Why do we need the tribulation?
Isaiah 44:10 Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. 12 The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house. 14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. 15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. 16 He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: 17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. 18 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. 19 And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? 20 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
We need help to see what it is to be rich. Everyone at some point in their life thinks how nice it would be to be rich. So let's explain the difference between rich and poor. The difference is not hard work, some wealthy people work very hard and some poor people are lazy. Both rich and poor can experience the joy that comes from a job well done, both can be very skilled. Nor is the difference in how you raise your family. There are poor people who are very uppity and there are rich people who still drive a twenty year old pickup truck and live in their family house.
The difference is quite simple, I saw a chair on antiques roadshow that costs $500,000. I have also seen folding chairs that cost $7 each. That is the difference. A rich person sits in a chair that costs $500,000, and a poor person sits in a chair that costs $7. But both chairs will burn up in the fire. We need that fire to realize we can't put our trust in riches, it is a vanity, a puff of smoke.
The same is true of the US dollar. We may think that the US dollar is worth a lot and the Venezuela dollar is worth next to nothing. At one point it was 3,000 BsF to the US dollar. But one day they both will go up in flames and both will be worth the same, simply an illusion, a vapor, a mirage.
We need to see that all of our trust needs to be in the Lord and that everything else is false.
Isaiah 44:10 Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. 12 The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house. 14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. 15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. 16 He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: 17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. 18 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. 19 And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? 20 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
We need help to see what it is to be rich. Everyone at some point in their life thinks how nice it would be to be rich. So let's explain the difference between rich and poor. The difference is not hard work, some wealthy people work very hard and some poor people are lazy. Both rich and poor can experience the joy that comes from a job well done, both can be very skilled. Nor is the difference in how you raise your family. There are poor people who are very uppity and there are rich people who still drive a twenty year old pickup truck and live in their family house.
The difference is quite simple, I saw a chair on antiques roadshow that costs $500,000. I have also seen folding chairs that cost $7 each. That is the difference. A rich person sits in a chair that costs $500,000, and a poor person sits in a chair that costs $7. But both chairs will burn up in the fire. We need that fire to realize we can't put our trust in riches, it is a vanity, a puff of smoke.
The same is true of the US dollar. We may think that the US dollar is worth a lot and the Venezuela dollar is worth next to nothing. At one point it was 3,000 BsF to the US dollar. But one day they both will go up in flames and both will be worth the same, simply an illusion, a vapor, a mirage.
We need to see that all of our trust needs to be in the Lord and that everything else is false.