TO THE EDITOR:

Leaven is yeast. A little leaven changes ingredients into a large loaf of bread. Leaven is a Biblical picture of sin. Quite often sin will change a person into being someone he/she does not want to be. Sin always does damage. It is a plague. Avoid it. Galatians 5:9 states, “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”

Living like God commands us is not always easy. Some people believe submitting to the Lord’s will exempt them from heartaches, hardships, hazards, and life’s hiccups. Not true. God will protect and guide, but we live in a sinful world and face the consequences of our sins and those of others.

One biblical example is King David. In Psalm 31 he dealt with:

1. Traps set for him to make him fail in verse 4

2. Lies all around him in verses 6 and 18

3. Plenty of troubles in verse 9

4. Grief in verse 10 and…

5. Those who forgot him and his needs in verse 12

Trials and troubles are not always an undesirable thing. Often they can draw us closer to the Lord as we seek His help. Also, they can help strengthen our faith as we see God will protect and help us during these times.

Although we don’t have a get-out-of-pain-and-suffering card just because one is a child of God, we have something that the godless do not have when they go through hardships. We have the Lord. He is our God (Psalm 31:14), and we will have his watchcare, guidance, and protection.

We will experience what God allows in our lives for our benefit or that of someone else. We may not always like our trials, but God has a purpose for us to learn and get spiritually stronger through our tests and turbulences.

“Be good of courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.” Psalm 31:24

Marilyn Sager

Houghton