I CORINTHIANS: 10:13; “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful;he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
This is a fantastic lesson for any pastor to teach the congregation during Lenten Season.
Many people, both Born again Christian, and Non Christian alike have a tendency during bad and or difficult times to blame God suggesting that God is testing them, or God is punishing them.
But the truth of the matter is it is not God who is responsible for the hardship, it is not God punishing, for God is a God of “Love”. God will never test us, but, as our Father, God will correct us and, in his correcting us, sometimes there must be harsh consequences, so that we as simple humans might learn from our mistakes.
As we approach any cross-road during our return trek back to heaven and God, if we but listen to God’s Holy Spirit, it will instruct us which path is the right one, just as satan will try to nudge us down his bath to destruction. If we choose to listen to the Holy Spirit we can avoid the hardships and sufferings, otherwise we will stumble and fall as we try to tackle satan’s path.
Satan on the other hand relishes in throwing stumbling block in our bath to righteousness. Satan takes great joy in causing hardships in our lives, just to see if we will turn to him, or stay loyal to God.
Yes just like JOB, God permits these tests in our lives, to test our faith.
Yes God could block and stop these tests in our lives, but then we would not learn and grow, and we as humans would have no way to prove satan wrong.
Personally, I, as child of God, as an evangelist for God, I look a a hardship as what it is, a training tool, for every hardship set out by satan is yet another way for almighty God “My Father” to teach me how to deal with satan and glorify God by listening to the Holy Spirit and following his guidance.
I see punishment or suffering as God correcting me for not listening to the Holy Spirit and following the path set by the Holy Spirit to guide me through the “Mine Field” layed by satan to try and make my life more difficult, more complicated, as satan tries to switch me over to him and his path to spiritual destruction.