What do we accept from God? Let’s plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.
In Ecclesiastes 7:14 we read:
In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.
We live in an age of entitlement. I find it amazing that there are people in third-world countries and in communist dictatorships and Muslim theocracies who are Christians and suffering greatly and are more committed to Jesus, but Christians over here struggle if someone insults us on Facebook. We somehow got this idea that if we are Christians, life should be easier, when Jesus promised the exact opposite.
Also, I’m not saying I’m much better a lot of the times.
Sometimes I hear people saying about how they think God answered a prayer and how do they know? Because things turned out well. Wait and see. Sometimes, what turns out well at the start could lead to a disaster in the end. This includes that God is giving me a green light in my personal decision if I feel a peace about it. (Pray tell where that shows up in Scripture!) If anything, I would contend that if you’re doing the right thing, many times you won’t have peace about it. You could have a lot of anxiety about it because it could be sacrifical.
I do not think this verse is saying God is directly causing things to happen in your life, but it is saying that if good times come into your life, it is because God has allowed that to happen. When it does, rejoice. There is no sin in enjoying life.
However, remember that Job said that we should not accept just good from the Lord but trouble also. If trouble comes into your life, accept it. God has allowed it for a reason just as much. If faithfulness to Jesus only extends when good things happen in your life, then you are not really serving Jesus for Him. You are serving Him so you can enjoy benefits. When the benefits leave, so do you.
This is also the question of the book of Job. Many of us think that the question is why do bad things happen to good people. The problem is that if you look all throughout the book, you will not find one answer to why bad things happen to good people. Instead, the real question of Job comes from the accuser at the beginning. “Does Job serve God for nothing?’
If Job only served God for the blessings as the accuser said, then he would have abandoned YHWH and “cursed God and died” as his wife suggested, right at the start. He did not. He sought an audience with God to plead his case, yes, but he never abandoned God ultimately. Job passed the test. Job was faithful even when that faith seemed to gain him nothing.
Whatever is going on in your life, consider it. If it is good, enjoy it. If it is hard, use it as an opportunity to grow in faith and cling to Christ all the more.
In Christ,
Nick Peters
(And I affirm the virgin birth)
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