“I have said this to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble, but take courage: I have conquered the world!” – Jesus Christ, speaking to His disciples on the night He was betrayed.

Many people, many who believe in God, are struggling with the events in their lives, their nation, their world. Jesus warned us that these would come. Difficulty, trouble, hardship, and loss are the “collateral damage” of living in this spiritually wrecked and ruined world. The deceptions of this world are thrust upon us relentlessly to the point that many begin to believe them and not our God.

Elisabeth Elliot knew the pain of searing loss, difficulty, and hardship.  Listen to what she had to say about God’s control and character:  “We have to ask ourselves repeatedly, especially when the dark times come, ‘Do I really believe this? Do I still believe this? Do I really believe that God is governing this world and everything that touches me with perfect wisdom, justice, and love?” He who keeps us neither slumbers nor sleeps.  His love is always awake, always aware, always surrounding and upholding and protecting.  If a spear or a bullet finds its target in the flesh of one of His servants, it is not because of inattention on His part.  It is because of love.”

Every trial, set-back, difficulty, or disappointment comes out of His perfect love for us.  He either causes them or ordains their occurrence because He loves us perfectly.  These events pass through His all-knowing hands, for a purpose that both glorifies Him and benefits us. 

Nothing is trivial in life, and nothing is a coincidence.  Our God is using every circumstance, very flat tire, every cancelled or delayed flight, every cancer diagnosis, every death of a loved one, to further His glory on earth and His work in us.  He is strengthening us and preparing us for an eternity with Himself.  He intends that no sorrow or loss is wasted.  No difficulty is unnecessary to His will for us.

A.W. Tozer, in his book, “Jesus, Author of our Faith,” wrote: “We can always be sure of the most important of all positives: God is God and God is right. He is in control. Because He is God He will never change! I repeat: God is right-always. That statement is the basis of all we are thinking about God. When the eternal God Himself invites us to prepare ourselves to be with Him throughout the future ages, we can only bow in delight and gratitude, murmuring, “Oh, Lord, may Your will be done in this poor, unworthy life!” I can only hope that you are wise enough, desirous enough and spiritual enough to face up to the truth that every day is another day of spiritual preparation, another day of testing and discipline with our heavenly destination in mind.”

What makes events difficult for us is not the event itself, rather it is our response to the event.  So often we are self-focused, hoping in temporal circumstances.  When will we learn that the world will bring us only trouble, not good?  If we are seeking good in our circumstances, we will find disruptions, difficulties, and set-backs to be  discouraging and painful.  Worse, we will miss God’s love and purposes in our most difficult events.

We can be assured that every circumstance is for our good.  In the book, “Success and the Christian,” Tozer wrote: “The only fear I have is to fear to get out of the will of God. Outside of the will of God, there’s nothing I want, and in the will of God there’s nothing I fear, for God has sworn to keep me in His will. If I’m out of His will, that is another matter. But if I’m in His will, He’s sworn to keep me… I’m not too badly worried because a person who dies of cancer in the will of God, is not injured; he’s just dead. You can’t harm a person in the will of God.”