2. GOD’S
PERSPECTIVE
ON Our
AdversitY

3. Romans 8:18
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

4. 2 Corinthians 4:15-17
15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

5. Glory in the Bible.
1 Corinthians 10:30
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

7. Luke 9:26
26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

8. -God’s perspective on Adversity & why he allows Adversity.
• To conquer OUR pride.
Proverbs 29:22
23 A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

9. 1 Peter 5:5-6
5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

10. Ezekekiel 28:12-19 – satan fell because of his pride.
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

11. Mark 10:15
15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

12. Jonathan Edwards, (born Oct. 5, 1703, East Windsor, Conn. [U. S
Jonathan Edwards, (born Oct. 5, 1703, East Windsor, Conn. [U.S.]—died March 22, 1758, Princeton, N.J.), a great theologian and philosopher of British American Puritanism, stimulator of the religious revival known as the “Great Awakening,” and one of the forerunners of the age of Protestant missionary expansion in the 19th century.

13. Jonathan Edwards points out… seven symptoms of the infection of pride.
1. Fault-Finding
Matthew 7:1-5 – (Jesus reminded us of this on the sermon on the mount)
Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

14. 2. A Harsh Spirit
Proverbs 16:18
18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 6:16-19
16 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

15. 3. Superficiality Luke 18:9-14
9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

16. Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.
4. Defensiveness
Proverbs 13:10
Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.

17. Romans 12:18-19
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

18. 5. Presumption Before God
James 4: (James on the ‘Will of God”)
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

19. 6. Desperation for Attention
Matthew 6:6
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

20. 7. Neglecting Others
Romans 2:11
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
James 2:1
My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

21. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
Psalm 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

22. We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. 
A. Lincoln, Proclamation of a day of National Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer, 1863.