HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 27
page A25
• E X O DU S 5 :6 -8 | Pharaoh sent this order to the Egyptian slave drivers . . . : “Do not supply
any more straw for making bricks. Make the people get it themselves! . . . They are lazy.
That’s why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to our God.’ ” (See note on
page 56.)
• 1 PE T E R 2 :2 1 | God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ
suffered for you. He is your example.
Being faithful to God may actually bring adversity. Satan is our enemy, and he will try to
stop us from following God. There are also people who oppose what is good and right.
Adversity may be a sign that you are being faithful to God.
• PR O VE R B S 1 3 :2 1 | Trouble chases sinners, while blessings reward the righteous.
• G A L AT I A NS 6 :8 | Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay
and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest
everlasting life from the Spirit.
Avoiding sin helps you avoid a great deal of adversity.
What causes adversity in my life?
• E C C L E S I A S T E S 2 :2 2 -2 3 | So what do people get in this life for all their hard work and
anxiety? Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief.
We can expect to find ourselves in deep trouble if we insist on running away from God.
• PSA L M 6 2 :3 -4 | So many enemies against one man—all of them trying to kill me. . . .
They delight in telling lies about me.
Trouble is sometimes undeserved or caused by others.
Are there other benefits to adversity?
• 2 C H R O NI C L E S 3 3 :1 2 | But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the Lord his God and
sincerely humbled himself.
Adversity can humble us and lead us to God.
• 1 PE T E R 4 :1 2 -1 3 | Don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through. . . . for these
trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering.
Adversity helps us understand Christ better because he suffered for us. This deepens our
relationship with him.
Is God listening when I cry out because of my afflictions or troubles? Does he
really hear and does he care?
• J O NA H 2 :2 | “I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to
you from the land of the dead, and Lord, you heard me!” (See note on page 816.)
God’s hotline is always open. Your call will never be rejected. God is never too busy with
anything—even managing the world—to listen. He has both a listening ear and a caring
heart.
PROMISES FROM GOD
• PSA L M 4 6 :1 | God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
• PSA L M 9 :1 2 | He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer.
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Trouble is often the result of our own poor decisions and sin.
• J O NA H 1 :3 -4 | But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the
Lord. . . . He found a ship leaving for Tarshish. . . . But the Lord hurled a powerful wind
over the sea. (See note on page 815.)
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Trouble is an inevitable by-product of fallen human life.
• E Z E K I E L 2 2 :1 4 | “How strong and courageous will you be in my day of reckoning?”
• PR O VE R B S 1 2 :1 3 | The wicked are trapped by their own words, but the godly escape
such trouble.