Where’s God when life stinks?

a. Holding the dead fish.
b. On vacation, indifferent to my circumstances.
c. Encouraging me to keep going.
d. Right there with me… lighting a Glade scented candle.

If you chose "a" or "b," you may have a serious case of humbugitis. The cure, you ask? A good, solid dose of life lessons from our fictional friend, Ebenezer Scrooge...

Life Lesson #6: The Presence Of Problems Doesn't Indicate The Absence Of God.

"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way," (James 1:2-4).

Every problem you face has a question attached to it... which makes it a test. Think about it like this: if you answer the question properly, you advance. That's why the Bible describes testing as an opportunity.

Students don't look forward to testing -especially surprise tests. When there are a bunch of problems laid out in front of you, there is a question that is waiting to be answered. The question might be, "Are you doing the right thing for the right reason?" or, "How do you handle offense?"

Sometimes during a season of testing, you might fell like God is silent. Just remember that in school and in life, the teacher rarely talks during a test. In times of testing, God may be quiet, but He’s never absent.