Adversity In the Bible: How Much Control Do We Have?

“But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, ‘As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity'” 2 Samuel 4: 9.

This verse tells us God delivered David out of every adversity.

His enemy king Saul, who had pursued, and tried to kill him for years was dead. God had fulfilled His promise to him of being king. And he had blessings and peace on every side.

To read the chapter for context, click here.

Is There a Link Between Adversity and Character in the Bible?

But what I wanted to know is did God just arbitrarily deliver him from trouble at the appointed time? Or did David’s character and conduct have something to do with it?

I believe trials, or adversity come our way to bring about maturity. That’s why James tells us in James 1: 2-4 to:

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”.

It stands to reason then that once the purpose of the trial is accomplished, it can be removed.

In other words, once we’ve reached maturity, we no longer need major adversity since the purpose is to enable us to mature.

Refined Seven Times

Psalm 12:6 conveys this same idea: “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times”.

Why is the silver only refined seven times? Why not 12 or 50 or 100? I think the answer is clear that it is purified after the seven trips through the furnace. So, to continue to put it in the furnace after it’s purified would be pointless.

I’m not saying the silver always only requires seven rounds in the furnace to be refined. I’m saying once it’s pure, however many times that requires, it is no longer subjected to it.

In several places, David speaks of himself as “blameless”(Psalm 18: 23), which means essentially to be mature.

When David Sinned, His Life Got Hard Again

It’s also instructive to note that once he sinned with Bathsheba, he had trouble again in abundance.

The fact that adversity is designed to bring us to maturity is also implied in 2 Corinthians 4: 17. “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison”

I believe this “weight of glory” results from maturity or completion. The word glory in this verse literally means a good opinion (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of the NT).

Also, we know that “her [wisdom’s] ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace” Proverbs 3: 17.

In other words, once we are wise, our lives will be peaceful and pleasant, not full of trouble.

I believe God delivered David from all adversity because the intense trials he endured for years finally made him mature. And once the purpose for the trials was accomplished, they could be removed.

This is also seen in the life of Joseph after he too endured years of trouble. And when they finally ended, he proclaimed “God has made me forget all my hardship. . . ” Genesis 41: 51.

Hardship Will Come to an End Once Its Work is Done

If we allow hardship to do its work in our lives, it will eventually come to an end. Hebrews 12: 11 tells us:

“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it”.

This verse implies that righteousness leads a peaceful rather than trouble-filled life. But, in order to become righteous (mature, wise), we must be trained by the discipline (adversity).

I don’t believe we need to be plagued by hardship our whole lives. The faster we are trained by it, the faster we’ll escape it.

And once we’re righteous (mature, wise) in our walk (not just in heart), I believe we’ll be able to say with David “. . . the Lord. . . has redeemed my life out of every adversity“.

Adversity In the Bible: Trouble Will Train Us for the Good Life

Oftentimes it’s our own foolishness that brings trouble upon us. But that trouble is the very thing that will deliver us out of our foolishness if we allow ourselves to be trained by it.

And once we’re liberated of our foolishness, we’ll also be set free of the grief it caused.

We should be encouraged by this fact: the more we embrace our adversity and allow it to do its work in our character, the faster we’ll be emancipated from it.

Hardship has a God-ordained purpose in our lives. And once that purpose has been achieved, the trouble will be removed. It behooves us, then to concentrate, not on trying to get out of our troubles, but on using them to overcome our issues. And ultimately become mature.

This, I believe, is what it means to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”Mathew 6:33.

To read a post related to Adversity in the Bible: How Much Control Do We Have? See What Does God Say About the Unjust Suffering of Joseph?

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