thy strength is small.
Proverbs 24:10
We lived on a split street; the ambulance couldn't find me. They finally arrived and the young attendant who rode in the back with me kept pleading, "Please don't have that baby in here, Lady, please." It didn't take long to get to the little 13-bed clinic. As they unloaded me from the ambulance, I saw my doctor getting out of his car, buttoning his shirt. Now THAT is a relief--to KNOW your doctor is on hand, Amen? They rushed me straight into delivery.
There was only one nurse available, an older lady, and she was rattled. She couldn't find the saline the doctor requested. Flat of my back, I looked up and over my shoulder, saw it setting on a counter behind her, and told her where it was. The doctor smiled down at me and asked, "Hey, you want to get up and help me?"
The pain was enormous. I pled for medication. The doctor looked up at me and said, "It's at its worst, right now. The medicine wouldn't have time to act." It took a few seconds for his words to sink in--when they did, I remember saying, "Oh well, let's do this." I realized I could stand it because it would soon be over. Nine minutes after I arrived in that clinic, my oldest daughter was born. I was so "up" from the experience, they couldn't put me to sleep, even with two sedatives and a shot.
Why? The answer lies in the room they took me to when I arrived: delivery. Now get this: ADVERSITY--the discomfort during pregnancy, the wracking pains of labor--had given way to deliverance, which led to the glory of my daughter. ADVERSITY had birthed glory. ADVERSITY brought forth delivery which abounded unto the glory of my lovely daughter.
"Adversity" (tsor) is from the root word, tsuwr, which means "to cramp, assault, beset, besiege, distress". Come on now, listen to me carefully--we Christians are scared of adversity. Oh yes we are! And many go the way of "SPIRITUAL ABORTION"--we give up the glory rather than go through adversity. We never see the magnificence of God, God in His Victorious Glory, triumphing in our lives, because we are unwilling to endure adversity! We aren't willing to "come out from amongst them and be a peculiar people" because it might bring on adversity!
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from ALL iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. Titus 2:11-15.It is by us holding on to God's unchanging hand that others can see what we [should] already know: God will see us through ANY adversity. I said, ANY adversity!
You know, we get more "up" on talking about how DOWN we are than we do about the marvelous, unfailing mercies of God towards us! Come on now--let's tell the truth here: we talk 99% defeat and 1% of a "maybe" victory: "Well, I guess He can, BUT..."
The fear of ADVERSITY caves us in. We shrink from our Christian duty--that of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ because we "just can't stand" the thoughts of adversity. We don't push through to the Throne Room of God. We don't rebuke the devil--we accept his folly, his lies, his defeat, his scare tactics, his accusations. Why? Because we REFUSE to make a full commitment to God with our lives. But let me tell you this, and you can mark it down: sooner or later, ADVERSITY is going to come along that we cannot avoid, no matter how many directions we try to dodge, and we are going to have to endure it. The "Christian experience" is not merely coasting, my friends. It is THROUGH adversity that we are either broken or made stronger through Christ. It is THROUGH adversity that we either cave in or learn more of Christ. It is THROUGH adversity that we turn away from God or draw closer to Him.
Jesus said, "I have told you all this so that you will have peace of heart and mind. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows; but cheer up, for I have overcome the world." (John 16:33, TLB) In other words, Jesus was saying, "The world did its worst to me, and I overcame it. Because I overcame it, you can, too. Through me, there is power for you to overcome." The Bible, from cover to cover, is full of the promises of God, available to each and every one of us who have a relationship with Him, if we would but meet the conditions of them! ADVERSITY will STILL come, but we can endure, and overcome it through Him!
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us HOLD FAST our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come BOLDLY unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16.
Let's talk ADVERSITY for a few moments: look at Noah. He was the laughingstock of all time to those around him. But he and those in the ark with him were the ONLY survivors BECAUSE he persevered through ADVERSITY, which brought promotion: God said to him, I, behold, I establish my covenant with you... Genesis 9:9.
And then we have Joseph. His own brothers sold him into slavery. He was made overseer of Potiphar's house, doing everything right, then had a lie told on him and he was thrown into prison. Joseph was faithful to God through all that adversity--and at the end of those "labor pains" of adversity, ...Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. Genesis 41:39,40. It was because of Joseph that his own people were saved from starvation.
There's Daniel: he was already ruler over the "whole province of Babylon" and "chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon"; he sat in the gate of the king. (Daniel 2:48,49). Then the king signed a proclamation that Daniel could not pray to his God any more. Enter ADVERSITY! Look what scripture tells us: Now when Daniel KNEW that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being OPEN in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees THREE times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did AFORETIME. Daniel 6:10. He was cast into the lions' den. Early the next morning, the king RUSHED to see if he was still alive: Then was the king exceeding glad for him...and no manner of hurt was found upon him, BECAUSE he believed in his God. Daniel 6:23. Adversity gave way to glory: So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Daniel 6:28.
And those three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: ALL they had to do was bow down and worship the king's golden image. Did they, knowing full well that a fiery furnace awaited them if they didn't? Nope. Bring on the heat of ADVERSITY! They said to the king, "We don't have to deliberate or even think about our answer. We know our God is able to deliver us from your fiery furnace, and even if He doesn't, we STILL won't serve your gods or worship the golden image you have made!" (Daniel 3:16-18)
They were cast into a furnace so hot it killed those who put them in there. But now look at this (and keep your seats, IF you can): the king was astonished when he looked into the fire: Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?...Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Daniel 3:24,25. Verse 27 tells us that when they were brought out, the fire had no power upon their bodies, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
Because they endured adversity, KNOWING in Whom they had believed, not only were THEY promoted, but the king promoted Jehovah God: Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because THERE IS NO OTHER GOD THAT CAN DELIVER AFTER THIS SORT. Then the king PROMOTED Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon. Daniel 3:29,30.
Glory to God, Hallelujah!
Paul and Silas, beaten with many stripes, were thrust into the INNER prison, in stocks. Now that's ADVERSITY, folks! They weren't moaning, "If we didn't have bad luck, we'd have no luck at all. Woe is me! Misery and agony..." The Bible says that at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and SANG PRAISES unto God... (Acts 16:25). In the middle of, now that's DURING ADVERSITY! Adversity HAD to surrender to deliverance: And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. Acts 16:26. And deliverance abounded unto glory: the keeper of the prison awoke and saw the prison doors open. He drew his sword to kill himself, thinking the prisoners had escaped. Paul cried out, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. Acts 16:29-34.Remember, Jesus said, These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33. "Tribulation" (distress) is thlipsis, which means pressure, anguish, persecution, trouble: ADVERSITY. Do NOT fear adversity, my friends: ADVERSITY is the labor pains of God's glory in your life.
or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Nay, in ALL THESE THINGS we are MORE THAN conquerors through him
that loved us. For I AM PERSUADED,
that neither DEATH, nor LIFE, nor ANGELS, nor PRINCIPALITIES,
nor POWERS, nor THINGS PRESENT, nor THINGS TO COME,
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.
Romans 8:35, 37-39.
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