Using Alpha Power to Deal with Adversity

UV 2925/10000 Using Alpha Power to Deal with Adversity
He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression
Job 36 v 15
One translation of this uni-verse puts it aptly, “ For He gets their attention through adversity.” But for adversity, most people would not even seek God or His rule over their lives. Our character is both tested and shaped by adversity. He builds our faith often in times of adversity. Not that the Lord is against prosperity but the best lessons of life are taught and learnt in hard times. Our usually insensitive ears, minds and hearts begin to respond to Him. Scripture says that adversity builds patience in us. We are ready to wait till the Lord acts as we cry out in pain and anguish. We continue to hold onto our hope that He will come to our rescue, that He will deliver us.

Scripture states, “ Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him from them all.” The sovereignty and reality of God will break through the storm clouds. The Alpha power of God will become real to us as we deal with adversity. Sometimes, the Lord uses adversity to discipline us and wean us from the path of obstinacy and wilful error even as a rider puts a hook through the nose of a horse to tame it. It will be painful while it lasts but once the adversity is over, the lessons of wisdom and faith learnt are incomparably more valuable. We need to use the Alpha power of Christ to overcome, to cope with adversity even as Paul coped with imprisonment, betrayal, loneliness, ship wreck, flogging, false accusations, an affliction in his flesh that he called a thorn and so on.

Sometimes, the darkest hour of adversity would precede the most glorious days of our lives. Jacob was at the end of the tether of hope having lost his favourite son Joseph and Benjamin as well as Simeon had been held back in Egypt. At that point in time when everything seemed the bleakest and he was at his weakest, the sun broke through the dark clouds. His long last son Joseph, who had himself suffered much adversity, was restored to him in a way he could not have imagined. Joseph was restored to him as the second most powerful ruler of the most powerful nation of the ancient world. It was a most joyful reunion with all his sons. He lived the last decades of his life enjoying the fulfilment of the promise of Jehovah to him. The mystical word ALPHA can be expanded to stand for Always Prayerful, Hopeful Always. Indeed, there is no joy in this life without hope and no hope without finding our joy in the strength of the Lord.