When Life Gets Ugly

[Obadiah]

Life can be tough; sometimes it gets downright ugly. When it does, many of us aren’t sure what to think or how to respond. The last thing I want to do if I'm going through something Is to respond in anger. I think it's always better to try to stay positive rather than negative. I find great comfort in one of God’s great promises and His escape plan for life’s toughest valleys.

Life’s toughest trials are normal, natural, and sometimes necessary. Perspective sees the big picture, remembers God’s blessings, and trusts even when confused. Here are some verses that I used to do that.

HOW LONG will You forget me, O Lord? Forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?
2 How long must I lay up cares within me and have sorrow in my heart day after day? How long shall my enemy exalt himself over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; lighten the eyes [of my faith to behold Your face in the pitchlike darkness], lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4 Lest my enemy say, I have prevailed over him, and those that trouble me rejoice when I am shaken.
5 But I have trusted, leaned on, and been confident in Your mercy and loving-kindness; my heart shall rejoice and be in high spirits in Your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Psalm 13:1–6

TRULY GOD is [only] good to Israel, even to those who are upright and pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well-nigh slipped.
3 For I was envious of the foolish and arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For they suffer no violent pangs in their death, but their strength is firm.
5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they smitten and plagued like other men.
6 Therefore pride is about their necks like a chain; violence covers them like a garment [like a long, luxurious robe].
7 Their eyes stand out with fatness, they have more than heart could wish; and the imaginations of their minds overflow [with follies].
8 They scoff, and wickedly utter oppression; they speak loftily [from on high, maliciously and blasphemously].
9 They set their mouths against and speak down from heaven, and their tongues swagger through the earth [invading even heaven with blasphemy and smearing earth with slanders]. [Rev. 13:6.]
10 Therefore His people return here, and waters of a full cup [offered by the wicked] are [blindly] drained by them.
11 And they say, How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?
12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who always prosper and are at ease in the world; they increase in riches.
13 Surely then in vain have I cleansed my heart and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long have I been smitten and plagued, and chastened every morning.
15 Had I spoken thus [and given expression to my feelings], I would have been untrue and have dealt treacherously against the generation of Your children.
16 But when I considered how to understand this, it was too great an effort for me and too painful
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood [for I considered] their end.
18 [After all] You do set the [wicked] in slippery places; You cast them down to ruin and destruction.
19 How they become a desolation in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors!
20 As a dream [which seems real] until one awakens, so, O Lord, when You arouse Yourself [to take note of the wicked], You will despise their outward show.
21 For my heart was grieved, embittered, and in a state of ferment, and I was pricked in my heart [as with the sharp fang of an adder].
22 So foolish, stupid, and brutish was I, and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You; You do hold my right hand.
24 You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to honor and glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And I have no delight or desire on earth besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Rock and firm Strength of my heart and my Portion forever.
27 For behold, those who are far from You shall perish; You will destroy all who are false to You and like [spiritual] harlots depart from You.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God and made Him my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.
Psalm 73:1–28

Establishing and strengthening the souls and the hearts of the disciples, urging and warning and encouraging them to stand firm in the faith, and [telling them] that it is through many hardships and tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God
Acts 14:22

[You should] be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations,
7 So that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire. [This proving of your faith is intended] to redound to [your] praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is revealed.
1 Peter 1:6–7


Integrity does the right thing even when it doesn’t seem to work:

In the days of His flesh [Jesus] offered up definite, special petitions [for that which He not only wanted but needed] and supplications with strong crying and tears to Him Who was [always] able to save Him [out] from death, and He was heard because of His reverence toward God [His godly fear, His piety, in that He shrank from the horrors of separation from the bright presence of the Father].
8 Although He was a Son, He learned [active, special] obedience through what He suffered.
Hebrews 5:7–8

For even to this were you called [it is inseparable from your vocation]. For Christ also suffered for you, leaving you [His personal] example, so that you should follow in His footsteps.
22 He was guilty of no sin, neither was deceit (guile) ever found on His lips. [Isa. 53:9.]
23 When He was reviled and insulted, He did not revile or offer insult in return; [when] He was abused and suffered, He made no threats [of vengeance]; but he trusted [Himself and everything] to Him Who judges fairly.
1 Peter 2:21–23.


