This week we will be looking at the different ways that the Lord works in the life of his believers. God is at work in all that happens to believers, whether to warn them, to draw them to himself or to do them good. Keep reading for more encouragement and to learn more about the purpose that God has for all of the experiences in your life.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

God is working in the loves of believer’s today

It is important to be reminded with everything that is going on currently with the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting turmoil with our health care system and economy, that the Lord is still working in the lives of his believers.

When I say believer’s I am talking about more that people who happen to know the historical facts concering Jesus:

• Born of a Virgin
• Lived a sinless perfect life
• sacrificed that life on the cross
• rose again the third day

Those Facts are all true, but just knowing those facts, does not make you a believer, the Devil knows all of those facts (James 2:19). In order to be a believer in the Biblical since there are Four things that you must know.

Four Things that everyone needs to know

1. We are all sinners:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 3:23

2. Because of our sin, there is a debt that must be paid

For the wages of sin is death;

Romans 6:23a

the payment for our sin is death

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Romans 5:12

3. The good news is that our sin debt has already been paid in full by Jesus

but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23b

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

4. We must apply the payment to our own personal account

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:9-10

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Romans 10:13

If you have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour, then you are a believer, and as a believer, I want to remind you that the Lord is working through all of the experiences that you may be facing.

There is a purpose

There is a purpose for all of the experiences in your life. You will have trouble, but not to worry, we have a promise from God that there is a purpose

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

Remember Joseph? He was a good son, actually he was Jacob’s favorite son. His brother’s hated him and sold him into slavery, but the Lord continued to work in Josephs life through all of his trouble. A brief synopsis below:

• Good Son
• Hated by his brothers
• sold into slavery
• God promoted him to the position of authority in Potiphar’s household
• Falsely accused
• Tossed into the dungeon
• Promoted by the jailer
• Interprets dreams
• Forgotten in prison
• Promoted to second in command under only Pharoh himself
• saves his entire family from starving to death

But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Genesis 50:20

Joseph received numerous little blessings all of the way through his experiences. Those blessings didn’t erase the trouble and hardship that he had to experience, but it shows how the Lord works in the life a believer even though it is hard to recognize when you are going through the thick of those experiences.

Not a unique situation

Going through some suffering and trouble does not make you unique. Christians often feel like there is never going to be an end to the battles that we face and are tempted to throw in the towel like Elijah did in 1 Kings 19:1-19).

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

1 Peter 4:12-13

Leads you into despair

The Lord has a purpose for all of our experiences. Losing focus that God has a purpose will launch you into a cycle of depression and despair, and once you start that cycle, it is extremely hard to stop the cycle.

For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

2 Corinthians 1:8

Every believer is going to experience trouble. We are still in the body of sin, as a believer you should be growing spiritually mature, but you will still battle daily with sin. We won’t get complete victory over sin, this side of glory. Knowing this, we should repare for trouble. Just like Joseph councelled Pharoh to repare for the famine we should prepare for the trouble that is sure to arise.

Manage against what you know is going to happen

Trouble is coming, so prepare yourself ahead of time so that you will be ready for the trouble when it comes. This is the only way to get the victory over your trouble that the Apostle Paul was able to achieve

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

2 Corinthians 4:7-14

Notice that Paul was not able to side step or bypass the trouble, but he was able to put the trouble in the proper perspective. To put your trouble in the proper perspective, you must make decions ahead of time to seek to learn from the trouble. Be intentional looking for what good thing the Lord is doing in your life.

He promised that he was

Three purposes for your trouble

To warn and/or correct you

The first purpose that we will look at, is the the purpose of warning. Sometimes we just need an old fashioned warning from the Lord

Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

Psalms 119:67

The phrase “before I was afflicted” just goes to show us that when things are going great, we tend to drift away form the Lord and his word.

Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

Proverbs 24:32

Be open to instruction from the Lord. Specifically through his word

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

The entire purpose that we have the word of God is to get instruction on how to conduct our lives

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Psalms 119:9

If the Lord is trying to give you some sort of warning, take heed to that warning.

Maybe the Lord isn’t giving you a warning. It’s still a good place to start, Just to make sure.

To draw you closer to himself

You can never draw close enough to the Lord, there will always be another level to go (Philippians 3:10). Sometimes trouble will cause us to rely on hem even more:

Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;
Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;
Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;

Deuteronomy 8:14-16

At times, the Lord will allow these things in our lives, to remind us that we are relying upon him. We can’t rely on ourselves

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5

To do you some good

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

2 Corinthians 4:16-17

To prepare you for some good thing that he is going to do in your life. The experiences and trouble that you are going through, as awful, terrible and scary as they are, can’t be compared with how great it’s going to be in Glory

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Romans 8:18

Our experiences can also be for the good of other people as well

But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;
And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Philippians 1:12-14

The Gospel will be published

If we handle our experiences properly, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ will be published. If handled properly our experiences can be used by the Lord to benefit other people.

Our Experiences can be used as a witness and testimony to other people that may be going through the same or similar experiences.

Learn to be thankful

In all of these things, regardless whether the Lord is Warning, Drawing or Preparing you for some future good. We as Christians need to learn to be more thankful

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Philippians 4:6

Be thankful that the Lord is still working on you. The Lord loads us with blessings every single day

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.

Psalms 68:19

Christians tend to get busy with life, our experiences, trouble, persecutions or whatever else and we forget about the blessings the Lord gives us every day!

Our issue as Christians is that we take those blessings for granite. We don’t even recognize them as blessings anymore

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Psalms 103:2

As you are going through these experiences, don’t forget about all of the blessings in your life

What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?

Psalms 116:12

The only thing we can repay the Lord with for all of these blessings, is just simply our gratitude

He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

Psalms 103:10

No matter how bad things get, we still have escaped getting what we really deserve. And that is a blessing in deed.

Our hope at Irvington Bible Baptist Church is that this podcast provided some encouragement and has helped you to develop a closer relationship with the LORD Jesus Christ.