You’re Not Immune to Trouble or Harm

WHAT YOU AREN’T - Chapter 7

Most people - when they turn to Jesus for hope, forgiveness, grace - expect the future (which is undoubtedly secure in His care) to be bright, beautiful, peaceful, wonderful… and it often is. But sometimes it isn’t. 

Because this ain’t heaven. 

(And God told us so.)

People produce trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. (Job 5:7, NCV)

For every person alive, trouble is a sure thing.

As unavoidable as thirst. 

In the very beginning, God created two people and put them in a perfect place… and they still managed to find trouble. 

It started with the devil. 

And doubt.

And a dash of foolish pride.

Next thing they knew, Adam and Eve were kicked out of paradise… and the devil was slithering along in the dirt. 

And the rest of us were bound to repeat their mistakes and suffer the same fate. 

(Trouble, indeed.)

But God loved us too much to leave us in our own self-made mess. Instead, he sent his Son to rescue us from ourselves, our sin, our selfishness and foolishness.

By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him. (Romans 5:1-8, The Message)

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice and our saving faith, those troubles that “hem us in” are temporary. This - life on planet earth - is as close to hell as we will ever get.

Thank God!

But make no mistake - a lifetime can be harrowing. The 11th chapter of Hebrews closes with reminders of the unimaginable persecution and suffering endured by God’s faithful ones. These men and women were fully devoted to God and anticipating heaven, yet clearly not immune to trouble, pain, injustice, anguish. 

But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us. (Hebrews 11:35-40, NLT)

Whew. 

If that doesn’t convince you that - despite the fact that you’re God’s beloved son or daughter - you’re not immune to heartache, harm or horror, I don’t know what will. 

Times are tough. And we cannot expect that we’ll be unaffected by illness, hardship, peril, evil. But we can cling to Christ, and when we do, he shines through us. 

We have this treasure from God, but we are only like clay jars that hold the treasure. This is to show that the amazing power we have is from God, not from us. We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We often don’t know what to do, but we don’t give up. We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed. So we constantly experience the death of Jesus in our own bodies, but this is so that the life of Jesus can also be seen in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10, ERV)

Someday, we’ll be past this season of suffering and sorrow. It cannot - and will not - last forever. But someday can seem an awful long way off.

God always gives you all the grace you need. So you will only have to suffer for a little while. Then God himself will build you up again. He will make you strong and steady. And he has chosen you to share in his eternal glory because you belong to Christ. (1 Peter 5:10, NIRV)

It doesn’t seem like a little while when we’re in the thick of it. But there’s a Light at the end of this apparently endless tunnel. His name is Jesus. One way or another, he will see you/me/us through. 

To victory.

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.] (John 16:33, AMP)

No, you’re not immune from trouble or harm in this world, but - with God’s Spirit inside you - you can be brave, have peace, prevail. 

Jesus has overcome the world.

And, one day, so will you.

Courage, dear heart.

Text copyright © 2026 by Wendy Beth Holtz