God, Can’t You See?

freefoto.com

Do you ever feel like God isn’t seeing things correctly? Like you have to explain things to Him?

It’s two weeks before Christmas. Money is tight. Then an unexpected bill arrives in the mail or the car breaks down. You can see this wasn’t a good time, that there isn’t enough in the checking account. So why can’t God see that?

Your dad is a good man who serves others and loves the Lord, but he’s diagnosed with cancer. He’s got three months. Maybe six with chemo. And yet a lot of bad, selfish people live a lot longer than him. Do we have to explain everything to God? Doesn’t He see that’s not right?

You’re believing God for a baby. You’ve been trying for several years to get pregnant. Then you hear about the 16-year-old down the street who just had an abortion. Um, God? Are you seeing this?

You’ve identified a problem at work. The solution is clear. To everyone. But your boss vetoes the idea. Or maybe he implements it, takes credit and gets promoted. Now God, were You not in any of the meetings when I presented my plan? Everyone else knew it was my idea. How did You not know?

“Why, O LORD, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1)

“How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1)

“You are God my stronghold. Why have You rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” (Psalm 43:2)

You and I aren’t the only ones with questions, are we?

No, the Bible is full of real people, with real problems and real questions. People just like us.

Fortunately, the Bible also has real answers. Not always easy or simple ones. Not always ones we’ll even like. But real answers from a real God.

And that’s where it all must begin. And end, really. With God. The one true, real God. The one who has no beginning. The one who spoke everything into existence from nothing. The one who has always desired friendship with us. The one who says:

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

“From eternity to eternity, I am God. No one can oppose what I do.” (Isaiah 43:13, The Living Bible)

I know there’s something in your life today that doesn’t make sense. Your finances. A relationship. Your health. An unfulfilled longing. And it feels like God just doesn’t get it.

I’m right there with you.

If you’re like me, you’ve tried analyzing your situation until you’ve seen it from every possible angle. You’ve mentally rehearsed the conversation and presented the undeniable facts. You’ve laid out all the evidence for God so He can see what you so clearly see. And you’ve probably lost sleep over it. But nothing changes. And so you’re left to wonder why in the world God won’t do something.

Maybe after we’ve tried all that, all the stuff that never works and only makes us feel worse, maybe it’s time to try something else…

Be still.

Stop explaining. Stop complaining. Stop analyzing. And stop strategizing.

And just be still.

Give your mind a rest. Let your heart experience His calm.

Know that He is God.

He sees you. He does. He understands your situation.

And He wants you to know Him, so you can trust Him. So you can start to see things more like He sees them.

He will be exalted. Not you. Not me.

This is His world. He made it for Himself. “All things were created by Him and for Him.” (Colossians 1:16)

From eternity to eternity, He is God. No one and no thing can oppose Him.

You and I have a choice. We can be frustrated, even angry with God for not seeing things our way or we can be still long enough to know, to really know that He is God, He is good and He can be trusted.

Maybe we need to simply remember this: if God isn’t worked up over my circumstances, then maybe I shouldn’t be either.

I Know the Plans I Have For You

Have you ever found yourself in a situation that was so far from what you’d dreamed, hoped and planned for that it’s hard to understand how you even got there? Are you in those circumstances now? Does it feel like you’re just about at the breaking point?

Do you ever feel like asking, “Lord, do You know what You’re doing? Can you not see how bad things are? Do You even care?”

I’ve been there. It feels awful. God seems far away and unconcerned.

Yesterday, I was talking with a friend who is going through a rough season very similar to what I went through a number of years ago. He and his wife have stepped out in faith to do what they sensed God calling them to do, but now it feels like God has gone silent. Hard circumstances haven’t gotten better, they’ve gotten worse.

So where is God when we really need Him? And what is He up to?

In Deuteronomy 8, it says:

Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the LORD promised on oath to your ancestors. Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

Sometimes God leads us into a desert wilderness to discipline us. Don’t think of discipline as punishment, think of it more like training. God is training us to know Him, His purposes and His ways. Those are things we don’t normally learn apart from the heat and barrenness of the desert.

In the desert, God humbles us and teaches us that we can depend on Him. He removes the comfortable situation we were in and leaves us with nothing…except Himself.

When we find ourselves in a desert, we immediately begin to look for a way out. That’s natural. But don’t forget that God is up to good in the desert, not harm.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

You may have taken a step of faith and expected God to “bless” you for it. You trusted Him and it seemed reasonable that He would come through for you. Only He didn’t. He took you on a detour…into a desert.

