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When I was a senior in High school, I enlisted into the Marine Corps. I had been told a lot of things about the Marines, but at the time I really didn’t know much. I had not talked to a recruiter. I had never spoken to anyone that was a Marine, so I kind of went in blindly.

I did, however, spend a lot of time with my friend, Mark Scott, as he spoke to the recruiter about the different options he had in the Marine Corps. Even though we didn’t join at the same time, we were in it together. We were going to go to bootcamp together and our Infantry training school together. Mark had a lot of questions for the recruiter, about things he would or would not be allowed to do.

Mark had some pretty long hair at the time and asked the recruiter if he wanted to keep it, when it got cut off. The recruiter told him that he could absolutely have his hair, all he had to do was ask and the barber would put it in a bag for him. Man was that a lie. Many things that the recruiter told us were lies. And by the time you figure it out, it is too late.

Recruiters will lie, employers will lie, but God does not lie…ever.

Luke 10:1-12

We read the bible, we talk to other Christians and we feel like we have a pretty good grip on what is means to be a Christian, what we can expect, but we really do not understand from time to time.

When things are going well, it is easy to have faith and be an encourager to others. We feel like if we are on the right track things will go smoothly, but that is a big fat lie of Satan. If you ain’t meeting Satan face to face from time to time, then you are probably headed in the same direction. You are going to face trials and suffering.

John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.”

Also, from Jesus John 16:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

There is a lot of bad understanding or misconceptions when it comes to trials and suffering. We usually are not prepared for the bad stuff that happens in our lives. Oh, sure we talk a good game when all is well, but put our tails over the fire and we lose it from time to time. Our faith takes a hit; our understanding takes a hit. We need to be ready for the attacks of Satan and knowledge is power.

Misconceptions about our trials and suffering.

• God is doing it to punish me.

Some of us think we deserve to suffer. Some of us like to make others suffer. I had a conversation with someone just the other day that felt like they were getting what they deserved. What we deserve is hell, but Jesus made a way out for us. God isn’t trying to punish us. Trials, pain, suffering all came in at the fall of man. When sin entered the world.

• I’m not following God’s will.

One of those lies of the devil is that you heard God wrong. You felt like you were supposed to do a certain thing and it failed. And maybe you heard God wrong?

Jesus sent out the 72 to go from town to town, to preach and heal and prepare the way for Jesus and Jesus said this, “When you enter a town and are not welcomed”. Wait?!? What?!? You are sending me and I might get rejected?

Look at Paul and him talking about his ministry in II Cor. 11, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. 24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

Do you think Paul wasn’t doing God’s will?

• I don’t have enough faith.

Maybe if I just had more faith then I wouldn’t be going through what I am going through. Hebrews 11:34-40

• I should be exempt.

This world is filled with pain and suffering and if we were to compare how really good, we have it to the rest of the world. Some that go without food for days, many struggle from day to day just to survive. As long as we are in this world, we will face hardships, trials, pain and suffering.

As Jesus calls us to follow Him, He lets us in on this insider information. “In this world you will have trials, but take heart I have overcome the world.”

Now that we know and understand that we will have trials, I want to encourage you this morning with a few thoughts.

1. Don’t take trials and suffering personally.

Matthew 5:45

I think back to a couple of years ago, when Cooper DeShields was taken from us, for what seems like no good reason at all. As most of you know, Cooper was riding his bike home from school when he rode out in front of Pastor John, who happened to be headed to school to watch his granddaughter play volleyball.

If there is anyone in the world with a kinder heart, more compassion for others, than Pastor John, I don’t know who it is. Brother Hendrix was like that too. Pastor John begged God to save Cooper.

To this day, when John closes his eyes, he can still see the moment of impact. He relives some of the pain that he felt that day. I remember getting a call from John’s phone and I thought it was him, but it was not. It was Lorena, his daughter. She told me that John had been in an accident and wanted me there.

I got there and John was so heartbroken. So overwhelmed with sorrow and grief, that he was shaking. We prayed together. We hugged. We cried. We talked. Nothing changed what had happened. Cooper was gone and it wasn’t because John had done anything wrong, even though he felt like there must have been something he could have done differently. Really, he couldn’t. And the sad part of life is death. It ain’t personal. It just happened.

When we go through hardships, we want to know why me. If this world is full of pain and suffering, then eventually it will be your turn and it is not personal, it’s life.

Here another one.

2. Change the way you think about trials and suffering.

In 1871, a man named Horatio Spafford lost a son to scarlet fever. He lost his wealth in the Great Chicago fire that same year. Spafford decided in 1873 to take his family on a trip to Europe. At the last moment he decided to stay behind and sell some property and he would meet up with is family later.

He sent his wife and 4 daughters out on the ship ahead of him and in the middle of the night, the ship his family was on, collided with another ship. His wife sent him a telegram that said, “Saved alone…what shall I do?” Spafford got on the next ship to Europe to be with his wife and when the ship he was on passed by the spot of the collision the captain pointed out the significance of their location. He went back to his cabin and started writing the song “It is Well with my Soul”.

Don’t focus on the suffering, focus on the success.

Don’t focus on the trial, focus on the triumph.

Let me give you one more….

3. Even though Jesus won’t exempt us from suffering, He will see us through it.

Heidi testimony.

I think of Brenda. She loves the Lord and the devil continues to attack her. She puts a smile on her face or a grimace, not exactly sure, but I am going with a smile. As she suffers, God has never left her side.

We will struggle, walking close to God won’t be easy and from time to time we will struggle, suffer, have sickness, but in the end we will reap a reward greater than we can imagine.

It Ain't No Walk in the Park