WHEN THINGS DON’T GO YOUR WAY

Life is unpredictable; there are so many things that take place in our day to change it from good to bad, great to a disaster, and tears to joy. When you wake up in the morning, you don’t know how your day will end. Jesus told His disciples these words in Matthew 5:45, “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” In other words, good and bad things happen to everyone, there is no exemption status in this world.

Life holds challenges that believers will face. We, like Job, must determine what we will do. Satan questioned Job’s loyalty to God. He thought Job would only serve God when things were going right in his life. Job queried why life had taken a turn for the worse, but he continued to reverence and have faith in God. Also, a study of the book of Job reveals his questions were never answered.

Hebrews 11 is a chapter on faith; what it is, what it accomplished in the lives of the patriarchs, and how it must be exercised in the life of a believer.

Hebrews 11:4-34 showcases the positive things that occurred in the lives of the people that practice faith. In these verses, the promises were manifested. There were kingdoms conquered, lions’ mouth closed, the sting of fire suppressed, the dead resurrected, the feeble strengthened, and men became great warriors. However, as I previously stated, life experiences are not always positive even when we practice faith. God does always permit a positive response to our situation. Sometimes there are failures, defeat, discouragement, illness, and death; leaving us with many unanswered perplexing questions. Some of these negative results are shared in Hebrews 11: 35b – 39. It states, “….and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise.”

So what do you do when things don’t go your way? I believe the answer is found in verse 6 which states, “But without faith, it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” NO MATTER WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING we must know God is in control, we must continue to exercise our faith and trust in Him, we must continue to seek Him, and we must expect Him to reward us for doing so. This is what is expected of us, this is what we must do, and whether our sovereign God rewards us in this life or eternity is up to Him