Everybody has trouble. The righteous have been hated by the evil doers since Cain slew Able. Most if not all of the Old Testaments prophets were killed as were the disciples of Christ during the establishment of the church. And followers of Christ are still being killed in several parts of the world, and I expect it to happen soon in America.
The wise men said that Christ had come to bring "peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:14 He did, but mankind has rejected what Christ came and died to offer them, and have hindered his work as much as possible.
I say little about the problems and trouble that I have experienced in life; however, it started early in my life and progressed after I professed faith in Christ. So, I have decided to address a few things.
First, I made a profession of faith when I was sixteen years old, purchased my first bible a year and half later, and was chosen as the Adult Bible class teacher in a local church at the age of 21 or 22. I had made great effort to learn as much about God's as I reasonably could, listening to many preachers on radio and going to revivals, etc., and I am still making great effort to learn the Word of God.
One thing that people have never learned is that attacking God's servants is not a wise thing to do. It didn't work well for Cain, Saul, Belshazzar, and others. People still believe that they can thumb the eye of God with impunity, notwithstanding that God said, "touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm." 1st Chr. 16:22. Jesus said that, "It is impossible but that offences will come, but woe unto him, through whom they come." Luke 17:1
I dislike to disagree with Christians that have good intentions but are ill informed. However, I must be open and do what I am called to do. I say that to say this. I see a lot of Old Testament quotes of the wonderful and beautiful promises of God. Those promises were made to the Israelites and conditioned on their obeying God's commandments. God intended for Israel to be the greatest nation on earth for all time to come. "And it shall come to pass, if thou shall hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and do all of his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth." Deut. 28:1. But if they did not obey and do his commandments, they would "become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among the nations." Deut. 28:37.
These and many other scriptures that clearly establish that God's promises are conditional--conditioned on obedience to his commandments.
I have never discussed much of my problems--many of which were of my own making, and many were not. Many writers of the bible did relate the sufferings that they experienced, and Christ taught that we were to rejoice when we were counted worthy to suffer for his cause and the disciples did and willingly went to their deaths for his cause.
Now if anybody speaks negatively of anybody's wrongdoing, they are acussed of "judging." Christ addressed judging in Matt. 7:1; however, he was speaking to his disciples and demanding that they not judge each other, and there is no reference in the bible of them ever doing that. There is no scripture in the bible that demands or even remotely suggest that we messengers of the gospel reframe from condemning the sins of the sinners, ungodly and hypocrites. It is no sin to speak out against the godless politics of liberals, abortionists and homosexuals or any other sinful behavior. Liberals that refuse to comply with God's commands which professing to be "Christians" disgrace and blaspheme God's holy name; abortion supporter support murder of the unborn, and homosexuals can try to cover up their evil behavior by claiming that homosexuality is not mentioned in the bible. Indeed, the word homosexual is NOT in the bible, but it is clearly described as men lying with men and women lying with women, and people without "nature affections" and judged to be an abomination--very serious sin. Paul taught Timothy to: "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine." 2nd Timothy 4:2.
We know that we are going to die but it is t some unknown time in the future; therefore, we push it out of our minds.
But then there comes a time when our days are up and it is time to die.
On a personal note, I had never been seriously ill in my life until I got COVID-19 the late part of September in 2021 and was in the hospital for five days. I am still suffering consequences of it and will--according to the doctors--for several months.
Is serious business and reality when we don't know what the outcome will be and perhaps shall be facing God within a matter of hours or a few days. That is a time of soul searching and to make sure that we are prepared to face our record in God's record book.
It is appointed unto man to die and then face God's judgment. The plan of salvation is simple. For the publican, it was "be merciful to me a sinner." Luke 18:13; for the keeper of the prison, it was: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved. . ." Acts 16:27--31.
For a real realistic drama of life, death, and judgment will be similar to, I suggest a viewing of Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames. https://realityoutreach.org. The "Man to See," Edward Bennett Williams, a Washington insider and popular lawyer, told his son shortly before his death that he was "about to see real power." We all eventually will do the same.