide, either directly, or through other people.


Does God allow us to go through trials and tribulations

One of the most difficult parts of the Christian life is the fact that becoming a disciple of Christ does not make us immune to life’s trials and tribulations. Why would a good and loving God allow us to go through such things as the death of a child, disease and injury to ourselves and our loved ones, financial hardships, worry and fear? Surely, if He loved us, He would take all these things away from us. After all, doesn’t loving us mean He wants our lives to be easy and comfortable? Well, no, it doesn’t.
The Bible clearly teaches that God loves those who are His children, and He “works all things together for good” for us (Romans 8:28). So that must mean that the trials and tribulations He allows in our lives are part of the working together of all things for good. Therefore, for the believer, all trials and tribulations must have a divine purpose.
As in all things, God’s ultimate purpose for us is to grow more and more into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). This is the goal of the Christian, and everything in life, including the trials and tribulations, is designed to enable us to reach that goal. It is part of the process of sanctification, being set apart for God’s purposes and fitted to live for His glory. The way trials accomplish this is explained in 1 Peter 1:6-7: "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." The true believer’s faith will be made sure by the trials we experience so that we can rest in the knowledge that it is real and will last forever.
Trials develop godly character, and that enables us to "rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” (Romans 5:3-5). Jesus Christ set the perfect example. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). These verses reveal aspects of His divine purpose for both Jesus Christ's trials and tribulations and ours. Persevering proves our faith. "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).
However, we must be careful never to make excuses for our "trials and tribulations" if they are a result of our own wrongdoing. "By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler" (1 Peter 4:15). God will forgive our sins because the eternal punishment for them has been paid by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. However, we still have to suffer the natural consequences in this life for our sins and bad choices. But God uses even those sufferings to mold and shape us for His purposes and our ultimate good.
Trials and tribulations come with both a purpose and a reward. "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. . . . Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him" (James 1:2-4,12).
Through all of life’s trials and tribulations, we have the victory. "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ." Although we are in a spiritual battle, Satan has no authority over the believer in Christ. God has given us His Word to guide us, His Holy Spirit to enable us, and the privilege of coming to Him anywhere, at any time, to pray about anything. He has also assured us that no trial will test us beyond our ability to bear it, and “he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).



Source:http://www.gotquestions.org/trials-tribulations.html