NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET

And on that same day Yahweh brought the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts. Exodus 12:51

   The Jews were surely rejoicing. No more making bricks without straw! They were at last free! But you know the rest of the story. They were not out of the woods yet. The next thing you know they have a sea before them and an army behind them. God again miraculously delivers them, but they are not out of the woods yet. Then they don’t have water. God miraculously delivers them again. But they are not out of the woods yet. On and on the pattern goes through biblical history. There were many difficult years of trials and hardships before them. But God was always faithful.

   Likewise, when one becomes a Christian they are not out of the woods yet. The Bible says “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith brings about perseverance. And let perseverance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4). Trials and tests are part of the normal Christian life. We do not do those we are witnessing to a favor by telling them or implying that if they just trust Jesus everything will be ok. Ultimately that is true, but in this life it is not. In this life even the true Christian will have trials and tribulations. They need to know that in all of them God is faithful. We all need to agree with Job in 2:10 “… Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept calamity?” Until we are in glory we will not be out of the woods.

Jeffrey Eno