The Bible is a book of problems. It’s full of problems because it’s full of people, and everyone has problems, great and small. Abraham had a problem when he and his nephew feuded over territory (Genesis 13). Jacob had a problem when he discovered he had married the wrong woman (Genesis 29). Elijah had a problem when the Brook Cherith dried up (1 Kings 17). Joseph and Mary had a problem when there was no room in the Bethlehem inn (Luke 2). Paul had a problem when he became shipwrecked off the coast of Malta (Acts 27).

What about you? Do you have any problems today, great or small?

Christians aren’t immune from adversity. Though we have a wonderful Savior who gives us abundant life, we still have problems. I’m currently dealing with several, and so are you. The big problems can weigh on our hearts like an anchor, and the little ones can irritate us like a rash. We often feel like the psalmist, who said, “My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all!” (Psalm 25:17, TLB)

Problems Can Shock Us

Even though we know problems are a part of life, sometimes they leave us in shock. In her book, The Daniel Prayer, Anne Graham Lotz described coming home and finding her front door broken down. Everything of value in the house was gone, including the heirlooms her grandmother had left her. The thieves had used her pillowcases to haul away her treasures.

That night, Anne was terrified the thieves would return. She finally got to sleep by focusing on the blessings she could never lose. The Lord gave her Matthew 6:20, a verse that assures us our real treasures are kept safely in heaven. The sense of crisis eventually passed, but Matthew 6:20 is still a prized possession in Anne’s memory of that event.

Problems Can Sadden Us

Some problems develop slowly and lie heavily on our hearts. They sadden us. These are problems that defy quick and easy solutions. It’s one thing to face a problem that can be tackled. By hard work we can pay off a debt. By counseling and prayer we can often resolve a breach in a relationship. By training we can correct a deficiency. But some problems are beyond our reach.

These are situations only God can handle, so we’re told to cast them into His hands (1 Peter 5:7). Our joy is in the Lord Jesus, not in the status of our situations. We can do the possible, but we must leave the impossible to Him. Yet the Lord has given us one powerful tool—the prayer of faith. God allows these problems in our lives to teach us  to pray, to persevere , and to discover the kind of peace that isn’t dependent on circumstances.

Problems often surprise us, and the shock of the moment takes its toll. Yet God has a verse for every ad-verse occurrence in life. Let’s be so saturated with His Word that the needed Scriptures come to mind, steadying us in challenging moments.

Problems Can Strengthen Us

All our problems, great and small, have one thing in common. They can strengthen us. As we look back over our life, we’ll be amazed at how God brought us through all the problems we’ve faced.

Remember, no problem lasts forever—and that’s a theological statement. Our greatest problems are sin and death, and those were overcome by our Lord’s cross and empty tomb. All other problems are limited by God’s limitless grace. They are momentary, designed to teach us to trust God for His outcomes.

The Bible says, “When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance…. And if, in the process, any of you does not know how to meet any particular problem he has only to ask God… and he may be quite sure that the necessary wisdom will be given” (James 1:2-5, PHILLIPS).

Discover a God who loves you and sees no problem too big or too small to handle. He can give the needed wisdom, and He will use the problems to strengthen your faith and endurance.

When problems surprise or sadden you, ask God for wisdom and inner strength. In His timing and in His way, He will turn today’s problem into tomorrow’s praise.