If God promises to bless his people, why is life sometimes so hard?

Acts 5:41The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.

Two important factors play into the apparent contradiction between God’s blessing and hard times in life: First, living in a fallen world includes suffering even for (and sometimes specially for) the blessed; second, God’s perspective is eternal while ours is temporal. The early followers of Jesus had such a passion for the gospel that they considered even their difficulties to be blessings.

James 1:12God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.

Blessings sometimes come in strange forms and hide within hard times. Sometimes great blessings come out of great trouble when your trials deepen your relationship with the Lord, who is the greatest blessing of all.

Matthew 5:3-11God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.God 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.

As you read Jesus’ words of blessing, note how often God’s blessing comes out of hardship:

• The pain of realizing our spiritual bankruptcy and need for God will turn into the joy of receiving all the riches of his Kingdom.

• Repentance and sorrow over our own sins and the sins of the world bring the blessing of ultimate comfort.

• The hardship of humble insignificance leads to an eternal inheritance.

• The longings, discouragements, and disappointments over massive and persistent injustice in this world will eventually end in the blessing of satisfying justice.

• The painful refusal to repay evil for evil will be followed by the priceless experience of mercy.

• The purifying and refining effects of suffering can allow us to see God more clearly.

• Daring to pursue peace in a world consumed with sin, rebellion, and chaos will inevitably involve painful rejection and sometimes death, but God will identify such peacemakers as his own.

The hardship that comes from living faithfully in a world bent on rebellion against God will never outweigh the joy of following Jesus.