Rev. George Ellis
Pastor’s Corner
The Bible says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivers him out of them all (Psalm 34:19).”
The way of thinking and preaching today is that because we are a Christian believer and walk upright before God that we are supposed to be exempt from afflictions; that we are to have plenty of money, never be broke, never be sick and have heaven on earth. Sad to say, there are some who paint a “happy go lucky” picture for Christian believers, telling them that life is supposed to be one way for the Christian and that’s only the perfect life. And that every negative thing comes from the devil.
But community, that’s not the gospel! So don’t live in a fantasy world; such thinking is Bible ignorance! Consider if you will the first word in Psalm 34:19. Notice the word “MANY.”
Now, Webster Dictionary defines the word “many” as “consisting of some large, indefinite number.” Friends, when David said “many” he followed by saying “are the afflictions of the righteous:” Now the word “affliction” means “Pain, suffering and distress”…and depending on what we are going through, afflictions could mean one or all three.
So what he is saying is that the righteous, the believer will have a large number, an indefinite number of pain, suffering and distress.” From shepherd boy to king of Judah David’s life is marked with one affliction after another. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous” … and if this be the case, then that means that though we may be good Christians, that there may come a time when your lights may get turned off; your phone may get disconnected because you don’t have the money to pay the phone bill; you may look out the window and see a tow truck repossessing your car; the loan company taking you to court because you can’t pay back the loan; that sometimes we will be sick; and sometimes we will have to struggle financially.
Community, some faithful Christians have visited “title loans,” “Payday Advance Loans” and have borrowed money from the bank. My community friends, there are people who are on welfare! And there’s nothing wrong with being on welfare if you have to be on it; welfare is a part of human government; and human government was established by God (Genesis 9:6). There’s nothing wrong with being on welfare; but it’s wrong when we become content to stay on welfare when we can better ourselves; when we abuse the system!
Some Christians receive food stamps when they would rather be working and contributing to society. My friends don’t buy into the “pie in the sky, healthy and wealthy” messages. We live in a sin cursed body, that exists in a sin cursed world (Genesis 3:17-19). And this curse will not be lifted until Christ returns to set up his earthy kingdom (Revelation 20:4). Afflictions will come our way!
As I speak, some of you are afflicted or you know someone who is; afflicted physically, emotionally or mentally; somebody reading can identify with me when I say “if it isn’t one thing, it’s another!” sometimes we feel like “we’ve been picked out to be picked on!” You’re sick; your family is sick; out of work; bills get behind; there are Christians who have lost their homes to foreclosure! Godly Christians who are suffering with cancer; and some have died! And so the mindset that Christians need to have is the mindset that Peter had in 1st Peter 4:1 when he said “Forasmuch as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind” … and Jesus himself said “in the world you shall have tribulation (John 16: 33).”
Recognizing that bad thing do happen to good people. But be encouraged, you’re in good company. In the bible Joseph, a righteous man had afflictions; but they took him to a level in Pharaoh’s kingdom that was next to Pharaoh himself (Genesis 45:7, 8). Job was described as perfect and upright; but he lost all of his children to death at one time (Job 1:18, 19). Jeremiah was a righteous prophet; he wept for the nation; but he was thrown in the dungeon for telling it like it is (Jeremiah 38:6); Elijah the prophet who called down fire from heaven, had to run for his life from Jezebel (1 Kings 19:2,3).
The Apostle Paul had an affliction for which he prayed three times (2 Corinthians 12:7, 8). And knowing that the cross entailed suffering Jesus told us to “take up our cross and follow him (Matthew 16:24).” David did say “Many are the afflictions of the righteous” … but he also said, “but God will deliver him out of them all.”
We may be afflicted; but God will deliver!
Community, in the words of the songwriter, remember this: “God didn’t bring us this far to leave us; he didn’t teach us to swim to let us drown; he didn’t build his home in us to move away; and he didn’t lift us up to let us down!”
The Rev. George Ellis is the pastor for Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church.