Tribulation

tribulation - a great misery or distress

Wow, makes you want to curl up and keep reading doesn't it? It won't be that depressing-I promise!

Alright, so I'm reading in 1 Chronicles 13 about David's decision to move the ark of the covenant. He loads it up on a cart with oxen and takes off to the city. The cart shifts, the ark is slipping and Uzzah reaches out to steady it. Problem solved-right? No, God becomes angry and strikes Uzzah dead. David becomes angry--at God--and then David becomes very afraid--of God.

Now there is a problem, apparently God did not want the ark moved maybe? So David decides to check the manual (God's Word) and discovers that God did indeed have a special format for the ark to be moved. And David never met one criteria that was on the list. So after reading what God wanted; David has a do over in 1 Chronicles 15 and things are smooth; nobody is killed and the ark is moved.

My Bible study this morning related this story to the afflictions that happen in our own lives. When things are going wrong; it's probably a good thing to stop and seek direction in God's word. I, like David, have a very bad habit of plowing ahead and seeking direction later.

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. Psalm 119:67
It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. Psalm 119:92

Let's have balance with this thought; God is not saying that everything that is going wrong is due to something you are doing. Life happens; that's the way the ball bounces is a favorite saying of mine in the classroom. But it doesn't hurt to stop,reflect,and seek God's direction in our decisions.