May 31, 2025

Did you know that when you are afflicted by trouble, it is for your benefit? It may seem hard to believe, but God allows us to go through difficult times to train us in righteousness. 

1. It helps us discover past sins and aligns us with His plan.
2. It opens our hearts to receive instructions.
3. It turns us away from our sins.

If the affliction works, we will live in obedience to Him and spend the rest of our day in prosperity! There is no other way to be approved but to submit our will to his design through Jesus. Read these verses:

If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge. Job 36:11-12

These verses talk about earthly prosperity. It doesn’t get any clearer than this! Remember, in the end, Job prospered beyond what he had once had before he was afflicted with trouble.

He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted. Job 36:7

It also says that the wicked and the hypocrites will die young. The Bible refutes the notion that only the good die young. That is a lie from the pits of hell, so don’t sing the lyrics to that old Billy Joel song. If you’ve ever sung that song, go to God in prayer and ask Him to remove that curse over your life. 

But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them. They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean. Job 36:13-14