Often, we question God and ask, “Why me? Why did I have to go through so much pain and suffering? Why are my children so rebellious?” When I try to bring them up in church, they seem to go in another direction.
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in a way that he should go and when they are old they will not depart from it.”
We may even ask, “How come I work hard to put food on the table for my family and it has become so difficult? Why do I work long hours and I still do not make enough money to pay my bills? Why do I deal with being evicted from my home or the repo man trying to take my car? Why does it seem like I am the only one that is going through?” We may have a spouse acting out of character and to top it all off, the dog just destroyed your favorite shoe.
If I am talking to you, the Holy Spirit is bearing witness, and there should be a resounding, “Lord, you already know. Amen!” We all have faced problems that occurred in our lives, whether it be our jobs, spouses, neighbors, or even our precious dog named Spot that continues to maul our shoes. The Bible lets us know that we are not exempt from trials and tribulation. It will come as long as you are breathing and living on this earth. You will experience something. The question I ask you and myself is, “What can we learn from every trial we go through?” I will point out in the Bible certain men and women of God who went through trials and tribulation. They questioned God just as you and I. I’m pretty sure our Heavenly Father can turn that question around and ask His sons and daughters, “Why not you”? Suffering is something that is not uncommon. Everybody goes through something. I would say that when you go through a trial, it is good to have Jesus on your side, fighting and helping you through it. Let’s look at Job, a man who was found perfect and upright. He was someone who feared God.
Job 1:1 says, “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.” The Bible gives great detail about the life of Job. He was a married man. He had seven sons and three daughters. He owned 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 yokes of oxen, and 500 she asses. He was well known as one of the greatest of the men of the east.
Job 1:6-7 (NKJV) says, “Now there was a day when the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. Vs. 7 “And the Lord said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’ So Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
The Lord then asked Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job?” As we read, Job was sought out by Satan, after being given permission by God, to try and test his faith through trials and tribulation. We can conclude that Job had an intimate relationship with God because He was the One who recommended Job.
Satan is planning and seeking to destroy as many people as possible. If he can possibly get you to curse God, he knows that your life will become hell. Let us look at what Apostle Peter has to say about the devil and his manipulation.
1 Peter 5:8 (KJV) says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
I believe that if you are not careful, your questioning can cause Satan to have you think that you are weak and all alone. My brothers and sisters, that is the biggest lie and a trick from Satan. We will continue with the story of Job to further prove this.
Job 32:4-6 says, “Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken because they were elder than he. 5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled. 6 And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you, my opinion.”
The name ELIHU means my God is he. Elihu was a man that defended and depended on God’s righteousness. He sat in the midst of the congregation of the elders and as he heard Job’s three friends try to make sense out of what’s happening in his situation. They did not have a righteous answer to give Job. Job, who lost everything, can’t figure out why he was attacked on his body with boils, lost his children and wealth. The Bible even records how his wife told him to curse God.
Job 2:9 (KJV) says, “Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.”
Now that is dangerous. We should never get to the point where we want to curse God. We can rest assured that God will protect us and give us revelation through our tests and tribulation. Here are two scriptures to prove this so.
Job 34:21 says, “For His eyes are upon the ways of man, and He seeth all his goings.” God is always making a way for us to escape. Job 13:15 says, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.”
Job’s faith was being developed, but he was in God’s hand the whole time. We all come to a place in our life where we must recognize how ignorance can contribute to the things we suffer or go through. When we look back over our lives, particularly what we did before receiving Jesus as Lord, we would all say, “Lord, I wish I could do things differently.” God will cleanse us from the inside out and the outside in from all unrighteousness so that we can live a life pleasing to Him.
With every trial or tribulation we go through, God has a way of showing us when He wants to bring us to a new level of grace and faith in Him. He wants to let us know that He is God Yahweh. He created all things and knows what you are capable of doing before you ever do it. He knows what buttons to push to cause you to move out of your comfort zone and out into the frontline. He will allow suffering and affliction to cause you to believe and have faith in the impossible.
