Why Me Lord?

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

All through the bible God tells us to not be afraid. In addition to that He tells us numerous times that he gives us peace. Peace is a wonderful thing to have in the midst of a trial. Everyone goes through trials and struggles. Just because you are a Christian or feel you are a good person, does not exempt you from difficulties in life. Almost weekly I will run into someone that I know is a good person but has been called on to ”Walk through the valley” so to speak. Mountain top experiences are great but we all dread the valley!

Never forget this dear friend. Mountaintops are great but you will only see the Lily in the valley!

It is in those hard times that God wants to draw closer. He wants you to draw closer. His promise to never leave us is just as real in the valley as on the mountain. He tells us that if we would draw near to Him He would draw near to us. When you find yourself in the middle of a difficult stretch of life, simply draw a little closer to Jesus. He wants us to and that is where you will find His peace.

Years ago the CB radio was all the craze. Folks had radios in their cars and when driving would strike up conversations with total strangers. A kind of fraternity developed among travelers. They would look out for each other or aid each other for no other reason than they were fellow CB’ers. If several folks were traveling to the same or a similar destination they would all stay close and called it a ”convoy”, taking it from the way the military travels in groups. If one saw a speed trap, he would go on the radio and let everyone know that a Smokey was ahead, talking about a trooper with a speed trap. It was taken from the fact that many state troopers wore hats that looked like the one you see on Smokey Bear in the US Forestry Service TV commercials. There is safety in numbers we are told. It holds true in nature as well. You see animals traveling in packs or herds. They are much harder to single out by predators that way. it is when one will go off to himself that he becomes vulnerable to his enemies. A wolf for instance will stalk a flock of sheep and scout around the perimeter of the group. He will watch for one thing. He will watch for a lone sheep that will stray too close to the outside and close enough for him to grab it and run off out of sight of the shepherd. Many a sheep has lost its life that way. The moral is to stay close to the shepherd.

It is hard for me to not break out into a discourse on Psalm 23 right here but I am saving that for another place!

Now I am not telling you that when you face a trial it is because you have strayed. I am not saying that at all. Only you know if that might be the case. All too many times trials come to people who have done just the opposite. They have tried with all their heart to stay close to the shepherd of their soul, Jesus. I have read a lot of treatises on just why things bad happen to good folks. I have read every explanation you could possibly imagine. While some of them seem credible, I can tell you from experience that in all reality ”No one Knows Why” but the Lord.

I have had many good friends who were examples of living a life to please God, but who contracted difficult diseases, had bad accidents, or numerous other trials. It was NOT because of what they did but the ”Plan of God”. Never forget this dear friend that nothing is by accident. God always has a plan and a purpose. It is up to you to seek it and find out what you are supposed to do in the trial so that you do not get into the way of the plan God has for the outcome.

”Somewhere in every test is a testimony”.

I can tell you this. God’s peace will see you through. In the midst of the storm you can stand and be strong in the knowledge that God is with you through it all.

In our text Jesus said He gives us peace. Peace for the world is the absence of conflict. The peace of God passes all understanding. It is not the absence of conflict but rather the presence of God! Doesn’t that make you want to shout!! As a result of the peace that Jesus gives, we can go through the trial with our head held high and as He stated, we can go on without our hearts being troubled or without being afraid.

My advice to you this day is to, ”Lean on Jesus”. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and there is peace in the storm.

Blessings!
Bro. Tommy