Devotional 06-19-2022

Why God Allows Hardships

It would be challenging, if not impossible, to meet someone who genuinely enjoys hardships in his or her life. In fact, the storms of this life typically produce another type of storm from most people; specifically, one of complaining, discouragement, and frustration. Unfortunately, some people go further and even question God's goodness amid their hardships.

However, the Scriptures not only repeatedly tell of God's perfect goodness and holiness, but also reveal a crucial desire He has concerning worship. In John 4:23-24, we read of His desire for sincere worship, which He could not receive if He created mankind to praise Him without choice. Thus, when the Lord created mankind as recorded in Genesis, He gave us free will to choose or reject Him. Unfortunately, mankind chose the latter, allowing sin and death to enter the world, thus resulting in the presence of hardships in this life. Fortunately, as we read in Romans 8:28, God can work all things, including the difficult events of our lives, for His and our benefit. Thus, the following lists some reasons why He allows us to endure hardships:

To remind us of our need for Him. When things are well, we can easily fall into the prideful pitfall of relying on our fallible strength and wisdom rather than God's. On the other hand, we can just as easily place our dependence on earthly sources for security, pleasure, and wisdom. In both cases, hardships provide a quick remember of our and the world's woeful shortcomings. Such times should bring us back to relying on and abiding in Christ, as John 15:5 reminds us. Thus, God uses our difficulties to bring us back to Him when our dependence foolishly goes elsewhere.
To test and strengthen us. In Romans 5:3-5, the Apostle Paul tells us our trials test us to help us grow in godly character. Furthermore, James 1:2-4 notes how they also build our faith and spiritual endurance. In addition, 2 Corinthians 1:4 not only assures us that God will comfort us in our hardships, but also reveals that they enable us to share His comfort with others in the midst of their own trials. Thus, the Lord uses our trials to break us away from the soul-life, increase our faith in Him, and fill us with His love to share it with others.
To bring glory to Himself. Throughout the historical accounts recorded in Scripture, countless enemies rose up against the Israelites, with many of them even overtaking God's people for a time. However, in every case, the Lord always prevailed over His enemies, showcasing His supreme authority and sovereignty over false gods, pagan armies, and prideful kings. Similarly, He uses our trials and sufferings for His glory by sustaining us in them, giving us His patience and love to endure them, and delivering us out of them. Thus, our trials should be seen as opportunities to give God glory through our witness, humbly obeying His will, and allowing Him to work through us in them.

Our hardships are never an indication of God's absence from or lack of love for us. Rather, they are challenging events He allows us to endure for His perfect purposes. When we realize this truth, it not only helps us endure our hardships, but also allows Him to use them to increase our dependence on Him; strengthen our faith, godly character, and kindness; and bring glory to His name.

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