Revelation 12:10 and Zechariah 3 shows that Satan is always going to God to accuse the brethren. We give Satan plenty of evidence when we sin or when we are disobedient to the will of God. We must be quick to repent and ask for forgiveness.
God has given us all the measures of faith. We only need to have faith as the size of a mustard seed. God already knows what it will take for us to walk on water, as Peter did. We have to have faith in the supernatural to believe in the impossible.
God will send someone like Elihu to be a watchman on the wall to mentor and help us see when we feel weak and want to give up and throw in the towel. The man of God spoke on behalf of God and gave Job the confidence that he needed to keep on trusting and believing in God. When you go through trials and tribulations, it is not because you did anything wrong. God wants to show His glory through you. Let me say it again. God allowed Job to go through what he did, only to let the haters and the unbelievers know that Job would come out victorious. The story of Job teaches us that when we come out on the other side of our trials and tribulation, God will restore you and give you double for your trouble.
This article is to encourage you to know that when you go through a storm, God’s going to carry you out. You will never ask again, “Lord, why me? But Lord, why not me?”
Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Revelation 21:4 says, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
James 1:2-3 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers’ temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”
2 Corinthians 12: 7-10 says, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said unto me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Genesis 1:26- 27 says, “And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
God created man in His own image. My last encouraging word is that because we are in His image, He will see us through. May Our Lord God add a blessing to this word.
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Call On Him And He Will AnswerÂ
Stephanie Ham is the founder and CEO of Misfits To The Nation, But Chosen By Godâs Creation. Before marriage, she was known as Stephanie Whack.  She is a woman after Godâs own heart and an intercessor. Stephanie is married to Leo A. Ham. She is a mother of three sons, and four grandchildren: two boys and two girls. She happens to be the #1 Best Seller Book Writing Scribe for The Kingdom. When God called her, He said, âI must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world {John 9:4-5}.â
Stephanieâs favorite Scripture is: âFor I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected endâ (Jeremiah 29:11).
Stephanieâs ministry is all about encouraging, uplifting the brokenhearted, hurting, and abused men and women of God. When youâre broken from the inside, itâs hard to believe in a God who you cannot see. You donât know how He can possibly love someone you⊠Right? I had to learn that Godâs Word concerning our lives means so much to Him that He died to save us. Amen. It does not matter to Our Savior if we are a misfit. But what does concerns Him is that we are the core of Jesusâs very being. Know that weâre Misfits with A Purpose that can change the Nation. God has given Stephanie a keen discernment, intelligence, and a passion for prayer. She loves seeing souls saved. It doesnât matter if youâre called an outcast.  God loves you. God died for you to live and have life more abundantly.
She has attended the following churches along her Journey:Â
St. Michaelâs Hope Ministry: Apostle Michael, Prophetess Sharon Woodham CLIO, SC.Â
Word Of Life Pastor Hodges Bennettsville SC, Solid Rock Holiness: Apostle Ervin Dease and First Lady Mary Dease âaka Spiritual Parentsâ Bennettsville, SC.
New Creation Christian Church: Bishop Wesley V. Knight & Prophetess Adrian Knight âaka Spiritual Parentsâ Brooklyn, NY.Â
The Doors Of Hope: Bishop Michael Blue& First Lady Melinda Blue from Marin SC.
Her educational background consists of the following:
Word Of Life Bible College Studied: The book of Revelation, The Tabernacle, Homiletics. 2002, In Bennettsville SC.
Undergraduate Nyack College study General, Counseling, Abnormal and Child Psychology. Old, New Testament, etc. 2010- 2013
In Manhattan, NY, God started dealing with Stephanieâs life and how she felt about herself. She received the vision for her ministry between 2011- 2012 and birthed it out in 2020.
 God placed her around people who believed in her and what she couldnât see in herself. God was in the midst the whole time. Nevertheless, everything happens in Godâs timing.