Had you known that’s where He was taking you, you probably wouldn’t have gone along. You would have stayed where you were and would have missed out on the good plan God has in store for you.

Know this: the desert isn’t the destination, it’s just part of the journey. Don’t stop living while you’re there. Keep seeking Him. Keeping growing. And while you’re there, look around for others who need your help. You’ll see them everywhere. For many in the desert, an encouraging word is like a drink of cold, refreshing water. You can give it to them.

God knows the good plan He has for you. Your time in the desert will end. In the meantime, can you be okay not knowing the plan, but knowing the One who does know it?

Help Me, Lord, Please!

I got off the phone a little while ago with a friend who’s going through a rough season. He’s currently unemployed and it’s been really tough on him. This is a guy who works hard, has tremendous gifts and skills, and has been very successful in his field, but he hasn’t been able to find a job. It’s not like he hasn’t tried. He’s also a loving husband and devoted dad, but his circumstances have caused some tension at home.

Maybe you can relate to my friend. You may have faced similar circumstances. You may be in them now.

You may be in a situation that despite your best efforts isn’t getting better. In fact, it may be getting worse. You’ve tried everything you know to do and nothing has worked.

That can be hard enough, but for those of us who also try to follow Jesus, there can be added pain and  confusion. If there was no God, if the universe really was a random accident, then difficult circumstances would be expected, right? Why would things not be hard?

But for those of us who follow Jesus, it can sometimes be confusing and painful when God doesn’t seem to be come through for us right when we need Him the most. We work hard. We pray hard. We seek God’s will. We stay faithful.

But God doesn’t come through. Or at least it seems that way. He just lets our difficulties continue. Often with no end in sight.

By the way, I know God never promised life would be easy. My friend knows that, too. But it doesn’t remove the pain, does it?

Another friend of mine, who has also been battling a lengthy season of unemployment, once said, “Growth is always preceded by pain or confusion.”

I need to remember that.

When nothing is working out and God appears to be AWOL, we can always know this: God is growing us. He’s growing our relationship with Him. He’s growing our faith. He’s growing our character. He’s growing our capacity to minister to others.

Don’t miss that last one. It’s been huge in my life. I hated some of the circumstances God took me through, but they enlarged my heart. I’m able to empathize with others because of what I experienced. I have compassion for others I wouldn’t have had.

So now what?

You’re in circumstances you didn’t ask for, didn’t want and wouldn’t wish on anyone. A serious illness. A divorce. The death of someone you love. Or like my friends, you’re struggling to find a job. Maybe you’re depressed and don’t know why. Or you’re lonely. Or you’re scared. Or you just don’t care any more.

What do you do now?

I won’t insult you with worn out Christian cliches that only make the pain worse, but when we’re in dark seasons, it’s sometimes easy to forget the core principles of our faith that really do bring strength and encouragement. So let me remind you of two things:

1. God has not forgotten you and will bring this season to an end. I know you can’t see a way out. I know God seems not to care. I know it doesn’t seem like He’s at work. But He has not forgotten you and He already sees how He will bring an end to your current circumstances.

2. Sometimes the best prayer is simply, “Help me, Lord, please!” You don’t have to be eloquent. Just cry out. And don’t stop. He will give peace and comfort in the midst of whatever you’re facing. He can also knock down walls, part seas, move mountains, change hearts, open doors or accomplish whatever else you need. And at just the right time, He will.

“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

Do You Remember?

In Mark 6, Jesus and His disciples, along with thousands of other people, are in a remote place. Because it’s late in the day, the disciples urge Jesus to send the people away so they can buy some food for themselves.

You remember the story–Jesus instructs the disciples to find out how much food they have available. They’re able to turn up five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus then multiplies the food and is able to feed over 5,000 people.

On a side note, the pastor at the church I grew up in explained the story by saying that everyone began to share the food they’d brought with them. Jesus hadn’t really multiplied the food. The real miracle was sharing. Maybe that kind of teaching was one of the reasons I was able to attend that church up until leaving for college without ever really understanding what it meant to have a relationship with Christ. But anyway…

Fast forward to Mark 8. I’m not sure how much time has elapsed since Mark 6, but it really doesn’t matter. Let’s pick up the story beginning with verse 1:

During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”

His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”

Let’s stop there. Does anything strike you as funny? Or sad?

