STRIVING FROM STRIFE: WHY AND REASONS

By Tammy Bonner A.A., B.B.S.

INTRODUCTION
Lately things in my life are causing me heartache, family and friends had died, family members having
health problems to where they are in the hospital for a period of time. And I wonder why these things
happen. But then I remember Job in the Bible. He went through some terrible sufferings. And eventhough
he lost his children, livestock, and servants, he stayed committed to God.
When I remember what Job went through, I get down on my knees and pray to the Lord Jesus Christ for
help. Although I cant bring back the dead, I can ask Jesus to heal those that are sick. And He did.
Thank you Jesus.
WHY WE HAVE STRIFE
Today is the first day of the year. Many things have happened but it is Gods will that we struggle on. It
is days like this that make us think about our relationship with God. We always wonder why bad things
have to happen in our life, but as we sit down in a quiet place and read our Bible, we start to understand
why it is that God puts grief in our lives. Most of us would rather just have an easy life, no worries, no
sickness, or no heartache. But what would our relationship with God be without these test that are laid
upon us?
As you read the Bible, you will see that many times man has strayed from God. This was due to their
plentifulness God had blessed them with. In Judges, we see this constantly. Man was with God for many
years, but then became slack in their faithfulness to God.
Strife would enter their lives, and the people started to cry out to God. You can see that their straying
from God caused problems to enter into their life. This may not be the case with everyone, since man is
not perfect (Romans 3:23). But it does show their underlying desire to come back to God in a time of
need.
Now, what would have happened if man didnt have any problems? They had already strayed from God.
Do you think that at any time they would come back to God on their own? More than likely they would
not have gone back to God. They would have kept worshipping idols, ignoring the One and Only True
God.
The Bible states that the wages for sin is death (Romans 6:23). So they would not have been able to
experience the Kingdom of God if they died in their sin. God loves sinners, but not the sin.
Huh? (Many people question)
Remember, God is a Holy God. In Exodus, we read that only certain people were allowed into the Holy
of Holies. There were ceremonies performed and certain clothing had to be worn. This was commanded
by God. But this was because of Gods holiness that this was commanded. Jesus became our holy of

holies so that we can come before God. But we must, through Christ Jesus, become sinless in order to
approach the Kingdom of Heaven.
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1John 1:8)
IN THE BEGINNING
It began long ago, too long in fact. While I was growing up, I didnt know much about God, Jesus, or the
Bible. I had a Bible, a King James Version. I would try to read it, but it was like reading a foreign
language. How many eight year olds can read 1600s English? I sure couldnt. I looked at the few
pictures that were in the Bible, but I didnt know what they were about.
I went to church every once in a while. My family at that time wasnt big on going to church. And the
church I did go to, the preacher would yell until his face turned red. I had enough yelling at home, much
less go to church and get yelled at.
In high school, many of my friends were Christians. I would go to their churches, just to go and be with
my friends. I remember being at one of my friends church. They asked me if I was a Christian. I didnt
know what that was. I kind of felt dumb, but I also had never understood what it meant. They asked if I
believed in Jesus. I heard the name before, I kind of believe who Jesus was, but I never really understood
who He was.
I did not know who Jesus really was until I was in my 40s.
I married a man, when I was 30, who went to church every Sunday. I really wasnt sure about the whole
church deal but I loved my husband, so I went. And I gradually started understanding the Bible, but not
as much as I should have. Then when I retired from work, I started doing bible study correspondence
courses. They explained many things that I have wondered about my whole life.
My point here is that, it is never too late to understand who Jesus is, or what the Bible is about. I always
tell people, dont just READ the Bible, but UNDERSTAND the Bible.
You ask how can I understand something that I dont understand?
Lucky us, we have the internet. I would have loved to have had the internet in school. It beats going to
the library for hours, trying to find information from the small section of books they have.
Im going to show you how to find answers to your questions.
YOU HAVE QUESTIONS
First, if you are going to a church, the best person to ask is your pastor or elder. Im not much of a person
myself to approach someone and start asking questions. I always felt that they would think I was dumb or
something. But thats not the case. Pastors, elders, and any other member of your church (if its a TRUE
Bible believing church) should want to help answer your questions. Anyone that judges you should not
be in charge of a church.

