Introduction
For surely I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans for your welfare, and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. —Jeremiah 29:11
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart. —Jeremiah 29:12-13
We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. —Romans 8:28
Many times our hardships are the result of our own sin - our will, not God’s will.
Other times, it’s not our sin; it’s our foolishness and irresponsibility.
Then there are the times when we didn’t do anything sinful or foolish, but we still got caught up in the backwash of sin. People do bad things, and god people get hurt.
Any attempt to downplay the impact of the fall – or worse, the assumption that Christians have a magic bubble of protection, fails to square with scripture…When it comes to the consequences of the fall, we’re not offered immunity. We’re offered eternity! —Larry Osborne
In this world you will have trouble; but take heart, I have overcome the world. —John 16:33
There are also times when there is no explanation that is readily available, and it’s a mystery.
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. —Romans 8:36-39