Whether it’s been two days, two weeks or two months since Jesus fed the 5,000, wouldn’t you think the disciples would remember? He took five loaves and two fish and fed over 5,000 people. The disciples distributed the food. They picked up the leftovers. They saw it all happen.

And now the best they can come up with is, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”

I don’t see that any of the twelve having a better response. Their question seems to be the consensus wisdom of the group. No one said, “Hey wait! Jesus! Just do that thing again! You know, that thing where you made all that food from nothing! Remember that?! Do You think You could just do that again?”

Now here comes the really sad part. I’m as bad as the disciples. Worse even.

God meets a financial need, but I forget about it and worry again the next time I’m in a tight situation.

I see something I don’t like, but can’t control. God worked it out last time, but I still get worried, angry and anxious.

God pointed out my sin to me, but over time I allow it to creep back into my life.

I was worried about one of my children. God spoke to me about the situation. A year later, I was worried about the same child and the same issue. In a very clear and unmistakable way, God spoke to me again, saying the same thing He had a year earlier.

You would think the disciples wouldn’t be so spiritually and mentally dull. But who am I to talk?

Do you wrestle with this, too?

How do you remember what God has said and done in your life?

I Know the Plans I Have For You

When you got married, you weren’t anticipating a painful divorce.

You didn’t think you’d ever be an addict, but now the drugs, alcohol, pornography or whatever else is enslaving you. You’d love to stop. But you can’t.

Somehow you avoided the first round of layoffs and even the second, but you got caught up in the third. Now you’re unemployed and nobody is hiring.

You exercised and watched your diet, but still you got sick. Doesn’t seem fair that your co-worker who sits on the couch and smokes two packs a day seems to be in pretty good health.

You never planned on waking up one day with $30,000 in credit card debt, but there it is.

Maybe nothing horrible has happened, but life just hasn’t turned out like you thought it would. You had hopes and dreams, but they never quite materialized. And now you find yourself in a never-ending cycle of wake-up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, repeat. And you wonder…is this all there is?

Where’s God in the midst of all our hurts, disappointments and broken dreams? Does He see? And if He does, does He care?

And what if our circumstances are at least partly our own fault? What then? Is God going to save me from my own mistakes?

In Jeremiah 29, the prophet sends a letter from Jerusalem to the Jews who’ve been taken into exile in Babylon. I can’t imagine what that would be like–to be taken from your home and carried to a foreign country against your will. Your home is gone. Your land is gone. Everything that was good and comfortable and familiar–all gone.

So why were the Jews living in exile? It’s because they chose to worship idols and not obey God’s commands. God had warned them what would happen, but it didn’t change their hearts.

A good and gracious God can’t let us continue down a wrong path, but He also isn’t going to leave His people in exile. He will not only be with them in exile, but He will one day restore them to their homes in Jerusalem.

This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:10-14)

If your present circumstances feel like an exile, be encouraged–God will not leave you there. He knows the plans He has for you. Call out to Him. He will listen. Seek Him and you will find Him.

But when you come to Him, come on His terms. Come desiring His will, His plans, His ways of living life. Let go of your plans. His are so much better. His plans for you are good. How do I know? Because He is good. He cannot do anything that isn’t best for you.

If you feel like you’re to blame, that you’re the one that got yourself into the mess you’re in–don’t let that stop you from seeking Him and asking Him for His blessing and favor. He is not holding your sin over you. If you are in Christ, your sin is forgiven. The slate is wiped clean. You are holy and blameless in His sight. Yes, there are consequences for our wrong choices. The exiled Jews are evidence of that, but God delights in restoring us and giving us second chances. And third chances. And fourth chances…

And remember, you stand before Him by grace. You discover His plans for You by grace. When you seek Him and find Him, it’s by grace. You can’t ever be good enough to earn His favor. Jesus purchased God’s favor for you. You receive it by grace.

Today, you may find yourself in quite a mess with no apparent way out. As far as you can see in any direction is an unfamiliar land that’s a constant reminder of where you don’t want to be. But don’t lose hope. Don’t give up. Give yourself fully to God today and seek Him with all your heart. If you stumble and fall, then get back up and call to Him for help.

Seek Him today. Seek Him tomorrow. Seek Him the day after.

He may do something that will turn things around quickly. Or it may take longer than you’d like. In either case though, a good God is working out good plans for you. He cannot do otherwise.

