Fifteen to twenty years ago I had family members who fell into the belief of some Charismatic Christians that you could ask God for anything and He would do it. If you prayed for health, riches or a Cadillac hard enough and had enough faith God loved you so much you would get it! Oh my! how shallow. This is not true.

Today I read in a devotion on Our Daily Bread about a military officer who was moving up in the ranks in a drug infested society. His superiors were corrupt and ordered him to do wrong. He refused and disobeyed his leaders and went to prison for it . . . for eight years. While he was in prison, I’m sure there were days upon days when he regretfully wished he wasn’t there. I’m sure he pondered how he could have maybe cheated a little bit and wouldn’t have been put in prison. I’m sure there were days when he would be angered because he was sitting in prison while the evil men prospered, mocked him in their thoughts, laughter and words and had freedom.
I know God wins in the end.
The Bible says to deny yourself take up your cross and follow Jesus. Jesus’ cross was a horrid thing why should we expect better, as Christians we’re servants of Jesus. Why should we be treated better than our master?
So if we have the attitude that hardship is reality and a part of life how do we keep from getting bitter or staying bitter, as all kinds of thoughts stream through our head as we try to figure out life?
The devotion I read today ends with that the man received joy from his difficult, undeserved trials for doing right. I imagine the man in prison had more frustrating times than he had joyful times. But I figure this about his situation. In his time of patience and endurance and questioning in his mind, the biggest thing he could do is take all his hardship to God and to search for God and ask God why again and again until he was at peace in his heart. And more than having joy, this man probably had a peace from God that is beyond human understanding and the man had to ask God regularly and rely on His strength to make it through all those embarrassing days and years when most of everyone around labeled him as a loser.