We must stay focused and hold on to the promise that God always works everything out for the good:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy (pity and mercy) and the God [Who is the Source] of every comfort (consolation and encouragement),
4 Who comforts (consoles and encourages) us in every trouble (calamity and affliction), so that we may also be able to comfort (console and encourage) those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with the comfort (consolation and encouragement) with which we ourselves are comforted (consoled and encouraged) by God.
5 For just as Christ’s [own] sufferings fall to our lot [as they overflow upon His disciples, and we share and experience them] abundantly, so through Christ comfort (consolation and encouragement) is also [shared and experienced] abundantly by us.
2 Corinthians 1:3–5

We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.
Romans 8:28

For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness—in conformity to God’s will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God].
Hebrews 12:11

So when life gets ugly, hold fast to scriptural perspective, integrity, and focus. They are all found in the word of God.

 

[Behold]

Life is a test and no one gets out alive. Hebrews 9:27
Life is not going to be fair, and its not going to be easy.
As you age, Life does not get easier, however your ability to deal with it should become more mature.

The Christian learns to accept all this, and in all this has one true advantage that the unbeliever will never have.

= The Born again have HOPE, .. Hope that is our Faith that knows "the Battle is the Lord's" and we are "One with God".

We have the Hope that is to know that we can "come boldly to the Throne of Grace, in time of need" and get spiritual sustenance and emotional recovery and life restoration.

The unbeliever has none of this to hold unto.

 

[Obadiah]

Life is a test and no one gets out alive. Hebrews 9:27
Life is not going to be fair, and its not going to be easy.
As you age, Life does not get easier, however your ability to deal with it should become more mature.

The Christian learns to accept all this, and in all this has one true advantage that the unbeliever will never have.

= The Born again have HOPE, .. Hope that is our Faith that knows "the Battle is the Lord's" and we are "One with God".

We have the Hope that is to know that we can "come boldly to the Throne of Grace, in time of need" and get spiritual sustenance and emotional recovery and life restoration.

The unbeliever has none of this to hold unto.

I've always liked this one, John 16:33

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Christ's words, recorded here, are among the most cherished in the gospel of John.

This passage summarizes the general message of that discourse: that hardship and persecution will come, but believers should remain faithful, knowing this is all part of God's knowledge and His will. Rather than reacting in panic or doubt, followers of Christ should feel a sense of peace.

The joy held by born-again believers comes from knowing that Christ has already obtained ultimate victory, and nothing in this world can undo that.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38–39

 

[Behold]

I've always liked this one, John 16:33

is all part of God's knowledge and His will.

Your verse does not say anything about Tribulation, regarding the Born again, as being "God's will".

So, if possible, try not to CALVINIZE the NT with your TULIP mindset. @Obadiah

-Thx


and always remember..

GOD makes : Christians

CALVIN : Makes CALVINISTS and TULIP makes "HYPER Calvinists".

 

[Obadiah]

Your verse does not say anything about Tribulation, regarding the Born again, as being "God's will".

So, if possible, try not to CALVINIZE the NT with your TULIP mindset. @Obadiah

-Thx and always remember..

GOD makes : Christians

CALVIN : Makes CALVINISTS and TULIP makes "HYPER Calvinists".

I'm definitely not a Calvinist. But your comment above in red sounds like predestination. So if possible try not to let your hidden tulip mindset slip through your comments.

The tongue is the most powerful part of the human body. It's also the most dangerous weapon. A sword can cut the body but a tongue can wound the soul. The tongue has power to incite hatred and start wars more than any other weapon on the planet.

That's why it is said:
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Proverbs 18:21)

https://berean-apologetics.community.forum/threads/the-power-of-the-tongue-a-messianic-perspective.1738/

 

[Behold]

I'm definitely not a Calvinist. But your comment above in red sounds like predestination.

Your previously posted verse says nothing about "trib" being "God's Will".

Yet you posted that the verse is speaking about, teaching, that Trib is "God's will".

So be honest, vs, trying to dodge what you did, in your next post. @Obadiah

 

[Rockson]

Life can be tough; sometimes it gets downright ugly. When it does, many of us aren’t sure what to think or how to respond. The last thing I want to do if I'm through something Is to respond in anger.

That for sure is what we need to be careful not to do. The Bible says that we are to be quick to hear, slow, to speak and slow to wrath and that the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Jm 1: 19 Some dear hearts have this in reverse....they are slow to hear, quick to speak and quick to wrath. All of us can potentially fall into this myself included but our longing and striving should always be towards having these things in the right order. Quick to hear.....slow to speak....and slow to wrath. Not always easy to do but we should make it our quest in life.

