Day 2: Doing Right Doesn't Mean Life Gets Easy
John 16:33 (NIV)
""In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.""
Main Idea
Here's a lie a lot of people believe without realizing it: if I just do the right things — go to church, be a good person, make good choices — then life will go smoothly. Problems are a sign something's wrong.
Elisha was doing everything right. He was serving God, using his gifts, helping people. And one day he woke up to an army outside his door. He wasn't being punished. He wasn't out of God's will. He was literally in the middle of doing exactly what God had called him to do — and things got hard anyway.
Jesus didn't sugarcoat this. He said directly: in this world, you will have trouble. Not might. Not possibly. Will. It's baked into life on this side of heaven.
This matters because a lot of people — maybe you — have decided that their problems mean God is mad at them, or they messed up too badly, or God has checked out. That's not what's going on.
Hard seasons don't mean you're off track. Sometimes they mean you're exactly where God wants you — and the enemy isn't happy about it.
What Else the Bible Says About This
— Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds
— Suffering produces perseverance, which produces character
— Don't be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you
Let's Apply This...
Have you ever been in a season where you thought, "I must be doing something wrong because nothing is going right"? Spend two minutes today being honest with God about that. Tell him where you are. Then read slowly — not as a cliche, but as a real promise. Ask him to help you trust that verse even when you can't see how it could possibly be true.
God's Message to You
I know you've been wondering if I'm disappointed in you. I'm not. The hard season you're in isn't a punishment — it's not a sign you've failed or wandered too far.
Following me doesn't come with a promise of an easy life. It comes with a promise of my presence in the hard life. There's a difference — and it's a big one.
I'm not surprised by what you're going through. I'm in it with you. Keep going.
(Based on ; ; )
Prayer
God, I've believed the lie that if I'm doing things right, life should be easy. And when it got hard, I started wondering if you were mad at me or if I'd blown it. Help me separate those two things. Help me understand that hard doesn't mean wrong. And remind me today that you're not surprised by what I'm going through — and you haven't left. Amen.
Reflection Questions
- Have you ever gone through a hard season and secretly wondered if God was punishing you or that you were out of his will? What made you feel that way?
- How does it change your perspective to know that even people who are fully in God's will still face opposition and difficulty?
- What's the difference between hardship as punishment and hardship as part of following God? How can you tell which one you're in?