Troubles

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed…” — 2 Corinthians 4:8

Trouble is part of every life. The Scriptures never promise a road without hardship, but it does promise that God walks with us through it. From some preaching that can be heard on TV, YouTube, and other outlets, one would think that Christian life is supposed to be trouble-free.

Some years ago, our church had a faithful, Bible-preaching evangelist in to preach our annual revival meeting. We meet at a Waffle House one morning for breakfast. When I arrived, he was already there and scribbling some words on a napkin. The poem (below) is what he wrote.

He captured the reality of problems very accurately.

My troubles have come,
My troubles have gone,
And more trouble is on the way.
One thing’s for sure,
My troubles endure,
For my trouble will meet me today.
So often I’ve tried,
Just simply to hide;
My face from it’s long gazing stare.
Yet, running my best,
From the East to the West,
I find that my troubles still there.
From dusk until dawn,
My troubles roll on,
And it seems that my troubles won’t end.
But, then as I look,
In the Word of God’s Book;
I find there,
That troubles’ my friend.