Is God a troublemaker or a troubleshooter

The writer happened to be in the midst of Christian brothers to pray with them and listen to a preacher. The young preacher that took the podium, in an effort to motivate his listeners, said “do not be afraid of trouble, face it. Our God loves trouble. He is a trouble maker that is why he said ‘call me in the days of trouble and I will answer you’.” Then is God really a trouble maker? The writer would have concluded that it was a mistake by the preacher but he realized that the preacher can be right depending on how one decides to consider the debate.

A troublemaker is someone that creates problems and some people have come to believe that God does or permits all things to happen including the troubles they may face in life.

Is it possible that God creates troubles to make us suffer?

Is it possible that God creates these troubles for us so that he can know our faith or to test our faith and trust in him?

Is it possible that God wants to know if we can depend on him at such time and call on his name?

The temptation of Job can be an example of such a time God created or permitted trouble. The writer in his book “It is time we truly know why Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus” did say “God sent Moses to Pharaoh and same God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.” The meaning of statement is what only few can truly understand because “many were called but few were chosen.”

Then again, we know that, it is said, God is a loving father and he has promised not to permit that which we cannot handle to befall us. The quote “Call on me in time of trouble and I will answer you,” shows that God is aware that we will not have a life free of troubles even though he may not be responsible for such troubles. That is he knows we will face temptations and he knows that the devil will always seek ways to harm us, his children, or make us look away from him. Therefore, he commanded those that trust in him; those that know he is more than able to do anything he wants to do; those that know him as the author and finisher of their faith; those that know they cannot do anything or go on without his help. He said to these people; invite me at such a time when you can no longer carry on; call me when your enemies think they have won; when the trouble is too much for you to handle alone and if you are afraid just know that I always by your side, and if men think you do not have a God just invite me so I prove to them that I am your God because I know you have no other God. In this case God is seen not as a troublemaker but as a troubleshooter.

Lastly, the ways of God may be incomprehensible to man and individual ideas vary so people see God from different perspectives. Therefore God can be a troublemaker, a troubleshooter or both depending on your own view of things and you are free to let the world know what you think. Once again, “Call me in the time of trouble and I will answer you. I will give you rest.”