Why We Struggle

Do you ever wonder why your life goes the way it does? Have you lost your job? Have you lost a friend or loved one? Did you just find out you have cancer? Do you ever wonder why Satan seems to have your kids firmly in his grasp? Bad things that happen are not always because of sin and evil desires.

One time Yeshua saw a man who was blind since birth. Yeshua’s disciples assumed the reason he was blind was because someone had sinned, either this man or his parents. In John 9:3, Yeshua answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.” As it turns out, Yeshua healed this man on the Sabbath, this of course caused a stir among the religious leaders. Later, this man found out who Yeshua was; he believed and worshiped Him. This was the perfect response to the works of God.

There was no indication of generational sin here that caused this problem.

Sometimes, when your life goes awry or when Satan seems to have your kids firmly in his grasp, it’s so the works of God can be revealed in those situations at some point in time.

Diseases like cancer may or may not have a spiritual origin; it may be a result of poor diet or exposure to carcinogens. It may be a time to make serious life changes. A job loss could be giving you the opportunity for something better or to teach you to trust the Father. The loss of a friend or loved one may simply be because it was their time; it’s also a time for you to reflect on what is most precious in life and to cherish the times you shared together. I know that doesn’t take away the hurt; grief is often a painful a process that people must work through.

Spiritual warfare is not always the cause of the troubles we face in life but sometimes it is. We are sheep who are trying to keep our families in a safe sheepfold. Often a thief is trying to find a hole in the wall because he can’t come through the door. John 10:10 tells us this thief/wolf is determined to steal, kill, or destroy us and/or our families. His voice calls out to us in one way or another to tempt us to sin or to pledge our allegiance to Satan in exchange for love, power, riches, or fame. We also have our own desires to sin that we give into. Life’s circumstances often cause us to be depressed. Some of us contemplate, attempt, or are successful at committing suicide because we listen to a lying voice from the kingdom of darkness.

Some people may experience demonic visitations. This is not the norm, but it does happen. If this is happening to our children, we may find ourselves unsuccessful at keeping them away from our children permanently. We might have difficulty finding the doorway that allowed this to happen; there may not even be one!! Satan might realize your child will become a great threat to him someday. His goal may be to destroy your child before that time comes; this was the idea behind killing the baby boys around Moses’ and Yeshua’s birth. This may be accomplished through a variety of forms of temptations and destructive sins.

Children don’t always listen when they are told not to talk to these kinds of “strangers.” Children need to be taught and reminded to:

• test the voices they hear;
• command unclean spirits to leave in the name of Yeshua;
• flee from them if possible;
• get help if necessary;
• keep you constantly informed of what they are dealing with.

Sometimes, life is a constant spiritual battle that we don’t dare share for fear of being ostracized as a lunatic or isolated further for one reason or another. Hard-core spiritual warfare is scary; it’s not for the weak. It can make you strong; but, it can also drain you. This is right where Satan wants us to be—alone, afraid, and defeated.

Somewhere along the way, we may not have learned how to properly hear the voice of the Good Shepherd who is the way, the truth, and the life. Yeshua is the voice of truth we need to be listening to. If we have trained ourselves to hear His voice, it is sometimes easier to know what to do. At times, we may cry out for help because the battle of life has been too intense for too long. The question of why things are often so difficult remains. We long for that abundant life Yeshua spoke of in John 10:10.

We need to understand that sometimes our lives are part of a much bigger picture. Life is not always just about us. When Yeshua heard that Lazarus had become sick, Yeshua said that it was not a sickness unto death, “but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Yeshua delayed in going to heal Lazarus. By the time Yeshua arrived in Bethany, Lazarus was dead and buried but Yeshua was glorified by raising Lazarus from the dead. I’m sure many put their faith in him as a result of the news of that miracle spreading from place to place.

Our struggles may not be because of sin; what’s happening in our lives may be an opportunity to bring glory to God. Isaiah 43:7 says, “Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.” We were created for Yehovah’s glory. We don’t know if that glory will come through life or through death; but, it is why we were created.

When faced with life’s challenges, we must not be afraid. We need to accept the worst that may come, but pray for the best to come. If it is a true spiritual battle, we need to clothe ourselves in spiritual armor and fight. We need to ask the righteous (those who are Torah observant) to join us in warfare prayer because their prayers accomplish much. No matter what happens, we must trust Yehovah, and constantly give glory to Him.