Lessons from adversity.
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· 85 viewsAdveristy is a good teacher. It makes us bitter or better; to see God turning the bitter into sweet, and providing for us.
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Last week, from this passage, we learned the importance of contentment.
Today we’ll see this passage from a different perspective: Learning from adversity!
Adversity is a synonym of “trouble, distress, affliction, and anguish”. Therefore, no one likes to be in adversity.
But adversity may be a good teacher that can gives us good lessons. It will all depend on our attitude.
Adversity can make us bitter or better.
Adversity can make us bitter or better.
Again, it all depends on our attitude when we face adversity.
The wise king Solomon teaches us to consider the good side of it:
In the day of prosperity be happy, But in the day of adversity consider— God has made the one as well as the other So that man will not discover anything that will be after him.
Ecc 7
If God has allowed it, He knows why! Let’s take adversity with good attitude.
When Job lost it all, including his health, his wife told him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” Do you remember his answer?
But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Job 2:10
The story is told about...
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 6850 Eating the Bitter Melon
The famous Oriental philosopher, Lokman, while a slave, being presented by his master with a bitter melon, immediately ate it all. “How was it possible,” said his master, “for you to eat so nauseous a fruit?”
Lokman replied, “I have received so many favours from you, it is no wonder I should, for once in my life, eat a bitter melon from your hand.” This generous answer of the slave struck the master so forcibly that he immediately gave him his liberty.
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 6850 Eating the Bitter Melon
The famous Oriental philosopher, Lokman, while a slave, being presented by his master with a bitter melon, immediately ate it all. “How was it possible,” said his master, “for you to eat so nauseous a fruit?”
Lokman replied, “I have received so many favours from you, it is no wonder I should, for once in my life, eat a bitter melon from your hand.” This generous answer of the slave struck the master so forcibly that he immediately gave him his liberty.
Attitude! That made the difference!
It makes us bitter if we focus on it.
It makes us bitter if we focus on it.
When we set our eyes on the adversity, we’ll only see our pain (how unbearable it is), our impotency (how unable we are to solve it), the past (how it seemed better), and our self (I do not deserve this).
That was exactly what the Israelites were focusing on: “this heat is killing us” (pain), “we have been suffering for years and we never arrive (impotency)”, “we used to have better food” (the past), and “why have you treated us like this?” (self).
They did not see the light at the end of the tunnel because they were only seeing around themselves.
It makes us better if we focus on God.
It makes us better if we focus on God.
Instead of complaining or saying, “why have you allowed this in my life?”, we should ask, “what is the Lord teaching me through this?” or “what will the Lord do in this?”
True believers can face adversity without fear and say, like the psalmist:
Why should I fear in days of adversity, When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me,
psa 49:5
We are not alone! The Almighty has promised to be with us. He sends His angels to protect us.
Let’s focus on what He can do, not on the adversity we are facing.
When we are in adversity, we must remember that God can change our circumstances.
Adversity teaches us that He can turn the bitter into sweet.
God turns the bitter into sweet.
God turns the bitter into sweet.
When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah. So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet. There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them.
Exo 15:23-25
Keep in mind the end of these verses: “He tested them.” We’ll go back to this in a couple of minutes.
When we are living in our Marah, when the waters of life are bitter, God will turn the bitter waters into refreshing sweet waters, our sorrows into dancing, and our grief into gladness.
That’s what David acknowledged in Psa 30:11:
When the waters of life are bitter, when we are living in our Marah, God will turns the waters into refreshing sweet waters, our sorrows into dancing, our grief into gladness. That’s what David acknowledged in Psa 30:11:
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
“No hay mal que dure 100 años, ni cuerpo que lo resista.” Adversity and discipline do not last forever, but the love of our Father never ends.
For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
psa 30 5
With the solution to their problem came a test. What was the test? Obedience!
Most of man’s adversities are the result of his disobedience. Not many days after they left Egypt, they arrived at Kadesh Barnea, the border between Egypt and Canaan. Moses sent the 12 spies to check the land. Although they saw the abundance, as the Lord had told them, ten of them discouraged the people from entering the land. Their disobedience resulted in 40 years of wandering and adversities.
God uses the unexpected to bless us.
God uses the unexpected to bless us.
What did the Lord used to change the water? Something unexpected! A tree, most probably a dead tree!
Adversity teaches that God will send an unexpected rescuer.
He will send a Moses to lead us.
He will send a Moses to lead us.
Egypt symbolizes sin. The Israelites were slaves there. God sent Moses to take them out of there.
Moses was the least expected to liberate them! They knew that, 40 years before, he had fled from Pharaoh .
I can imagine the people’s reaction when the people found out the message of Moses to the elders. “Who? Moses? But he is the son of the daughter of the previous Pharaoh! He is the actual Pharaoh’s brother! It cannot be!”
All of us were also slaves of sin, but God sent someone (a Moses) to us to proclaim freedom in Christ, to share the gospel, and to lead us into a life that pleases God.
He will send a Moses to provide for us.
He will send a Moses to provide for us.
They were thirsty, He sent them water; they were hungry, He sent them the food.
Do you believe ?
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
If you believe it, why do you worry then?
Water from the rock, manna from the sky (), quails with the desert’s wind.
God used Moses to get them what they needed: water and food.
Twice in life, God has used unexpected people to provide the furniture for my home.
The Lord also gave them what they needed from unexpected sources: shade from the cloud, light from the fire column, water from the rock, manna from the sky (), and quails with the desert’s wind.
God will give you what you need. Do not worry!
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 7541 When Birds Worry
When the birds begin to worry
And the lilies toil and spin,
And God’s creatures all are anxious,
Then I also may begin.
For my Father sets their table,
Decks them out in garments fine,
And if He supplies their living,
Will He not provide for mine?
Just as noisy, common sparrows
Can be found most anywhere—
Unto some just worthless creatures,
If they perish who would care?
Yet our Heavenly Father numbers
Every creature great and small,
Caring even for the sparrows.
Marking when to earth they fall.
If His children’s hairs are numbered,
Why should we be filled with fear?
He has promised all that’s needful,
And in trouble to be near
Cuando las aves se comiencen a preocupar,
los lirios a tejer o hilar,
y las criaturas de Dios a desesperar
entonces yo voy a comenzar.
Porque mi Padre arregla las mesas de ellos
y los viste con vestidos bellos,
y si Él les provee para vivir,
¿no proveerá también para mí?
Así como los ruidosos y comunes pajarillos
pueden ser hallados por doquier,
para algunos nomás criaturas sin valer
y si mueren, ¿a quién le ha de importar?
Pero el Padre Celestial las sabe contar,
cada criatura, grandes o chiquitos
cuidando aún de los pajaritos,
marcándolos cuando a tierra caen.
Y si los cabellos de Sus hijos están contados,
¿Por que de temor somos llenados?
Él ha prometido lo que necesitamos
y en la adversidad estar siempre cercano.