God is not there to make life difficult for us. On the contrary, He does more good for us than we realise—sometimes even through trials. Are you wondering how this can work? The Chief Apostle recently shed some light on this question.
On Sunday, 19 January 2025, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider conducted a divine service in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad. Some 1,600 people attended the divine service, which was based on Jeremiah 32: 41: “Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.”
In his explanations he emphasised that God utilises His omnipotence to do good things for human beings. A good thing is our connection with Jesus Christ and His church, our being “rooted and built up in Him” (Colossians 2: 7), which helps us to keep our faith even in difficult times.
Chief Apostle Schneider visited Chad in January 2025
The divine service in the conference centre in N’Djamena was attended by over 1,600 people
The Chief Apostle preached in French and the sermon was translated into Sara, a Central Sudanic language, at the altar
The Chief Apostle was accompanied by District Apostles Tshitshi Tshisekedi, as well as …
… District Apostle Helpers João Uanuque Misselo and further Apostles
He has all the power to do good
In contrast to human beings, God utilises His power only for good things, the Chief Apostle said. The Creator cares for all human beings. This was also the case with Adam and Eve. They severed their relationship with God by being disobedient and yet God provided for them in the natural. And this was the case with the Israelites. God liberated them from slavery, and they turned away from Him. “God gives us light and life, He gives us food and air. Without the good things that God does, human beings could not live, could not exist,” the Chief Apostle said. And to this day, God does good to human beings by rooting them in Jesus Christ. In this way, He can lead us into His kingdom and deliver us from evil, the Chief Apostle explained, and went on to mention several aspects.
The sacrifice of Jesus and the pledge of eternal life
“Because Jesus overcame death and sin, God gave Him power and authority. And Jesus said, ‘God has given me all authority. No one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.’ Christ keeps us close to Himself; no one can force us to leave Him,” the Chief Apostle said.
Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, a down payment has been rendered for the believers so that they can be sure: “I have chosen you. I want you to be with Me in My kingdom. So God has not only given us a promise; He has already rendered a down payment for us—proof that He really wants to save us.”
Faith, the fear of God, and love
God allows us to make many an experience to strengthen our faith. “Having faith in God means trusting in Him. And if this fear of God dwells within us, we will not allow just any spirit to captivate and carry us away. Then the devil and other people can tell us whatever they like.” The word of God takes precedence over reason, the Chief Apostle said.
God roots us by placing His love in our hearts, the Chief Apostle said. And in return, “Whatever you do, do it out of love for Christ”—not out of calculation or the expectation of a miracle or a special blessing.
The hope and fellowship of God’s children
The Holy Spirit increases the hope of believers. “We do not just see our present life. We are waiting for the return of the Lord and eternal glory. We know that what Jesus will give us in His kingdom is so much greater than anything we have ever experienced on this earth.”
But God also exhorts us to be united as children of God and to support and comfort one another, and to carry one another in our weaknesses. “I know children of God who have gone through a spiritual crisis. They doubted God, but they loved their brothers and sisters. And because they loved the congregation, they stayed even though their faith had become weak and regained their faith.”
A special connection: tests and trials
God can even turn evil into good, the Chief Apostle said. Those children of God who have experienced their faith know this and understand it. God sometimes permits great misfortune and adversity to fall on us. And one tends to think that people who have experienced such things can no longer believe. However, exactly the opposite is the case, the Chief Apostle pointed out. “God uses trials to do us good because through them He strengthens our faith. He allows us to truly discover and understand His love, and we experience His presence at our side.”
Chief Apostle Schneider summarised the divine service as follows: “God does good things for us. The activity of the Holy Spirit aims to root us in Christ. As for us, let us do good by permitting the Holy Spirit to work in us and by following His impulses!”