The Battlefield is Your Mind

“We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”  1 John 5:19

Think about that for a moment. The whole world is under the control of the evil one. Jesus called him the father of lies. The book of Revelation tells us he is also called Destroyer. He is a deceiver, a tempter and an accuser.

You may be a child of God, but the evil one is still battling for control of your mind. He’s lost your heart, but he can still influence you by gaining control of your thoughts.

Keep in mind, “the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” Advertising. Education. Government. Television. Internet. Movies. Magazines. All under the control of the evil one.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t Christ-followers fighting to take back pockets of enemy ground, but on a whole–this world system is under enemy control. And the world system is ever working to squeeze you into it’s mold.

Yesterday, I spoke to a godly young woman who leads a new ministry outreach here in Fayetteville. In one of her summer classes, her professor is trying to undermine her confidence in God’s Word. It’s not an outright assault. It’s subtle. It’s crafty. It’s being done with well-timed questions and comments.

As my friend shared her story, I thought about Eve’s interaction with Satan in the garden. He asked her, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’”

Can you hear his tone of voice? It’s as if he’s saying, “Oh, come on. Really? God really said you’re not supposed to eat from any tree in the garden? You don’t believe that, do you?”

Let’s back up for just a moment. What’s God up to in the world?

In a nutshell, it’s this: God is all about His glory. This is His universe. It, and that includes you and me, exists for His pleasure. He created us to live in friendship with Him. Now and forever. This life is a process of getting to know God better, becoming conformed to the image of Christ and being used by Him to advance His kingdom on earth.

Getting rich, living for earthly pleasures, ordering our lives to be safe and comfortable aren’t really a part of God’s plan. In fact, in many ways, they are in total opposition to what God is all about. And yet, this world system encourages us to pursue wealth, pleasure, comfort and security everywhere we turn.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting we’re not to enjoy life. My five senses are all the evidence I need that God designed pleasure to be a part of our lives. But when I place wealth or pleasure ahead of God, I make them into idols, things to be served and even worshiped.

Back to the battle. Our most effective weapon in this battle is truth. You combat lies and deception with truth. But if we don’t know the truth, we’ll easily fall for the lies of the evil one.

The Bible is our source of truth. In it, we discover who God is, what He’s like and what He’s up to. We learn how God thinks. We see ourselves, our problems, our issues and our opportunities.

Don’t let anyone tell you the Bible is full of contradictions or errors. It’s not. Our enemy knows how powerful and liberating the truth can be, so he will do anything he can to keep you from believing it.

In Ephesians 6:12, Paul warned us:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

When someone calls into question the integrity of the Bible or mocks you for believing it, remember: the deceiver, the father of lies is trying to deceive you. Reject him and his lies.

Reaffirm your belief in God and His Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to control your mind and give you wisdom and discernment.

The battle is for your mind. “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1 Peter 1:13

Do You Believe in Miracles? Yes!

It was thirty years ago today that Al Michaels exclaimed, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” as the United States men’s Olympic hockey team beat the Soviet Union in the semi-finals in Lake Placid, New York. Yesterday, I was wiping away tears as I watched a program that took a look back at that 1980 team and their improbable victory over the Soviets and then the gold medal win over Finland.

It’s thirty years later, but Al’s question is still relevant. Do you believe in miracles?

There are only two times in the New Testament where it tells us that Jesus was amazed. First, He was amazed by a Roman soldier’s faith, which resulted in the soldier’s servant being healed.

The second time, Jesus was amazed by the lack of faith displayed by the people in His hometown. The result? “He could not do any miracles there…”

I heard Mike Eruzione, the captain of that 1980 American hockey team, interviewed this morning. He was asked about the mindset of the team on the day before the game against the Soviet Union. Did they really believe they could win?

Mike said the team absolutely believed they could win. He said that if you believe you are going to lose…you probably will.

So what about you? Do you believe in miracles? Do you believe God can do something in your situation that has no earthly explanation? Do you believe God can and will show up?

Or are you convinced your situation is hopeless? That there’s nothing God can or will do? And there’s no use in getting your hopes up?

I’ve been on both sides of the fence. I’ve believed with all my heart that God was about to show up and do something amazing. I’ve also been filled with dark clouds of doubt and unbelief.

What kind of a miracle do you need to see?

Do you need healing?

Are you trying to get pregnant?

Do you need a financial breakthrough?

Does it involve a relationship with a spouse, a child, a friend or co-worker?