HOW LONG will You forget me, O Lord? Forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?
2 How long must I lay up cares within me and have sorrow in my heart day after day? How long shall my enemy exalt himself over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; lighten the eyes [of my faith to behold Your face in the pitchlike darkness], lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4 Lest my enemy say, I have prevailed over him, and those that trouble me rejoice when I am shaken.
5 But I have trusted, leaned on, and been confident in Your mercy and loving-kindness; my heart shall rejoice and be in high spirits in Your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Psalm 13:1–6

I like that. A good encouraging Psalm. I like how he ends up telling and informing his spirit and mind the way it is going to be. His heart shall rejoice and be in high spirits in God's salvation. It has a feel like by rejoicing and staying in the joy of the Lord which is our strength Neh 8"10 we will experience the blessings of being raised up with Christ in heavenly places. Eph 1:3

 

[Obadiah]

Your previously posted verse says nothing about "trib" being "God's Will".

Yet you posted that the verse is speaking about, teaching, that Trib is "God's will".

So be honest, vs, trying to dodge what you did, in your next post. @Obadiah

Honestly you are missing the whole Point of the post. I made no mention Of tribulation being God's will. But why do you think you took the Israelites 40 years to make an 11-day journey to the promised land? You think god might have had a hand in that?

The first mention of the Tribulation in the Bible is found in Deuteronomy 4:27-30. Before the Children of Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses warned them that if they were unfaithful to God, they would be scattered among the nations. He then prophesied that “in the latter days” they would come under “distress,” and the result would be their “return to the Lord.”

Centuries later, Jeremiah used the same terminology when he referred to the Tribulation. He called it “the time of Jacob’s distress” (Jeremiah 30:7). In like manner, Daniel called it “the time of distress,” and he prophesied it would be the worst period of trouble in the history of the Jewish people (Daniel 12:1). Malachi stated it would be a time of refining for the Jews, as when silver is purified by fire (Malachi 3:1-4). And Zechariah used the same imagery when he prophesied that two-thirds of the Jewish people will perish during this time. Of the remnant remaining, he wrote, “I [the Lord] will bring the third part through the fire [and] refine them as silver is refined…” (Zechariah 13:8-9).

And let's not forget the Jewish Diaspora, 70 years after the Jews executed Jesus illegally. You think god may have had something to do with that tribulation? Or do you think that was a random coincidence?

The Jewish state comes to an end in 70 AD, when the Romans begin to actively drive Jews from the home they had lived in for over a millennium. But the Jewish Diaspora ("diaspora" ="dispersion, scattering") had begun long before the Romans had even dreamed of Judaea. When the Assyrians conquered Israel in 722, the Hebrew inhabitants were scattered all over the Middle East; these early victims of the dispersion disappeared utterly from the pages of history.

However, when Nebuchadnezzar deported the Judaeans in 597 and 586 BC, he allowed them to remain in a unified community in Babylon. Another group of Judaeans fled to Egypt, where they settled in the Nile delta. So from 597 onwards, there were three distinct groups of Hebrews: a group in Babylon and other parts of the Middle East, a group in Judaea, and another group in Egypt. Thus, 597 is considered the beginning date of the Jewish Diaspora.

While Cyrus the Persian allowed the Judaeans to return to their homeland in 538 BC, most chose to remain in Babylon. A large number of Jews in Egypt became mercenaries in Upper Egypt on an island called the Elephantine. All of these Jews retained their religion, identity, and social customs; both under the Persians and the Greeks, they were allowed to run their lives under their own laws. Some converted to other religions; still others combined the Yahweh cult with local cults; but the majority clung to the Hebraic religion and its new-found core document, the Torah.

In 63 BC, Judaea became a protectorate of Rome. Coming under the administration of a governor, Judaea was allowed a king; the governor's business was to regulate trade and maximize tax revenue. While the Jews despised the Greeks, the Romans were a nightmare. Governorships were bought at high prices; the governors would attempt to squeeze as much revenue as possible from their regions and pocket as much as they could.

Even with a Jewish king, the Judaeans revolted in 70 AD, a desperate revolt that ended tragically. In 73 AD, the last of the revolutionaries were holed up in a mountain fort called Masada; the Romans had besieged the fort for two years, and the 1,000 men, women, and children inside were beginning to starve. In desperation, the Jewish revolutionaries killed themselves rather than surrender to the Romans. The Romans then destroyed Jerusalem, annexed Judaea as a Roman province, and systematically drove the Jews from Palestine. After 73 AD, Hebrew history would only be the history of the Diaspora as the Jews and their world view spread over Africa, Asia, and Europe.

From The Jewish virtual library

3 million of them ended up in Hitler's ovens.​

My point is as Believers in Jesus Christ we are Overcomers.

John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”