Wednesday 5 November 2014

Why Is Life So Hard?

Find your hope for today. Love, learn, and live the Word
with Rick Warren.
Nov 4, 2014


Why Is Life So Hard?
by Rick Warren
“All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.” (Isaiah 53:6 NLT)

Everything seems to be a battle. Nothing is easy. The fact is, life is difficult.
So, why is life so hard in this world?

The Bible says rebellion against God broke everything.

It all started back with the first couple, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden. When God created the world, everything was perfect. It was paradise. And Adam and Eve had no problems, suffering, sadness, temptations, or troubles.
But one day Adam and Eve decided that they wanted to do what they wanted to do. God told them, “You can do anything you want to in this paradise except one thing.” And what did Adam and Eve do? The one thing God told them not to do.
Why did he even give them a choice? Because without a choice, they couldn’t choose to love God. If you’re forced to love God, then it’s not real love.
Romans 5:12 says, “Sin came into the world through one man, and his sin brought death with it” (GNT). Before sin, there was no death in the world. There was no sadness in the world. There was no sorrow. There was no difficulty in the world. People would not die. Adam and Eve could have lived forever as long as it was a perfect environment. It was only when everything got broken that sin brought death into the world.
Adam and Eve weren’t the only ones who made that choice. I’ve made it, you’ve made it, and everybody else in the world has made it. We have all said, “I don’t want to do the right thing; I want to do the easy thing.” We’ve all said, “I don’t want to say the truth; I want to say what’s convenient.” We’ve all said, “I don’t want to be what God wants me to be; I want to be what I want to be.” We’ve all done this.
The Bible says in Isaiah 53:6, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own” (NLT).
We have all broken God’s laws. We have all rebelled by sins, transgressions, and iniquities. And that’s why nothing works correctly — your marriage, your health, your finances, your body, your relationships. Nothing works correctly, because sin broke everything.
When you understand why life in the world is so hard, you’re no longer going to be surprised by it. You’re not going to be surprised when things don’t go your way. You’re not going to be surprised when plans don’t pan out. You’re not going to be surprised when things actually go bad. And you will be able to handle the hard times of life much more easily.
So why is life so hard? Why do we suffer? Why is everything a battle? The answer is that rebellion against God broke everything.

Talk About It
  • Why do you think this answer to the cause of the world’s problems is not enough for non-believers and even some believers?
  • Think of a time when you followed your own way instead of God’s. What was the result?
Now I Can See
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:
" 'I don't know whether he is a sinner,' the man replied. 'But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!' "
(John 9:25, NLT)
TODAY'S WORD:
One time, Jesus healed a blind man, and the religious crowd got upset. They started arguing over why he was healed, how he was healed, and who was to blame for him being blind in the first place! They were hounding the man with questions. Finally, the man said, “Listen, guys. You all are confusing me. I can’t answer all of your questions. All I can tell you is this: I was blind, but now I can see.” He was saying, in effect, the proof of the pudding is in the eating! He was saying, “You can argue all day long, but I know the reason I can see is because of God’s healing in my life.” 

There are people today who don’t think you are supposed to be blessed. They don’t think that God wants people to prosper and live in victory. But it’s too late because we’ve already experienced His blessing. He’s already opened up supernatural doors! We’ve seen His favor! Don’t let the naysayers talk you out of your blessing. Don’t let them convince you that God’s Word isn’t true. He’s already done so much in your past, and He’ll do more in your future. Keep standing, keep believing and keep hoping. Soon you’ll see His blessing in every area of your life!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Father in heaven, thank You for opening the eyes of my heart so that I can, first of all, see You and then see every good thing You have in store for me. I look to You with an attitude of faith and expectancy and believe that You are at work in me in Jesus’ name! Amen.

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