Thursday, May 12, 2016
Affliction
Bible Questions Answered:
“...my husband and I and the children
are not living together, I got a new job, and the boss is a monster,
friends I had, all seem far away and have their own troubles....”
Sherrie/ Paris, IIe-de-France
Bible Answer:
Bible Texts:
We live in a
fallen, sin filled world, and the results of sin are everywhere,
judgments of sin, disease, decay, and death. The world itself groans
for restoration.
Genesis 3:17-19 KJV
17 And unto
Adam He said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife,
and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou
shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow
shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also
and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the
herb of the field;
19 In the sweat
of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground;
for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt
thou return.
Genesis 6:5 KJV
And God saw
that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every
imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Matthew 15:19 KJV
For out of the
heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications,
thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Romans 8:22 KJV
For we know
that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together
until now.
I Peter 1:24 NLT
As the
Scriptures say,“People are like grass; their beauty is like a
flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades.
This is not the
perfect world that God created, but a fallen world, due to mankinds
sinful desires.
But in this fallen
world, if we are God's child, He does not forsake us!
In
Times Of Affliction Our God Is With Us!
Exodus 3:7 KJV
And The Lord
said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people...and
have heard their cry ...for I know their sorrows;
Job 5:19 KJV
He shall
deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch
thee.
Job 23:10 KJV
But He knoweth
The Way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as
gold.
Psalm 27:5 KJV
For in the time
of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His
tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon A Rock.
Psalm 30:5 KJV
For His anger
endureth but a moment; in His favor is Life: weeping may endure for a
night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Psalm 34:6,17-19
KJV
6 This poor man
cried, and The Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
17 The
righteous cry, and The Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all
their troubles.
18 The Lord is
nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a
contrite spirit.
19 Many are the
afflictions of the righteous: but The Lord delivereth him out of them
all.
Psalm 42:5 NLT
Why am I
discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I
will praise Him again— my Savior and
6 my God!..."
Psalm 61:2-4 KJV
2 From the end
of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead
me to The Rock that is higher than I.
3 For thou hast
been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
4 I will abide
in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings.
Selah.
Psalm 66:10 KJV
For thou, O
God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
Psalm 91:1-16
NLT
1 Those who
live in the shelter of The Most High will find rest in the shadow of
The Almighty.
2 This I
declare about The Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He
is my God, and I trust Him.
3 For He will
rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover
you with his feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His
faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be
afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the
day.
6 Do not dread
the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at
midday.
7 Though a
thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
8 Just open
your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished.
9 If you make
The Lord your refuge, if you make The Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will
conquer you; no plague will come near your home.
11 For He will
order His angels to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will
hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a
stone.
13 You will
trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and
serpents under your feet!
14 The Lord
says, “I will rescue those who love Me. I will protect those who
trust in My name.
15 When they
call on Me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will
rescue and honor them.
16 I will
reward them with a long life and give them My salvation.”
Psalm 103:13 NLT
The Lord is
like a Father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who
fear Him.
Psalm 119:50 NLT
Your promise
revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.
Psalm 138:7 KJV
Though I walk
in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch
forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right
hand shall save me.
Isaiah 40:31 KJV
But they that
wait upon The Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up
with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they
shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 43:1-5
KJV
1 But now thus
saith The Lord that created thee... (God's servant) and He that
formed thee... (God's people) Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I
have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine.
2 When thou
passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the
rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon
thee.
3 For I am The
Lord thy God, The Holy One Of Israel, Thy Savior..."
4 Since thou
wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved
thee..."
5 Fear not: for
I am with thee..."
Isaiah 46:4 KJV
And even to
your old age I am He; and even to hoar (gray) hairs will I carry you:
I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver
you.
Isaiah 48:10 KJV
Behold, I have
refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace
of affliction.
Isaiah 61:3 NLT
To all who
mourn...(God's people)
He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead
of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their
righteousness, they will be like great oaks that The Lord has planted
for His own glory.
Isaiah 63:8,9
KJV
8 For He said,
Surely they are My people...so He was their Savior.
9 In all their
affliction He was afflicted, and The Angel Of His Presence saved
them: in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bare them,
and carried them all the days of old.
