The Apostle Paul, by the Holy Spirit, counseled all and sundry that tough times, troubles, hurts, and sufferings of our lives after all are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet this short time of distress will result in God’s richest blessings in our lives (2 Corianthians 4:18 TLB). It is for this reason that we must thank God for the tough times of our lives, knowing that we can use them for our good.
To this end the Scripture does testify saying: “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His son in order that he might be the first born within a large family. And those whom He called, He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified” (Romans 8:28-30).
Take for instance Joseph the son of Jacob who was told by Pharoah the King of Egypt “See I have set you over all the land of Egypt” (Genesis 41:41). Let’s face it, this was after all he suffered at the hands of his brothers. It is not much fun having your own brothers sell you as a slave to a group of passing foreigners. It is not very enjoyable spending time in prison for something you didn’t do. In like manner, it is very painful when those with whom you are in fellowship choose to hurt you. These hurts are deep when they are inflicted without provocation.
This explains why during tough times doubts are often a constant companion, a condition of mind that may lead to self-pity, self-defense and an overwhelming sense of being under siege. It is wisdom to remind ourselves that the root of doubt is in lack of understanding regarding what God gave us in Christ. In Christ we are allowed to enter into our inheritance in Him where every problem has a solution.
We must, therefore, learn to draw upon Christ and to sink our being into Him. When we do so, we will emerge finding ourselves in the deeper will of the living God. It is then that we are changed with that power that fell on the disciples of old. It is the forging of our way into the uplands of the faith.
In Zechariah, a prophet in Israel was asked this question: “What are these wounds on your chest?” In answer he said, “The wounds I received in the house of my friends” (Zechariah 13:6). “Rejoice, therefore, and be glad for your reward is great” (Matthew 5:12).
Joseph, the son of Israel, eventually saw that God was working in these events that made up his life. Proof that Joseph understood God’s dealing was evident in the names that he gave his sons. Manasseh means God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house”. He called his other son Ephraim which means, “God has saved me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction” (Genesis 41:50-52). How clearly through the Old Testament types, symbols, and stories, the Holy Spirit flashes light upon this mystery. This mystery is the fact that we can benefit from tough times.
Joseph is buried in an Egyptian prison before he rises to become a savior seated on the throne that he seemed to share with the mighty Pharoah (Genesis 39:19-23, 41:38).
Forty years on the lonely slopes of Midian the fiery Moses is schooled. There were graves, if one may so speak, scattered all over. The mountain sides were where hope after hope was buried until at last self went into utter humiliation. Except for these graves the man of God, who became the moral giant of antiquity, who spoke face to face with Jehovah, and whose guiding hand will be felt in the affairs of nations until the end of time, could not have been (Exodus 2:15-24; Exodus 33:12-23).
If we have tasted of the Lord, if we pant after the vine of heaven, if we cannot be satisfied with anything short of the fullness of the Spirit, and if our hearts are “furnaces of desire” for the deep things of God, then welcome tough times in your life’s journey.
David does not come to the throne until in the caves of the Philistines, where he was hunted down like a dog by the infuriated Saul. He literally went through the shadow of the valley of death several times. The Psalms, in all their varied loveliness so adapted to human woe, their seraphic unfolding of the life of communion could not have come about except for the inner submission which allows him to welcome the tough times of the persecutions he endured. It is wisdom to welcome tough times.
In 1775 the life of Fenelon on earth came to an end. During his life time he wrote many pieces that gave insight and understanding regarding the straight and narrow path we must all walk as believers. In The Seeking Heart he reminded us that tough times are difficult moments of our lives which encourage us to take cover every time we encounter them. We are told to embrace the difficult circumstances we find ourselves in, even when we feel they will overwhelm us. We must allow God to mold us through the events he has permitted to enter our lives. It makes us flexible toward the will of God.
This is because our impurities are melted and our old ways are lost. God is found in the middle of the events of our everyday life. Look past the obstacles and find Him (1992:14, 15; Spiritual Classic Vol. 4). It was Hosea the prophet who warned that the destruction of God’s people could only come due to lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:16). Tough times help us to really know God.
Commenting on the above verses, Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie declared: There is nothing more important than the knowledge of God. With it life is sublime, without is there’s constant stress. It is the secret of true success, the source of wisdom beyond our understanding. It is the strength to endure in hard times. It is our ultimate goal, life’s greatest privilege, and our urgent need (Silent Strength 1990:40). Embrace tough times while submitting to the hand of the almighty God. He loves and cares for you.
T. Cyprian Kia
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