God promised to deliver all who have taken refuge in Him. He promised to help us in our troubles, to keep us from many bad things that may happen to us. Does this mean we won't be facing difficult problems anymore?
God's promises
God gave us various promises, all of them speaking protection, deliverance, help, and freedom. Consider one of the most powerful promises He has made us in Psalm 91:1-13:
"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot." (Psalm 91:1-13)
When we read such a passage, we will feel confident that no harm will befall us, no evil will win over us, and no wickedness will harm us. And rightly so, because God promised it.
Many of us, however, make the wrong assumption that because of such promises from God, we won't face any difficulty in this life anymore. We convince ourselves that because we are God's beloved children, we are exempt from any and all sorts of troubles, hardships, and challenges.
That is so wrong.
Seeing from the right perspective
Friends, troubles and hardships will inevitably come. While the enemy intends to steal, kill and destroy us with them, God intends to make us more like Christ through them - if we love Him. Consider what Romans 8:28-29 tells us,
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."
As God's children who love Him, then, our perspective should be the opposite. We should not think that we are spared from troubles because we are God's children; we ought to think that all problems are useful in making us more like Christ Jesus our Lord with each and every day.
In closing
And so, dear friends, I would like to encourage you. Every problem, hardship, trial, and trouble that we face as we follow the Lord is not meant to destroy us. Neither do they mean that God hates us, is punishing us, or wants us dead. All of them are meant for us to see God's goodness and love, in that He will deliver us, help us, and make us more Christ-like through them.