Habakkuk 3:17,18
KJV
17 Although the
fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the
labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat;
the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd
in the stalls:
18 Yet I will
rejoice in The Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Zechariah 13:9
KJV
And I will
bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver
is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on My
name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is My people: and they
shall say, The Lord is My God.
Matthew 5:4 KJV
Blessed are
they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
John 14:1 KJV
Let not your
heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.
Acts 16:23,25
KJV
23 And when
they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison,
charging the jailor to keep them safely:
25 And at
midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the
prisoners heard them.
Romans 8:1-39
KJV
1 There is
therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who
walk not after the flesh, but after The Spirit.
2 For the law
of The Spirit Of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law
of sin and death.
3 For what the
law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending
His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned
sin in the flesh:
4 That the
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after
the flesh, but after
The Spirit.
5 For they that
are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that
are after The Spirit the things of The Spirit.
6 For to be
carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is Life and
Peace.
7 Because the
carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law
of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they
that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are
not in the flesh, but in The Spirit, if so be that The Spirit Of God
dwell in you. Now if any man have not The Spirit Of Christ, he is
none of His.
10 And if
Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but The Spirit is
Life because of righteousness.
11 But if The
Spirit Of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He
that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal
bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore,
brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye
live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through The Spirit do
mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many
as are led by The Spirit Of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have
not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received
The Spirit Of
Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit
itself (Himself) beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God:
17 And if
children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if
so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified
together.
18 For I
reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the
earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of
the sons of God.
20 For the
creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of
Him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the
creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of
corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know
that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together
until now.
23 And not only
they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of The Spirit,
even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption,
to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 For we are
saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man
seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25 But if we
hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
26 Likewise The
Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should
pray for as we ought: but The Spirit itself (Himself) maketh
intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And He
that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of The Spirit,
because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will
of God.
28 And we
know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to His purpose.
29 For whom
He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the
image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover
whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called,
them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also
glorified.
31 What shall
we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against
us?
32 He that
spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He
not with Him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall
lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that
justifieth.
34 Who is he
that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen
again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us.
35 Who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is
written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are
accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in
all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved
us.
38 For I am
persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor
height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I Corinthians
10:13 KJV
The temptations
in your life are no different from what others experience. And God
is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can
stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you
can endure.
II Corinthians
4:8-10,17,18 NLT
8 We are
pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are
perplexed, but not driven to despair.
9 We are hunted
down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we
are not destroyed.
10 Through
suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that
the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
17 For our
present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they
produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last
forever!
18 So we don’t
look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on
things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be
gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
II Corinthians
6:10 KJV
As sorrowful,
yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having
nothing, and yet possessing all things.
Ephesians
5:15-20 NLT
15 So be
careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are
wise.
16 Make the
most of every opportunity in these evil days.
17 Don’t act
thoughtlessly, but understand what The Lord wants you to do.
18 Don’t be
drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be
filled with
The Holy
Spirit,
19 singing
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making
music to
The Lord in
your hearts.
20 And
give thanks for everything to God The Father in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
(And why? Because of Romans 8:28 see above.)
II Timothy 4:18
KJV
And The Lord
shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His
heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 4:14-16
NLT
14 So then,
since we have A Great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus The
Son Of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe.
15 This High
Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the
same testings we do, yet He did not sin.
16 So let us
come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will
receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it
most.
Hebrews 13:5,6
NLT
5 Don’t love
money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I
will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
6 So we can say
with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?
I Peter 1:3-9
KJV
3 Blessed be
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His
abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an
inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,
reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept
by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed
in the last time.
6 Wherein ye
greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in
heaviness through manifold temptations (trials):
7 That the
trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that
perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise
and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having
not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing,
ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the
end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
I Peter 4:12,13
KJV
12 Beloved,
think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you,
as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice,
inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that,
when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding
joy.
II Peter 2:9 KJV
The Lord
knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations
(trials), and to reserve the unjust unto the day of
judgment to be punished:
Revelation
7:13,14 KJV
13 And one of
the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed
in white robes? and whence came they?
14 And I said
unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which
came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made
them white in
The Blood Of
The Lamb.
Revelation 21:4
KJV
And God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more
pain: for the former things are passed away.