No One Knows the Trouble You’ve Brought Conclusion

3. God’s ways are not our ways.

Paul learned that when he preached the gospel that those who heard the gospel and responded to it often found themselves facing trials. He wrote to Timothy, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 2 Timothy 3:12

There is a wonderful illustration of this principle in the life of the disciples. The disciples had been with Jesus when He had fed the five thousand but at the end of the day He sent them away in the boat while He went up into the mountain to pray for them. While He prayed for them a great storm came and the disciples were afraid for their lives. Here they were in the center of God’s will and Jesus Himself was praying for them but they were in the midst of a storm which threatened to destroy them. This does not seem right. However, there was another battle going on that the disciples did not think about. It was a battle for their minds. If they had stayed on the shore they may have been caught up in the spirit to make Jesus an earthly king. It was not Jesus’ time and it was important that the disciples were removed from the temptation. They did not know that spiritually they were safer in the boat in the middle of the storm than they would have been on dry ground with those that wanted to make Jesus an earthly king.

It is often the same with those that we pray for. If God was to give them comfort then they may have missed what God’s best for them would be. When we pray for God’s work in another’s life whether it be for healing or comfort or anything we need to be aware that God’s agenda for that person may not be what we think. God may bring hardship upon those that we pray for so that they will become more like Christ. The very thing that threatened the disciples’ lives brought Jesus to them. The waters threatened to drown them but Jesus came to them walking on the water. So it often is with those that we pray for. The sickness or the hardship may be what God uses to have them draw near to Him.

A young lady who was working in a bar became a Christian and came under conviction of the type of work she was doing. She asked Christian friends to pray for her and the answer came that she was to leave that place of work. She needed the money and had no other job to go to but in obedience she resigned her position. The year following was a difficult one for her. She had lost her source of income and was unable to obtain another job. Some people would think that it was lack of faith on her part but she showed great faith by putting her faith in God above her very life.

The widow needed to learn this lesson. When Elijah restored her son to her she responded with these words, ‘Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth."’ 1 Kings 17:24.