“For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.” 1 Thessalonians 3:4
When you look at the word “tribulations” the definition is pretty narrow and simple, it means – to afflict or to have troubles – however even with such a narrow meaning it has a wide affect, because it affects everyone both lost and saved. However, while it affects us all it is used in different ways on the saved and the lost, on the lost it is punishment, and on the saved it is used to build; (1.) faith and (2.) patience. “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;” Romans 5:3 We as believers must understand that this world is not our home and that we ought not get to comfortable in it. God wants us to understand that while His love is great and while we are His own children, troubles are going to be ours in this life. God wants out minds, hopes, and dreams to be on Him. God will therefore use tribulations in many ways and for many reasons, but He will always see us through them. As Christians we are never left alone to deal with any of life’s troubles. "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort...Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 2 Corinthians 1:3 – 4. There are so many Preachers that talk about what God wants you to have and at the same time never mention tribulations. If God gave us all that we wanted here in this life then we would not need God. We all need to remember that God is a jealous God and He wants our full attention and not just for 3, 4 or less hours a week but rather everyday. If God finds it necessary He will send us trouble just to remind us that we need Him and we need Him in everything and in everyday. There will be times when God will send us tribulation to test our faith, not to Him because He knows our faith, but rather to us to show us that we have grown weaker in faith. Every believer needs a strong faith and strong faith only comes when we are walking in the strength of the Lord. This is accomplished by (1) attending church, and (2) by studying His word and much prayer. It is when these two elements lack in our life that our faith in the Lord lacks and we loose patience’s. Folks, God has promised us all tribulations whether we are the ultimate sound, church attending Christian or the weakest Christian because God has promised them to us all. However, the sort of tribulations we get will depend on why God sends them. This is what we also know, is that God loves us who are His own and He never leaves us to deal with these tribulations alone, He is always loving us and helping us. Romans 8:35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” nothing shall ever separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, not even tribulations. Therefore when troubles come just seek the Lord, seek the Lord before you do anyone or anything else. God will always be our refuge and strength in our times of troubles. Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;” Therefore it is not “if” they come but rather “when” they come, therefore we as Christians always need to be prepared for them when they come, and that preparedness is being in and close to the Lord. Deuteronomy 4:30 - 31 "When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (31.) (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them." I kinow this promise is to the Israelites but it is also to us as Christians.
