Problems

WHEN WE HAVE PROBLEMS, as an individual or as a church, God wants to do one or more things with us. He may want to…

…direct us: God uses problems to steer us in a new direction or in a new way of doing things. Think of Moses and the problem he had as the only judge in Israel. It must have been overwhelming and exhausting. But it made Moses willing to do things in a new way and God gave Moses that new direction through his father-in-law. Moses created a new court system with judges throughout the land.

…inspect us: Someone has said that Christians are like tea bags – we don’t see what we are like until we are in hot water.

…correct us: We are never to stop lear

ning as Christians and sometimes we only learn when things go wrong.

…protect us: I have two friends who, at different times, were in despair – their girlfriends had broken up with them. Now many years later they both would agree that if that problem had not happened they would have married the wrong girls instead of the wonderful wives they now enjoy. Sometimes God is protecting us through our problems.

…perfect us: James says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops (character).”