WHY DOES ONE PROBLEM SEEM TO BE FOLLOWED BY MORE PROBLEMS?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls
around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know
that the family of believers throughout the world is
undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
(1 Peter 5:8-9)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever had a problem and it seemed like people or
circumstances were “piling on” to add to your misery? It
can happen when we are out of fellowship with the Lord,
or it can happen when we feel close to Him and/or are doing
something to contribute to His earthly ministry.

I’ll give you an example. I recently broke my clavicle while
playing football in the house with my grandson. The following
Sunday I struggled to get showered and dressed (including
wearing a sling immobilizer) so I could lead the discussion in
the Bible Study class at church.

When I arrived at church, I was feeling okay except for the
acute pain in my shoulder. I was thinking, “I’ve got this…rather
than thinking, God has got this and I’ll be able to survive the hour”.
Then, just as I got up to lead the discussion, I started feeling
very bad physically.

A few minutes into the discussion, my nose started running and
I had to get a napkin and keep wiping my nose for the rest of
the hour. Then, my left ear stopped up so much that I could
barely hear. However, just as I expected (before all of “this”),
God helped me to persevere and I headed for the worship
service feeling victorious in the Lord!

But when I arrived at the sanctuary, the pain increased and I
started feeling nauseous and lightheaded. However, my wife
and I stayed for the entire worship service: another “God victory”.
On the way home, I couldn’t stop thinking about how God had
won – twice!

Why was I having that thought? Because it was obvious to me
that Satan was “piling on” as much as possible that morning.
Why? Because whatever God likes, Satan hates and will strive
to destroy.

Satan would love it if he could have caused me to create a pity
party for myself and had thoughts like,
    “God, I was trying to serve You and You let me down!”
Satan has been ‘seeking to devour’ for a long time so he has to
be very good at it. However, God still has power over him and
can help us enjoy His victories over Satan when we are under
attack. And when we do, we end up feeling closer to the Lord,
(which is the opposite of what Satan is trying to accomplish).

Do I always respond to his attacks in this manner?
Of course not! However, I wish I did, because I
know how exciting it is to feel God’s presence
and see His victories.

ACTION:
Maybe you have been attacked by Satan in a similar way, or
perhaps you are under attack right now. Rather than allowing
yourself to become dejected and feeling defeated, pray and ask
God to fight your battle for you and trust that He will hear
your prayer, and show you His power over Satan.

Satan is always looking for opportunities to disrupt your life
and create a gap in your relationship and trust in the Lord.
However, when you respond appropriately, his plans are
thwarted and your fellowship with the Lord increases.

Prepare yourself in advance for these attacks so that when
they happen (and they will) you will automatically turn
away from the negatives and turn toward your Lord, your
Savior, your Protector, and your Encourager.
    The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalm 46:7)

    Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted;
    propose your plan, but it will not stand, for
    God is with us. (Isaiah 8:10)

    What, then, shall we say in response to these things?
    If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

    And so we know and rely on the love God has
    for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives
    in God, and God in them. (1 John 4:16)

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for being near
and ready to rescue me from the troubles that
come my way. Thank You for being reliable as
my Defender, Rescuer, and Encourager when
I am attacked by the evil one. Help me to overcome
self-pity and focus instead on how You will be
victorious and will lift me out of the depths of despair.”

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