With Additional Devotional Thoughts on Overcoming Adversity

With Music

Summary:

The message, by Tom Sims, focused on the theme of resilience and faith in the face of adversity, drawing on biblical examples from Job, Paul’s letters, and the teachings of Jesus.

It began with the universal experience of being ‘knocked down’ by life’s challenges and the importance of standing firm. Tom explored Job’s story, emphasizing Job’s suffering, his refusal to curse God, and his hope in a Redeemer who would ultimately vindicate him.

The conversation then shifted to Paul’s message in 2 Thessalonians, highlighting the need for believers to remain steadfast and not be quickly shaken by difficult circumstances or false teachings about the end times.

Tom stressed the importance of holding onto hope, remembering God’s calling, and seeking comfort in God’s presence, both for the future and in the present. He also referenced Jesus’ teaching that God is the God of the living, encouraging listeners to focus on living faithfully now rather than being preoccupied with the afterlife.

The message concluded with a reminder that, despite feelings of isolation or exhaustion, believers are not alone, as God walks alongside them, offering comfort and strength to stand firm. The session ended with a blessing for peace and perseverance.

Standing Firm in the Face of Adversity

We participate in a universal reality of facing adversity,

whether from external circumstances, other people, or internal struggles.

Paul, II Thessalonians, urges us to remain steadfast and not be quickly shaken or alarmed.

The importance of finding comfort and strength in faith during times of suffering and uncertainty is emphasized, encouraging us to nurture hope and remember that better days are ahead, even when current circumstances seem overwhelming.

The Story and Suffering of Job

The story of Job is a profound example of righteous suffering and the struggle to understand why bad things happen to good people.

Job was blameless and righteous. He endured severe afflictions and questioned God’s justice yet maintained s hope in a Redeemer who would ultimately vindicate him.

Job desired for his story to be recorded. His enduring faith is that, even after death, he will see God, offering a model for holding onto hope and faith during suffering and for believing in ultimate justice and redemption.

Living with Hope and Endurance in the Present

Paul’s advice in 2 Thessalonians 2 is for believers not to be deceived or alarmed by claims that the end times are imminent, but to stand firm and hold fast to the teachings they have received.

Suffering and rebellion are part of the human experience, but believers are reminded that God has called them to sanctification and to glorify Christ. The comfort of God is available in the present, and believers are encouraged to stand firm, remembering that God is with them and has placed hope in their lives.

The God of the Living: Jesus’ Teaching and Its Implications

The Sadducees sought to confound Jesus with an obscure hypothetical application of Moses’ Law to discredit resurrection hope.

Jesus’ response to the Sadducees, affirms that God is the God of the living, not the dead, and that all are alive to Him.

This teaching is used to counter the desire for an immediate escape from suffering and to emphasize the importance of living faithfully in the present. While it might seem easier if God resolved all problems instantly, believers are called to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly even amid trouble, with the presence of God as a source of comfort and strength.

Practical Application: Comfort, Presence, and Blessing

We can apply these theological insights to daily life, knowing that even when relationships are strained or lost, and when one feels misunderstood or unsupported, God’s presence remains.

The concept of the goel (redeemer) is invoked to stress that believers are not alone, even when human support fails.

The message is to remember God’s promise of redemption in the future and His presence in the present, ending with a blessing that invokes God’s peace, grace, and presence for all listeners.

We are not alone.

Job 19:23–27a — In the End

I know that my Redeemer lives

“O that my words were written down!
 O that they were inscribed in a book!
 O that with an iron pen and with lead
 they were engraved on a rock forever!
 For I know that my vindicator lives
 and that in the end he will stand upon the earth;
 and after my skin has been destroyed,
 then in my flesh I shall see God,
 whom I shall see on my side,
 and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
 My heart faints within me!

2 Thessalonians 2:1–5, 13–17 — Until Then

The coming of Christ Jesus

But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. For this purpose he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.

But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. For this purpose he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.

Luke 20:27–38 — Remember This

Jesus speaks of the resurrection

Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question: “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”

Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed, they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead but of the living, for to him all of them are alive.”

Devotional Thoughts on Overcoming Adversity

Thy Waterfalls

“Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.” — Psalm 42:7

It was a hot day in the desert near the Dead Sea. We had walked less than a mile at an oasis called Ein Gedi.

We could imagine David fleeing there to safety from the pursuit of his enemies. We could imagine him dipping in the water or standing under the waterfall and being refreshed. We each stood there and let the cool water flow over our shoulders.

When we were done, we were ready to return to the desert less than a mile away.

Deep had called to deep.

The billows had gone over us.

We were cooled, refreshed, renewed, and ready for anything that was to come.

Of course, unlike David, we were able to get into a comfortable air-conditioned bus with Wi-Fi and snacks. Life was not all that difficult for us on that trip.

Yet, sometimes, life is hard. We need the oasis. We need the waterfalls. We need the springs of living water and the reminders of God’s presence and protection in the deserts of our lives.

We have testimonies of moments when an oasis of love and grace appeared as we were being scorched by the hot sun of adversity or pursued by the accuser’s minions.

We have heard such testimonies and we have lived them.

God met us when we needed Him and He continues to meet us in the most unlikely and deserted places.

We are never so isolated, alone, tormented, or threatened that He does not know and care. We are never so close to falling that He is not by our side to strengthen us. We are never so discouraged that He cannot lift us.

Sometimes He carries us.

Sometimes, an oasis appears.

Always, He is near.

Turn-Around Thinking

For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. — Philippians 1:19

It has often been said, “It’s not what you’re going through, but where you’re going to that counts.” Beyond the grammatical issues in question, the statement is very true. We can become absorbed in the drama of the day, boldly obvious as it is, or we can focus on the grander drama of salvation.

Today is real, but it is a passing reality. This world is fading away with all its critics and crises. We are connected as believers to another reality, a persistent march of grace through history leading to the ultimate victory of Christ and His people. We are connected through prayer and the supply of the Spirit to such an extent that every circumstance we face, as well as every criticism, or pain, can and will be turned to salvation.

This is turn-around thinking and it is an essential ingredient in any understanding of Christianity. God turns things around. That is the pure and simple truth. The world, the flesh, and the devil do not control the Christian’s destiny; Christ does. God outmaneuvers every single plot that the evil one can bring against believers. Not only does He thwart them, but He turns them into something the devil never intended: salvation!

Nowhere is this played out more than on the cross. That was the ultimate turn-around.

Having stated the case and agreed to the premise, what are we to do in the face of adversity? We are to stand on tiptoe and look for the turn-around moments. To see them, we will often need the eyes of faith and frequently the gifts of time and patience. But the turn-around will always come whether we see it or not. Our part is to expectantly believe and trustingly receive. Change your thinking. That is the essence of repentance, and your repentance from sin is just the first step. Take the next step and become a turn-around thinker. God is at work in everything and you can count on it.

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. — Psalm 18:34–36

He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.

Who would not opt for solid ground upon which to stand in every situation? Only fools love battle and seek out conflict. Having made both of these statements, one must acknowledge a contrasting truth: only cowards always flee and only chronic whiners always require ideal conditions in their lives. Our spiritual feet are made for the rugged places of life. Our arms are trained for battle. God is preparing us for the adversities of life, not for virtual ease. He knows what we must face and He knows that we must face it with Him or fail. Greatness does not result from minimalist thinking or avoidance of adversity. Greatness comes as the God of the universe stoops low to lift us up in the midst of fiery trials and contentious circumstances.