Commandments of Men: Commandments Keepers

Tribulations, Persecutions and Afflictions

(1 Thessalonians 3:3-4) "That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know."

Why do we, as Christians, suffer tribulations? (2 Corinthians 1:7) "And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation." (Romans 8:36) "As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."

Also, we are to suffer as Jesus suffered so that we may be able to comfort others in trouble. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."

How many times have you tried to console someone and their response to you was: "How do you know what I'm feeling or going through?" When we experience these troubles ourselves, we can sympathize with others. We can give them hope that what their experiencing will not last forever nor needs to be a sole burden for them. We are to help them by bearing their burdens. We can also show others how God turned our sufferings into blessings for others.

There was a man who blessed God by his blindness. (John 9:2-3) "And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind. Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." Like Job, this man was wrongfully accused. (Job 1:9) "Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for naught?" Satan accused Job of loving God because God blessed Job with many riches. So God told satan to take away all his riches and see if Job still trusted in the Lord. Then Jobs friends accused him, saying that all the evil of satans destruction, was the cause of Jobs' sins. The world wrongfully accuses those that are poor and sick as being caused by their own sins. As Christians, we should never make this mistake. Only God Almighty knows the heart of man. (Psalms 44:21) "Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart."

There are too many Christian making these judgments daily. We are all sinners and none of us have obtained the perfection which God has called us to. Who am I to say who God is calling to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God and who isn't? Who am I to say who shall receive a blessing from God and who shouldn't? That is why Jesus said, (Matthew 5:42) "Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away." (Matthew 25:35-36) "For I was hungry, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. " And also (Matthew 7:1) "Judge not, that ye be not judged."

Suffering also produces faith. When we are afflicted with sufferings of any kind, we are to rely on God's divine providence to help us. This produces patience, because we wait on the Lord for His mercies. (Psalms 37:7) "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him:" As we do this over and over again we come to know that the Lord will always help us. (Romans 5:3-4) "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:" Our Lord knows that these personal sufferings will produce in us the ability to stand firm in our beliefs and to build our trust in God. For the same reason a runner practices for a race, sufferings produce endurance.

So when you suffer, pray, asking God to help you through it and ask him to turn your suffering into a blessing. Don't let your pride stand in your way of receiving the help you asked God for. And if you know someone who is suffering, which we all do, help them, asking God for the means and the way.

(2 Corinthians 6:3-10) "Giving no offense in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."