BLOG 8...: Are Your Problems A Punishment From God??

I read an article that raised the question, are your problems a punishment from God? The article pointed out that when faced with adversity, many people feel that God is punishing them for some past wrong. Overwhelmed by a sudden avalanche of problems, they may be heard to lament: “why me? What have I done to deserve this?” should we conclude that our problems are an indication of divine disapproval? Are personal adversities really a punishment from God? Consider what the Bible reports about a man named Job. Without warning, he suddenly lost his wealth. Next, all ten of his children were killed in a windstorm. Soon, thereafter, he was struck with a debilitating, loathsome disease. Such adversaries led Job to cry out: “ The hand of God has struck me down.” Evidently, like many today, Job felt that God was punishing him. However, the Bible reveals that before Job’s trials began, God himself had described Job as a blameless and upright, fearing man of God, someone who turned aside from bad. So, because Job had divine approval, his problems were not a punishment from God. The Bible shows that Satan the Devil was the cause of Job’s tragedies. Furthermore, it identifies Satan as the chief source of our problems today when it states: “ Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devils has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.” (Revelation 12:12)