Standing Strong in the Face of Adversity

Standing Strong in the Face of Adversity

from Texe Marrs dot com

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”

—Proverbs 3:5-7

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

—Romans 8:31-32

Everyone will suffer through tough times at one point in their lives. No one is immune to adversity. Jesus, in Matthew 5:46, said: “For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

It is not a matter of “if” but of “when.” Certainly, for some the “when” is self-inflicted. An oft-repeated definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

Always a good example of their faith, Texe and Wanda Marrs’ faith never waivered in good times or in trials. Wanda continues in His service with grace and love.
Bad things will happen to good people. Wanda, our Pastor Emeritus Texe Marrs’ lovely wife, beat cancer multiple times. Thanks to much prayer and God’s healing hand she is still doing her part to share the love of Jesus to people.

There are people in your life, whether they be friends or family, who are good people who have overcome obstacles and heartache. Adversity targets all people indiscriminately.

This can be a perfect opportunity to witness the grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We have all heard tales of hardened criminals who have been incarcerated and come to know and love Jesus.

As a child, whenever our family faced hardships that seemed to be insurmountable, my mother always said to me, “God never gives us more than we can handle.” I know there were many times when these hardships were snowballing out of control.

These struggles prompt us to turn to Him. We must pray and ask for His guidance and wisdom and trust Him to help us. In James 1:2-5:

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

Persevering through hard times reinforces proof that we are His children. The Apostle Paul was keenly aware of adversity. In Hebrews 12:6-11:

“For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

His love for us should go unchallenged. Unfortunately for many so-called Christians, they have been captured by this world. A weak and anemic pastorate has convinced many that living a biblical life is not important. Instead of speaking out against the wretchedness of sin, these wolves in sheep’s clothing have catchy titles and feel good sermons that fail to address threats to our salvation.

No longer do the multitude follow after the Bereans in studying and verifying the validity of what is being said. We read in Acts 17:11-12: “They received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed...”

We know that there is a spiritual battle between God and Satan. This warfare afflicts everyone and exposes the weakness of the flesh. For too long people have embraced worldly entertainment and failed to invest in their spiritual life.

The lure of worldly goods has increased exponentially over the years. Society is in a rush to make a dollar so as to have the latest and greatest gadgets on the market. As individual debt increases, the temptation to rob, cheat, or steal to get ahead in the game of life expands.

Moreover, corporatocracy is gaining a stronger financial foothold as it enriches the elite and destroys the middle class. The redistribution of wealth from these classes exploded during the pLandemic, creating an even bigger divide between the haves and the have-nots.

Paul, in his letter to Timothy states:

“But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:9-10).

The current economic situation in America is a hardship for many. The cost of food, utilities, housing, and gas is decimating the budgets of many families. Without a strong biblical foundation, these families are the perfect victims for the elite.

At this summer’s World Economic Forum meeting in Dalian, China, Klaus Schwab intimated what the elites have planned for everyone: “To drive future economic growth, we must embrace innovation and force the collaboration across sectors, regions, nations, and cultures to create a more peaceful, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient future.”

Satan knows that his time is drawing to a close. How else to explain the events of this century? A “terrorist attack” on the World Trade Towers which scared millions into trading freedom for security; technology becoming an integral part of human life; media becoming more pornographic and vulgar by the day; a so-called pandemic where governmental leaders usurped human rights...and the list goes on.

Likewise, this globalist organization boasts among its membership politicians, captains of industry, so-called Christian leaders, and news outlets who are all more than eager to do the bidding of these perpetrators of evil. Alas, these misguided souls have forgotten who is ultimately in control.

In Revelation 17:14 we read: “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”

Adversity will strengthen our faith and allow us to comfort others as they struggle. We need to trust our Lord that He will work in our lives and help us through situations that bring us tribulation. In Habakkuk 3:17-19 we read:

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.”