1. Nobody is immune to trouble but we have hope.
Jesus said “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here
on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have
overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NLT)
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems
and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance
develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of
salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how
dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts
with his love. Romans 5:3-5 (NLT)
2. God remains your most faithful advocate.
The Israelites continued to groan under their
burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God. God
heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob. He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.
Yes, I am aware of their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them.” Exodus 2:23-25, 3:7-8 (NLT)
So
Jesus told them this story: 4 “If
a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he
leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one
that is lost until he finds it? 5 And
when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call
together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have
found my lost sheep.’ 7 In
the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and
returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t
strayed away! Luke 15:3-7 (NLT)
And the Holy
Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us
to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be
expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit
is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own
will. Romans 8:26-27 (NLT)
3. You are never alone.
So
humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will
lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares
about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls
around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against
him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all
over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his
kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus.
So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and
strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 1 Peter 5:6-10
(NLT)
Do not be
afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be
with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT)
4. When you
suffer, God’s comfort will be multiplied to
you and through you.
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts
us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled,
we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we
suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (NLT)
