What is the first thought believers often have when suddenly stricken?
The immediate reaction is to ask why these bad things happen to believers especially. The mind questions why adversity strikes those who are sold out to Christ, and often why it comes to unbelievers who are good people, even though such things do happen.
Les teaches that when some are suddenly stricken, the first thing that hits the mind is the question of why these bad things happen to believers especially, and many times to unbelievers who are good people, but they do happen. He says the apostle must have had those thoughts many, many times, being sold out to Christ and suffering not only physically at the hands of enemies but even in sickness. After leaving Ephesus under terrible persecution and pressure because of the silversmiths, he became deathly sick and thought he would not live, yet he carried the burden of the unreached millions of the Roman Empire. Les also points to 2 Corinthians, where Paul was beaten with rods, shipwrecked, cold, naked, and hungry for the Gospel. He reminds folks that people today are no different than in 60 A.D.; people do not change and their attitudes stay the same.