Second, I will recommend some sites (as far as 2013 goes) that will help you answer your questions and
also provide commentary that will explain any questions you have.
www.biblestudytools.com
www.biblegateway.com
www.ccel.org/ccel/henry/mhc.i.html (online commentaries)
www.ttb.org (Thru The Bible Radio Broadcast Dr. J. Vernon McGee)
www.ttb.org/contentpages/21793/e63bfac6-600d-436f-8231-5fcadefa77d6/5-YearSeriesinMP3.aspx
Thru The Bible Radio Network is a great resource. The MP3 link is to Dr. McGees radio
commentaries. They are free to download and listen on an MP3 player or on your computer. I used
to listen to these broadcast when I worked security on the midnight shift. They have helped me a lot
in understanding the scriptures. Eventhough Dr. McGee pasted in 1988, I hope you listen and enjoy
his broadcast.
ANSWERS FOR STRIFE
Now back to the beginning of this book. Why do we have strife?
I strayed from the subject so you can have some tools to help answer questions when you read the Bible,
because the Bible shows and answers the question.
We tend to blame God for all the wrong things in our life and then not thank Him when goods things
happen in our life. The Bible teaches us that bad things happen because we are humans. Since the time
Adam and Eve sinned, God never promised that we would never have any problems in our life.
And why are we suffering because of Adam and Eve? The question should be why did Jesus died for
us? Eventhough we are paying for what Adam and Eve did, throughout the Bible there are many times
that God has interceded with man so that man would not suffer.
Thats why He gave us the freedom of choice (or free will). What would be the point in having people
that are robots telling Him they love Him? Thats like having a child that is like a doll with a pull string,
its made to say I love you. Anytime you want someone to say I love you, you just pull your kids
string and they say it.
Does that mean anything to you?
I rather have my son voluntarily go up to me and say I love you. I dont want a kid with a string. The
same is with God. He wants us to go to Him on our own accord and say I love you.
And because we have this freedom of choice, man chooses to do the wrong thing, which is to sin against
God. To tell the Creator that they dont love Him and that they are going to do what THEY want to do.

PROPHETS

This is the case with the people in Nineveh, who were giving their love to a piece of metal or wood (back
then idols were made of some type of metal and/or wood). They were telling God that they wanted to love
a piece of garbage instead of the One and True Creator, God Himself.
God sent prophets to idol worshipping areas so to warn them of impeding judgment. Jonah was directed
to Nineveh, where he preached for forty days. He warned Ninevah that if they did not turn from idol
worship to God, that God would punish them.
Why is that?
As I first said, God is a holy God. Unholiest is not welcome in Gods Kingdom. So in order for the
people in Nineveh to go to heaven, they needed to give up their idols, and turn to God and worship and
love God. God wants our love.
Can you believe that?
Our loving God wanted these people to be saved, eventhough they were worshiping idols. He wanted to
save them from eternal damnation and let them have them eternal salvation in Heaven.
How loving is our God?
You see, strife is given so we can have eternal salvation with our loving Father in Heaven. We dont have
prophets to warn us, but we do have the Bible and we have God that warns us. We are also blessed with
the crucifixion of Christ Jesus, who was sent down from Heaven in order for us to be saved from our sins.
But we must know that we are sinning and turning away from God. So we have warnings and we have
redemption that allows us to want to go to God and become saved so that we can have eternal happiness.
FINAL THOUGHT
If there is anything that I would like for you to acquire out of this book, it is that YOU NEED TO READ
THE BIBLE. That is the most important thing that everyone on this earth MUST do. Reading the
Bible allows us to understand and come before God. We will understand His holiness, His love, His
righteousness, and His forgiveness.
WHATS KEEPING YOU FROM READING YOUR BIBLE TODAY? RIGHT NOW, THIS SECOND?
Dont you want to spend time in eternity with your Savior, your Father, your Creator, our Lord Jesus
Christ? I do. Hell is not an option for me.
Keep loving God and trusting in Him. He loves you so much. So much that He wants you there in
Heaven with Him.