While walking my four-footed friend, Buddi, I almost walked into a thread from which a one-inch green worm descended. It hung 10 feet from a hanging oak branch. The barely noticeable thread was used to safely lower the creature that distance.
As I watched the creature work, he struggled and wiggled. His efforts, however, seemingly did nothing to lower him to the five more feet to the ground. Finally, he was still, but to my surprise, more thread was quickly produced from his posterior, and he was lowered safely and speedily to the ground. After touching the ground, he wiggled away as if nothing had happened.
How similar is that creature’s 15-foot journey to what many experience. Life often throws serious obstacles in the way of many. They start out attempting to deal with the situation. There may be some progress, but shortly they quit.
As the little worm experienced, many attempts to remedy a bad situation do not seem to get anywhere. People struggle; they wrestle with the problem the best they can, but soon, they get tired and stop. Then, out of nowhere, it seems the problem is solved, and they glide gently through the situation they never thought they would conquer.
For a Christian, a daunting situation is often when God will allow a change in one’s life. Nothing that happens to us is a surprise to God. He always has a plan for us that we often do not recognize.
Some believe life’s catastrophes are a punishment allowed by God. For some, they may be. The unpleasant predicament may be a price-tag for doing wrong, disobedience, or even sin. Hopefully, the struggle will get the person’s attention, and they will change the direction they are going.
Years ago, my friend Kenny fell off a high ladder. As he lay there knowing parts of his body were broken, he immediately went to God in prayer and asked, “Is this accident for something I have done or haven’t done?” When no reminder of wrongdoing evaded his thought life, Kenny quickly assumed the fall would have another purpose in his life and prepared to endure what the Lord allowed.
For others, the challenge may be for another purpose. The reasons can be different for each person. No one should assume they know why a person has the trials they are experiencing. Only God knows the real reason!
“When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.” Job 22:29
Some may go through fires of tribulation to teach a lesson requiring trust or patience for future benefits. For others, the trial may move one in another direction, to keep them from further hurt from an unseen future calamity, the consequences of living in a sin-cursed world (sin often hurts more than the sinner), to use their character to show others how they should react in a similar situation, or many other reasons.
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:” I Peter 5:6
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you.” James 4:10
As the wiggling inchworm soon figured out, when attempts to fix a situation are seemingly for naught, relax and trust God to do what He will. Do not develop a blame-God-attitude, but trust, be patient, and have faith that His leadership in handling the bad situation will bring glory to God and be for your best.
“He who knows no hardships will know no hardihood. He who faces no calamity will need no courage. Mysterious though it is, the characteristics in human nature which we love best grow in a soil with a strong mixture of trouble.” — Harry Emerson Fosdick
