40 Days in the Wilderness

Many churches today preach a prosperity gospel: That if we just

have enough faith, or give enough, or even do enough good deeds,

then we won’t suffer. God will bless us with wealth and health. Of

course, faith, giving, and good deeds are all good things. But doing these things does not mean that life will be a smooth, easy ride. In fact, the Bible teaches us that God does

allow trials and that we will have trouble in this world. In Psalm

71:20 (NLT; emphasis added), David says, “You have allowed me to

suffer much hardship.” And in John 16:33 (NIV; emphasis added),

Jesus says, “In this world you will have trouble.” Let’s look at some

examples in the Bible of where God allowed trial and trouble to come

upon believers. God doesn’t allow trials for no reason, or because

He is harsh. His Word tells us that He is full of compassion. As we

will see, God had a reason for the suffering.

God allowed Joseph to be sold into slavery and then be put in

prison for a crime that he didn’t commit. This suffering led to Joseph

becoming a ruler of Egypt and saving the land and his family from

famine. David, who was a man after God’s own heart, suffered many

things. David spent much of his time fleeing and hiding from Saul,

who was trying to kill him. I believe there were many purposes for

this. David was a “type of Christ,” meaning that much of his life

pointed to Jesus. David was a shepherd boy and he was Israel’s great

king, just as Christ is our Great Shepherd and He is our everlasting

King. But David was rejected by Saul, just as Jesus was rejected by

the people. David suffered much, just as Jesus did. Another reason

why God may have allowed David’s trials is because during his time

of hiding, David was able to write many of the psalms that we read

today.

Then there’s Job, who was a righteous man, but God allowed

Satan to take his wealth, his family, and his health. Job’s three friends

tried to tell Job that God would never allow a righteous man to

suffer (just like many prosperity preachers do today). They told

Job that he must have done something wrong, and that God was

punishing him. God’s response was “I am angry with you (Eliphaz)

and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about

me” (Job 42:7 NIV). So, we should never assume that

our trials and suffering are a sign that God is punishing us. Job stayed

faithful to God through the suffering, and God blessed Job with a

double portion of what He originally had. I believe this happened

to teach believers many things, including the following: we are not

exempt from suffering, suffering is not a punishment or a lack of

righteousness, we should stay faithful to God in the trials, God will help us to endure, and God

blesses those who stay faithful to Him, whether it be in this lifetime,

or in eternity.

In the New Testament, I think about the blind man who Jesus

healed. He had been blind his entire life. God could have prevented

this or healed him right at birth. Why did God allow this? Jesus

said, “this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in

him” (John 9:3). We also see Jesus suffering. If anyone deserved not

to suffer, it was Jesus, yet He was known as “the Suffering Servant”

(Isaiah 53). Jesus suffered more than any of the other examples, but

His suffering led to salvation and everlasting life to anyone who

believes in Him.

Another example in the New Testament is Paul. We read about

Paul being tortured by the Jews, being in danger, going

without food and water, and more. Why did God allow this? It showed Paul’s perseverance

and reliance on God, which we talk about in later devotions. Paul

also said “that a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan

to harass me” (2 Corinthians 12:7 ESV). If we continue reading, we

find out why the thorn was given. Paul says it was “to keep me from

becoming conceited” (2 Corinthians 12:7 ESV).

God allowed Paul, along with all but one of the other apostles, to

be persecuted and even martyred for their faith. 2 Timothy 3:12 (NIV)

says, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be

persecuted.” Christians all around the world are being persecuted.

Christians in America have it easier than most other nations, but even

here in America, Christians are laughed at, mocked, and hated for

their faith. Some have even lost their businesses or been arrested for

standing up for what’s right. But just imagine their reward in heaven!

Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you

and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and

be glad, because great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:12 NIV).

John was the only apostle who was not martyred, but he still

suffered. He was exiled to the island of Patmos. And I believe the

reason for this was so that he could write the book of Revelation,

which tells us about the end times and eternity.

Knowing that God does allow trials can be a great comfort to believers, especially when we

live in a day where we are told by many that Christians shouldn’t

suffer. Knowing that God uses the suffering for good is an even greater comfort.

Stay faithful to God in your suffering. Remember that He is “the Father

of compassion” (2 Corinthians 1:3 NIV). Even though you may not

feel His compassion, He cares about you more than anyone. God did not promise us an easy life, but He did promise that “He causes everything to work together for the good of

those who love Him” (Romans 8:28 NLT).