Bible Reading: Job 5,6&7; Acts 8:1-20
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all” Psalm 34:19 (KJV).
Most people have the wrong believe that when we serve God we will not have afflictions. This is not in tandem with the teaching of the bible. The bible says affliction will definitely come but our all-knowing God will surely deliver us from them. Job was not aware that his condition was an issue of discussion at the meeting of the sons of God. He was a victim of a decision taken after his case was deliberated on. Affliction may come to us but at the end God’s uses it to accomplish His divine plan in our life.
Affliction is a tough time but like every other time will pass away. That is why the expression ‘and it came to pass’ is always used in the bible. The scripture never promised that we will never have a weeping moment but that it will come and pass away. The bible says in Psalm 30:5 (KJV), “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” There will be time of weeping which is affliction time, but the scriptures promises that no matter its number deliverance is sure to come for from God for them all. The life of Job and his afflictions and eventual deliverance is well documented for our learning. Affliction comes in various ways and means different things to different folks. Barrenness is an affliction to a woman without child, Sickness is an affliction, failure is an affliction to the unsuccessful, death of very close relatives can be affliction. Most afflictions are induced from hell to frustrate our spiritual pursuit; some are satanic arrows aimed at truncating our efforts in life. To a large extent sin can attract or open door to affliction but not all affliction is as a result of sin. Job’s affliction cannot be attributed to sin but it came.
The affliction of the widow of Nain whose only son died was terminated when she came in contact with Christ. Jesus Christ is the terminator of all afflictions. Affliction may come as an arrow of the wicked but when we come in contact with Christ it can be turned for good and change our testimony. Christ is the major antidote to all afflictions. He changes our affliction to testimony by converting it to our good. It is in Christ we have solutions to affliction as expounded in the scriptures. The first is deliverance as stated in Obadiah 1:17 (KJV), “But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.” When we come to mount Zion we get delivered from all afflictions that resulted from sin, by the salvation Christ has given us. Our deliverance will lead us to have the fear of the LORD which is holiness. The eventual product of deliverance is that we will possess our possession which the enemy has taken from us as a result of our earlier sinful living.
The second instrument in Christ that terminate affliction is Joy. Joy dispels evil. Joy is a ventilator that opens our heart to the abundant flow of the springs of life in the Spirit. The bible says in Isaiah 12:3 (KJV), “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the well of salvation.” Joy attracts goodness. Joy is a strong antidote to depression. Joy attracts divine visitation and when you are divinely visited affliction is terminated. Joy is the bucket by which you draw from the abundant benefits of salvation.
My dear reader, Jesus Christ is the terminator of all afflictions. That pain you are carrying can be terminated by our Lord Jesus Christ. Why don’t you come to Him to relieve you of that affliction? His Hand is stretched out to receive you.
Prayer: Father keep me in your tabernacle of peace all the days of my life.
Bro. Joel Ezeugo
