Don't be afraid of trouble

Saul was an untested man before he was made king by the people of Israel. He became king because he looked like one. In contrast, David was made king after he had been tested several times. He did not look like a king. He had not the 'presence' of a ruler. But he was a tried man, purified and molded through the furnace of affliction. When he had to challenge by a bear, he could easily have run home to his father, Jesse and say, 'Dad, I was almost killed today by a bear. This profession of shepherding is too dangerous. Try one of my older brothers. They are bigger than I am. May I be excused' He could have repeated the same mantra after a lion confronted him. He learnt not to quit in difficult times. He learnt not run away from problems, hoping they will disappear from inattention. We are to speak to mountains, not run scared of them. We are to command valleys, not weep in terror of them. We are to encourage ourselves with the testimonies from the past. Use previous victories to challenge the doubts of the present. The God who gave victory over the bear and the lion is the same yesterday, today and forever. He never changed. He never lost His power. David made some mistakes as a king but he accomplished much more than Saul because he had been tested before ascending the throne. Many of us want to be showcased by God as untested, pampered individuals but this often leads to fatal mistakes on exposure. David was unbeatable as a warrior because he had fought and won many small battles over several years before he became crowned. Rather than complain when things are not going the way we anticipated, be positive. Seek to be an overcomer. You don't become an overcomer with nothing to overcome. Even in your Garden of Eden, when everything is perfect and you are not in sin, you will be tested. As an unknown person doing menial jobs, you will be challenged. The only way to get to the mountain top is to climb it, not ignore or run from it. It is often lonely at the top because few get there. It takes boldness and an unshakable belief that the God we serve never fails. If He sent Jesus to die for you, He won't abandon you. He promises, "I will never leave you nor forsake you. So that we may boldly say, ‘The Lord is my Helper, I will not fear what man shall do unto me" Hebrews 13:5-6. It is when times are hard that we get to practice habits and attitudes that develop our character and make us look like our Heavenly Father. You cannot hope to defeat goliaths when you whine and complain about the lion and the bear; smaller obstacles allowed by God to train and prepare us. Tough times never last but the character development does. No tests, no testimonies. No trials, no triumphs. You are who you are today because of all the previous battles you have fought, won and lost. "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him......." Job 13:15. Our Lord passed the same process. The Captain of our salvation was made perfect through suffering. Hebrews 2:10. Apostle Paul faced hard times from enemies within and without. You may problems from both true and false brethren: "I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers" (2 Corinthians 11:26 NIV). Difficulties are often opportunities in disguise. Challenges may be potential sources of miracles. Trials and tests are the necessary ingredients of testimonies. Light comes after shadow. Weeping at night precedes morning joy. There is light at the end of the tunnel but you have to go through the dark hollow to enjoy the brightness. There is a reason stars don't shine during the day but at night. "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. (Isaiah 60:1, 2 NIV) Don't be afraid of the dark. You have victory over it because the Lord your God is with you. "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4 NIV) The song, "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine" was written by a blind lady called Fanny Cosby. Joseph Scriven lost his fiancée to accidental drowning the night before their wedding. Tragedy came the second time when he fell in love again and his bride to be died of tuberculosis before their wedding could take place. That is the background to the beautiful song, "What a friend we have in Jesus" Depth often comes from people who have been to the depths of despair and overcame. There is a song in our lives that can only be written in the crucible of trouble. The best counselors are not theorists but those who bear the scars from many battles and are still standing. Scars serve three purposes: scare away the enemy, provide experience to deal with new challenges and make us competent counselors to those who are going through their shadow of death. A Chicago lawyer, Horatio G. Spafford lost his only son to scarlet fever at age four. A year later, it was fire rather than fever that struck. Horatio had invested heavily in real estate on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 1871, every one of these holdings was wiped out by the great Chicago Fire. Aware of the toll that these disasters had taken on the family, Horatio decided to take his wife and four daughters on a holiday to England. And, not only did they need the rest -- DL Moody needed the help. He was traveling around Britain on one of his great evangelistic campaigns. Horatio and Anna planned to join Moody in late 1873. And so, the Spaffords traveled to New York in November, from where they were to catch the French steamer 'Ville de Havre' across the Atlantic. Yet just before they set sail, a last-minute business development forced Horatio to stay behind. Spafford persuaded his family to go as planned. Anna and her four daughters sailed East to Europe while Spafford returned West to Chicago. Just nine days later, Spafford received a telegram from his wife in Wales. It read: "Saved alone." On November 2nd 1873, the 'Ville de Havre' had collided with 'The Lochearn', an English vessel. It sank in only 12 minutes, claiming the lives of 226 people. Anna Spafford had stood bravely on the deck, with her daughters Annie, Maggie, Bessie and Tanetta clinging desperately to her. Her last memory had been of her baby being torn violently from her arms by the force of the waters. Anna was only saved from the fate of her daughters by a plank which floated beneath her unconscious body and propped her up. When the survivors of the wreck had been rescued, Mrs. Spafford's first reaction was one of complete despair. Then she heard a voice speak to her, "You were spared for a purpose." And she immediately recalled the words of a friend, "It's easy to be grateful and good when you have so much, but take care that you are not a fair-weather friend to God." Upon hearing the terrible news, Horatio Spafford boarded the next ship out of New York to join his bereaved wife. Bertha Spafford (the fifth daughter of Horatio and Anna born later) explained that during her father's voyage, the captain of the ship had called him to the bridge. "A careful reckoning has been made", he said, "and I believe we are now passing the place where the de Havre was wrecked. The water is three miles deep." Horatio then returned to his cabin and penned the lyrics of his great hymn. The words which Spafford wrote that day come from 2 Kings 4:26. They echo the response of the Shunammite woman to the sudden death of her only child. Though we are told "her soul is vexed within her", she still maintains that 'It is well" No matter what circumstances overtake us may we be able to say with Horatio Spafford... When peace like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul! It is well ... with my soul! It is well, it is well, with my soul.