Why does God allows trouble to be in our life

Deuteronomy 31:14-19 recounts a significant moment where God instructs Moses to bring Joshua before Him in the tent of meeting to commission him as Moses' successor. In these verses, God speaks about the future disobedience of the Israelites and His response to it. Here's the breakdown of the verses and their implications:

1. Verses 14-15: God tells Moses that his time to die is near and commands him to present Joshua to stand before God in the tabernacle. God appears in a pillar of cloud over the doorway, signifying His divine presence and the solemnity of the occasion.

2. Verses 16-17: God foretells that the people will eventually forsake Him and break the covenant they made. In response, God will hide His face from them, leading to many troubles and afflictions. This indicates that the troubles come as a consequence of the people’s choices to abandon the ways commanded by God.

3. Verse 18: God states explicitly that He will surely hide His face on that day because of all the evil the Israelites will have done by turning to other gods.

4. Verses 19-20: God instructs Moses to write down a song and teach it to the Israelites. This song is meant to serve as a witness for God against the Israelites, a reminder of their covenant with God and the consequences of forsaking it.

Understanding God's Role in Allowing Trouble

From these verses, we understand that God allows trouble in our lives not as a form of arbitrary punishment but as a consequence of human actions and choices. In the context of Deuteronomy 31, the troubles serve several purposes:

• Corrective: Troubles remind people of the consequences of turning away from God’s commands. They are a call to return to righteousness.
• Educational: Difficulties teach enduring lessons about reliance, faith, and the importance of maintaining a covenant relationship with God.
• Revealing: Hardships often reveal the true state of our hearts and our faith. They test resilience and devotion, clarifying our commitments and values.

God’s seeming distance during times of trouble is also a theological theme that invites believers to reflect on their actions and their relationship with Him. It is not that God is unloving or uncaring; rather, He respects the agency of human beings and allows the natural consequences of their choices to unfold, which in turn serves as a call to reflection and repentance.

Thus, the passage from Deuteronomy highlights a profound aspect of divine justice and mercy—God uses even the troubles and challenges we face as pathways back to Him, urging a deeper communion and a more faithful adherence to His ways.

Let's delve into Exodus 17:1-7, a passage that exemplifies how God allows and manages challenges to shape faith and dependence among His people.

Exodus 17:1-7: Water From the Rock

In Exodus 17:1-7, the Israelites are traveling through the desert and find themselves without water, a critical resource for survival. They complain to Moses, exhibiting doubt and frustration:

1. Verses 1-3: The Israelites camp at Rephidim, where there is no water to drink. They quarrel with Moses and demand water, expressing their distress and questioning Moses' leadership: "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?"

2. Verse 4: Moses, feeling the pressure, cries out to the Lord, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me."

3. Verse 5-6: God instructs Moses to take some of the elders of Israel and his staff, and go ahead to strike the rock at Horeb. When Moses does so, water flows from it, providing the people with the much-needed resource.

4. Verse 7: The place is named Massah and Meribah because of the Israelites' quarreling and testing the Lord by asking, "Is the Lord among us or not?"

Understanding the Passage

This narrative highlights several key themes about God’s relationship with His people:

• Testing Faith: The lack of water was a test of faith for the Israelites. God wanted to see if they would trust Him to provide for their needs or if they would give in to doubt and fear.

• Provision and Reliance: By providing water from the rock, God demonstrates His power and willingness to provide for His people. This act is meant to teach the Israelites to rely solely on God, not on natural resources or human leaders.

• God’s Responses to Complaints: While God responds to the complaints by providing water, the event at Massah and Meribah also serves as a critique of the Israelites' quickness to doubt and complain. It’s a call for patience and faith in God's provision.

Relevant Verses

Here are some verses that resonate with the idea of God providing and testing, helping us to rely on Him:

• Psalm 91:15: "He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him."

• James 1:12: "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."

• 1 Corinthians 10:13: "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

Conclusion

The event at Massah and Meribah serves as a reminder that our challenges can be opportunities to deepen our trust in God’s provision and timing. God permits difficulties not as punishment but as an invitation to grow in faith and reliance on Him. This narrative encourages believers to look beyond immediate circumstances and see the miraculous ways God can and does provide.