Avoids Bitterness At God During Trials

Avoids Bitterness At God During Trials

A HERO’S TALE

Talk about an awful childhood.

Josiah, a king of Judah in the seventh century BC, grew up during one of the worst periods in Judah’s history. All the reforms of good King Hezekiah, Josiah’s great-grandfather, had been forgotten. The two kings that followed Hezekiah —Manasseh and Amon (Josiah’s grandfather and father) —did more evil than any of the kings before them, according to 2 Kings 21. Two years into Amon’s reign, his servants assassinated him, forcing little Josiah to become king at age eight.

Imagine trying to lead a wicked nation of people while powerful enemies like Babylon, Egypt, and Assyria threaten you —all while you’re in third grade. That’s what Josiah had to do!

With his father dead, his people stuck in idolatry, and his country in serious danger, Josiah could’ve chosen to blame God. He could’ve let bitterness take root in his heart like a choking weed. He could’ve angrily asked God, “Why me?”

But he didn’t. Instead, Josiah loved God wholeheartedly: “He did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right” (2 Kings 22:2).

DECODING THE MESSAGE

In the chapter about the Jewish slave girl who helped Naaman, we talked about the importance of not becoming bitter toward others. But it’s just as important to avoid growing bitter at God.

When life doesn’t go our way, it’s easy to start complaining or even blaming God for our trials. But bitterness is a dangerous sin. Hebrews 12:15 describes it as a “poisonous root” that “grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”

If we water and feed the root of bitterness, it will develop into anger and many harmful thoughts toward God and others around us.

Evil in your life is not God’s fault. Rather, it’s the product of the fallen, sinful world we live in. Yes, God allows us to go through difficult times, even tragedies. But this is never meant for our ultimate harm. God only wants to test our faith and draw us closer to him.

God is good. He doesn’t seek to hurt us in any way. He eventually works everything —everything! —for the good of his children (see Romans 8:28).

A true hero for God responds to life’s challenges not with bitterness, but with a deeper trust in God. Just like young Josiah.

BATTLE PLAN

Do research online or at the library on how plants grow. Use that to better understand the Bible’s analogy in today’s verse of bitterness being like a poisonous root.