But I’m Saved, Why is This Happening?

 

““I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.

In this world you will have trouble.

But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Isaiah 59:19b (KJV)

“I beg your pardon

I never promised you a rose garden

Along with the sunshine

There's gotta be a little rain sometime”

 

Nope, you won’t find those words in the Bible.

They were from a country song sung by Loretta Lynn many years ago.

But I think those words often capture what we think it means when we surrender our lives to Jesus.

All sunshine and bright skies for the rest of our lives!

But that is NOT what the Bible promises as we can see clearly from the words of Jesus in our introduction.

Most people approach the words of Jesus in the verse above like an Oreo cookie.

I’ll take the peace and the overcomers’ heart on each end of the verse but I don’t want any part of the ‘trouble’ spoken of in the middle.

Guess what?

It doesn’t happen that way.

The Book of Job reminds us:

“Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.” Job 5:7

And if you have spent any time around a campfire you know sparks fly upward!

So reconcile yourself to two irrefutable facts –

First, that trouble and crisis come to all – whether believers or not but second and most importantly that in the midst of those seasons we can claim this promise:

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8