How does adversity happen?

Genesis 12:10At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner.

Job 5:7People are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire.

Job 14:1How frail is humanity! How short is life, how full of trouble!

Ecclesiastes 9:12People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy.

Luke 13:1-5About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? Not at all! . . . And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? No, . . .”

John 9:1-3As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.”

John 16:33“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

2 Timothy 3:1You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times.

Troubles do often “just happen” because we live in a broken and sinful world. But if we trust God, he walks with us in the trouble. His presence with us gives us what we need to endure.

Genesis 3:17-19And to the man he [God] said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”

Judges 10:7-10So the Lord burned with anger against Israel, and he turned them over to the Philistines and the Ammonites.

Jeremiah 21:14“And I myself will punish you for your sinfulness, says the Lord.”

Daniel 9:14“Therefore, the Lord has brought upon us the disaster he prepared. The Lord our God was right to do all of these things, for we did not obey him.”

Hosea 4:9“So now I will punish both priests and people for their wicked deeds.”

Hebrews 12:6, 10-11“For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” . . . For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

Just as loving parents bring adversity into the life of a child through discipline, God may also bring adversity into our lives to correct us when we do wrong. This is for our benefit, not harm. God may also bring difficulties into our lives to strengthen and prepare us for what lies ahead. When facing adversity, stay close to God. Ask him to show you if the adversity is a form of discipline, and what he wants you to learn from it.

Job 36:15“By means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity.”

Jonah 4:7-8But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he [Jonah] exclaimed.

James 1:2-4Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

1 Peter 1:6-7So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

Adversity is sometimes sent by God to test and strengthen our faith.

Psalm 109:2-5The wicked slander me and tell lies about me. They surround me with hateful words and fight against me for no reason. I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations even as I am praying for them! They repay evil for good, and hatred for my love.

Matthew 5:11-12God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

Matthew 24:9Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.

1 Peter 2:12, 20Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. . . . Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

Other people can cause adversity in our lives. Adversity can be a result of being a Jesus follower. Sometimes, though, adversity comes from misunderstandings, honest disagreements, or even from our own failings. Humility is critical in witnessing Christ’s love to the world.

Matthew 4:1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.

Ephesians 6:12We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

1 Peter 5:8-9Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

Satan is our true adversary. Sinful people are not our enemies, but his victims—pawns he uses to cause adversity. Sometimes, God gives Satan opportunities to create adversity, such as when Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness. In that instance, Satan’s attempts at temptation only strengthened Jesus for the greater temptations that were to come (Matthew 6:21-23; Luke 22:42-44).