Based on “Living from Bad to Worse” by Pastor Dave Folkerts;
8/21-22/10, Message #DF150; Daily Devotional #6 - “Circumstantial”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): In this week’s teaching, I was reminded of one of the biggest conflicts most Christ followers face: Why would an eternal, infinite, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent God allow bad things to happen to good people? The trials of Joseph in the Old Testament are an excellent example of how perseverance through what seems like bad times can lead to greater good for us and the fulfillment of God’s plan. We are bombarded with magazines and shows that look at the seemingly wonderful lives of “famous” people in today’s popular culture. It’s easy to wonder why the daily grind seems to apply more to the people spreading the seeds of God’s truth than the ones who scatter it.
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): We first have to take a careful look at what we consider “good” and “bad”. When we see the comfortable lifestyle that celebrities live, from the outside it is easy to consider it good. The average person that sees a wealthy person’s large house, luxurious boat, and multiple cars imagines themselves in that position. We, as Christ followers, know that worldly riches do not equate to happiness. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20) If we should envy anything about a person, it should be that person’s relationship with a loving and eternal God, not their worldly wealth. In the face of this, it’s easy to wonder why the people we consider good have to face hardships. However, from a Biblical perspective we have to remember the message of Romans 3:10: "…There is no one righteous, not even one.” So, in fact, we are all deserving of the penalties of sin. But we can be thankful that we enjoy the gifts of our Father and, when tough times come, know that He will steer us through them.
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): In summary, when lamenting over bad things happening to good people and vice versa, we should be careful to use the Bible’s definitions of good and bad instead of the world’s definitions. Most of all, we should look to Jesus and His time on earth. If anyone has a cause to lament, it was He. Jesus came to the earth and led a perfect sinless life, yet He was arrested, beaten, humiliated, and eventually nailed to the cross by a humanity that was infinitely more deserving. Yet, He humbly accepted that it was the will of His Father. When we feel like we do not deserve the bad things that happen to us, we should follow His example and know that it will lead to a greater good.
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Matthew 6; Romans 3
WSK
Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673
All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.