Bible Study: I Love Trouble!

The Scriptures

Romans 5:3-5—And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience hope:  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Andrea’s Take:

Paul says, “we glory in tribulations.”

Wait a minute! That’s like saying “I love trouble.” That’s nuts! If I’m gonna be happy about trouble, I’ve gotta have a good reason.

Okay, here it is. Trouble helps you learn to be patient.

Well whoop-de-doo! If I didn’t have trouble, I wouldn’t need to be patient! I’m still not convinced. What else ya’ got?

Being patient gives you experience.

Lots of things give me experience. Experience ain’t all good.

This experience is a personal encounter with God. When you live through a trial and see God work it out for good.

Oh. Well, that don’t sound too bad. I’ll take it.

There’s more.

More?

Yes. These personal encounters with God give us hope.

Hope? Like, "I hope I win the lottery"?

No, not like that. This hope is more like knowing. Certainty.

How so?

Well, say you’re sick…

You’re sick.

Thank you, but I’m not finished.

Oh. Sorry.

That's quite all right. Now, say you’re sick, and you can’t seem to get better no matter what you do. Finally, you go to the doctor and say, “Doc, is there any hope?” The doctor says, “Yes, there is hope.” He pulls out a medicine you’ve never tried and says, “Take this medicine, and you will get better.” He doesn’t say this medicine should or might make you better. You will get better. There is hope, absolutely certain hope.  This is the kind of hope we learn when we experience God’s work in our times of trouble.

So God is like the only medicine that’ll take care of the trouble when nothing else works. Is that it?

That’s it. The more we wait on God, the more our experience tells us to trust him. When we know nothing else is going to work, we place our hope in him first.

Like going to the doctor when you first get sick instead of waiting until you've tried everything else.

Very good!

I still don’t love trouble.

You don’t have to love the trouble as much as you love what it brings in the end.

In the end, I trust God more. Right?

Right.

So trouble is worth the trouble?

I think you’re finally getting it.

~ ~ ~

Now for something a little more dignified.

Hebrews 11:1-- Now faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen.

I had so much fun in the first part of this post illustrating a process, the process by which our hope in Christ is made solid. Our faith becomes substance, as real as something we actually hold in our hands. When we wait on God and see his provision again and again, we begin to hope for it.  Soon, hope becomes certain knowledge that God will provide.

To me, this certainty, this unwavering faith, is only a step shy of actual sight. There is no doubt. When we continually experience God's provision, we don't have to see him moving to know he's there. We know he's there better than we would if we could see him.

I confess, I'm not there yet. But someday, Lord willing, I will be.

Have a blessed day!