Image by izhar ahamed from Pixabay
In John 16:33, Jesus told His disciples, “In this world, you will have troubles.” He warned of difficulties from the world while reassuring them He had overcome the world. Though He spoke specifically to them, His message was for us all: you will have problems in this world.
As believers, we walk by faith, accepting God’s direction (Prov. 3:6). Now, if we’re willing to accept God’s hand in solving problems, can we also accept Him allowing us to face some problems for a higher purpose than we see (James 1:2-4)? Consider these 2 examples:
When the early church began to multiply, Jerusalem exploded with men and women coming to Jesus. Yet, in the best of times, God allowed persecution to come. What appeared as a problem scattered disciples to the corners of the world with the saving message of Jesus.
Paul and Barnabas made an effective missionary team, yet God allowed a disagreement to arise between them and they parted company. By doing so, their efforts doubled. What looked like a huge problem put more people to work, strengthened more churches, and brought more souls to Jesus.
Not all we see as problems are the result of poor choices, evil intent or environment. When problems come, we may not know why. Following James’ advice to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger can avoid conclusions like, “God must be punishing me (you)” or “I (you) must have done something awful” or “Just accept it, things will never change.”
Some explanations for problems are easy.
- Why did I run out of gas in busy traffic? (Seriously?)
- Why did I get a speeding ticket in a school zone? (Refer to the previous problem)
- Why did I lose my house payment money at the casino? (Ok, that’s enough)
Some explanations for problems are not of our doing.
- Another driver ran a stop sign and hit me.
- A storm blew a tree over on my house.
- Thieves broke into my house and stole items.
Some explanations are not easy nor the fault of others and above our pay grade.
- Why did a tsunami hit a seaside community?
- Why did an earthquake or a hurricane come?
- Why do some people live so long and others die so young?
Not all problems are the same. Not all explanations are the same. But there are explanations.
- Keep gas in your vehicle.
- Don’t speed in school zones.
- Don’t gamble with money you need.
- Don’t trust turn signals or other drivers and carry insurance.
- For the truly difficult problems, trust God and wait on Him.
Waiting on the Lord requires patience, trust, and reliance. God is active, not passive. While His timing and plans are perfect, they may not fit our timing and plans. So we wait on Him.
Isa. 40:31 “Those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.”
Reliving bad times in our past is usually not good with 1 exception – look back at a problem that appeared too big to overcome and see how God worked it out for your good. If He did it then, He can do it now. He never stops working. And remember, you are greatly loved!
–Jackie Chesnutt, Chaplain and Emotional Support Coach for Myers-Davis (8/31/2026)
