HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 26
page A24
Adoption continued
PROMISE FROM GOD
• E PH E S I A NS 1 :4 -5 | Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ
to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own
family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it
gave him great pleasure.
Adversity See also Conflict; Enemies; Grief; Pain; Persecution; Racism &
Prejudice; Spiritual Warfare; Stress; Suffering; Temptation; Worry
A
HelpFinder
Troubles come with a multitude of names—accidents, afflictions, bereavement, calamities, difficulties, disappointments, disasters, failures, hard times, hurts, miseries, misfortunes, reversals, ruin, sufferings, tragedies, trials, tribulations, troubles, or woes. They
can come unexpectedly or after repeated warnings. Adversities may be temporarily discomforting or permanently disabling, even life-threatening or life-taking. Some adversities merely take more effort to work through, while others permanently wound. Adversity
literally means “something acting against you.” Nowhere is this concept more clearly
presented than in the Bible, which makes it clear that God himself sometimes sends
adversity either as a punishment for sin or simply as a way to test and strengthen our
character. Other times Satan sends adversity to tempt us to sin. And God allows it. And
sometimes we bring adversity on ourselves by acting foolishly or sinfully. And finally,
there is the adversity that comes out of nowhere through no fault of our own. The one
thing you can count on about adversity is that it will come. We all will have troubles,
so it is not a matter of will we or won’t we—the issue is what we will do with adversity
when it comes.
Does God actually send adversity into my life? Don’t troubles just happen?
• DE U T E R O NO MY 2 8 :2 0 | “The Lord himself will send on you curses, confusion, and
frustration . . . for doing evil and abandoning me.”
• J E R E MI A H 2 1 :1 4 | “I myself will punish you for your sinfulness, says the Lord.” (See note
on page 686.)
• H O S E A 4 :9 | “So now I will punish both priests and people for their wicked deeds.”
Troubles do often “just happen” because we live in a sinful world, and God usually allows
the cycle of sin to play itself out (for now). But just as a loving parent brings adversity into
the life of a child through discipline, God may also bring adversity into our lives to correct
us when we do wrong. This is for our benefit, not harm. God may also bring difficulties into
our lives to strengthen and prepare us for life ahead.
• L A ME NTAT I O NS 3 :3 3 | He does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow. (See note
on page 725.)
• R O MA NS 5 :8 | But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while
we were still sinners.
God does not enjoy sending adversity into your life. His love for us is pure and intense; he
does not want to see us suffer! But our suffering would be worse if he did not sometimes
correct us.
Is there any way I can avoid trouble and adversity?
• J A ME S 1 :2 -3 | When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for
great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to
grow.
• 2 C O R I NT H I A NS 4 :8 | We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed.
(See note on page 1049.)
Avoiding adversity may not be best for you. Though it may bruise you, adversity builds you
up and strengthens your faith.