Sometimes things must get worse before they can get better. You would think that after the triumphant announcement about the victory of Jesus in chapter 5 we would see things being restored. But no, instead, we see four horses sent out into the earth to make matters worse. It’s not that God wants to cause evil. Rather, what he is doing is bringing out the evil that is already there by removing the restraints. Have you ever made a good effort to address a problem in your life with prayer and counselling only to find that the problem gets worse? It is a common scenario. If we prayed about this problem, why would it then get worse as a result? God deals with problems by first drawing out the problem to its full extent. He brings it all out more fully so that it can be acknowledged and dealt with properly. I remember a young couple who had not experienced any conflict in their relationship suddenly starting to have conflict after a session of pre-marriage counselling. The conflict was there, but it was suppressed. We just brought it out into the open so they could communicate about it in a healthy way, which they did to great benefit. There have been many times in my life when an issue has laid hidden in my heart, and because I would not face it, God put me into a situation where it manifested itself in all its ugliness. I thank God that he did that because it was my saving grace.
Ask God to show you the things he wants you to deal with in your life.
Read Revelation 6:1-8