Call it a miracle or a work of God or whatever you want, but I encourage you to believe. Believe God can and believe God will. Amaze Jesus by your faith. Don’t stop believing. When God doesn’t show up when you hoped He would–don’t stop believing. Refuse to quit.

I know some will say that you’re just setting yourself up for disappointment by continuing to believe. I know. I understand. That’s what I told myself a number of years ago. To avoid the disappointment, I stopped counting on God. I stopped believing He would do anything extraordinary for me.

I’m sure I amazed Him by my lack of faith. It also took me a number of years to pull out of my tailspin into doubt, unbelief, anger, bitterness and cynicism.

So don’t stop believing. Don’t stop praying. Don’t stop seeking Him. At the same time–don’t miss this part–be open to what else God may have for you. God may not grant what you’d hoped and prayed for. Why? I don’t know.

But I do know this: God will never cease loving you or being good to you.

Maybe sometimes the miracle is what God does in us by helping us believe He is still loves us and is still good even when we’re disappointed or hurting or confused.

Do you believe? In miracles? In His love and goodness?

Do you believe?

How to Amaze God

How would you like to amaze God today?

There are two recorded instances of Jesus being amazed. Both involve faith.

In Luke 7:1-10, some Jewish elders approach Jesus with a request from a Roman soldier. The soldier’s servant is sick and he asks Jesus to come heal him. Before He gets to the house though, the soldier sends word to Jesus to not trouble Himself by coming to the house, but to just say the word and his servant will be healed.

When Jesus heard this, He was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following Him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”

In Mark 6:1-6, Jesus returns to His home town with His disciples. On the sabbath, He taught in the synagogue. Many who heard Him were amazed, but some took offense at Him. Then it says, “He could not do any miracles there, except lay His hands on a few sick people and heal them. And He was amazed at their lack of faith.”

A soldier believes Jesus can just say the word and heal his servant. Jesus is amazed by his confident faith.

Jesus returns to the people with whom He grew up. Maybe He was just a little too familiar to them. They amazed Him by their lack of faith, so much so that He could not do any miracles there. It’s not that He didn’t have the power to…it’s just that He chose not to in such a climate of unbelief.

What climate is your faith creating today?

When we believe God, it creates a climate in which God can do amazing things for us and through us.

When we’re filled with doubt and unbelief, we create a climate in which God chooses not to release His supernatural power.

How are you amazing God today?

A Birthday Present From God

40 Days of Believing God – Day 10

I’ve shared the following story before, but I know it will be new to many of you. It has to do with the night God revealed His feelings to me.

October 3, 2002, was the day before my 40th birthday, so I did something I’d never done before…I asked God for a birthday present. I realize that sounds a little strange, but that’s what I did. I also got the sense that God was saying, “yes.”

Since my birthday was the next day, I naturally assumed my present would come that day. It didn’t. Of course, I didn’t really know what I was looking or waiting for. All I’d asked for was a present. I hadn’t specified a particular item, color or size.

So I began to do what I usually do when I can’t see God working–I began to doubt. Maybe I hadn’t really sensed God saying “yes.” Maybe I’d made it up.

About ten days later, I was in New Jersey for a couple of nights visiting my dad and step-mom. My dad had paid for my flight so I could visit and we could go to a football game together. One night while in bed, I was debating with myself and with God about my “present.” I was trying to believe God was going to come through, but I was doubting more than believing.

I fell asleep around 11:00 p.m., but woke up about an hour later from a terrible dream. In my dream, I’d been accused of murdering two people. All the circumstantial evidence pointed to my guilt even though I was innocent.

My first thought after coming out of the dream was, “Lord, what was that all about? It’s a terrible feeling to not be believed.”

What happened next is still the most intimate moment I’ve ever experienced with God. I did not hear a voice, but just as clearly as if had, I sensed God say, “That’s how I feel when You don’t believe Me.”

By the end of that month, God hadn’t come through with one present. He had showered me with many presents. Here they are:

• My dad paid for my trip to New Jersey to spend a weekend with him.
• I got to see a NASCAR race at Talladega, including a pass to the driver’s meeting and chapel service. All expenses paid.
• I got to go on a three-day pheasant hunting trip to South Dakota. All expenses paid.
• I got a 21% raise at work.
• Friends of ours gave us $2,000.

The circumstantial evidence in your life may lead you to believe God is not good and can’t be believed. Don’t “convict” God based on the circumstantial evidence though. You can believe Him. Trust His character. He’s His own character witness and can always be believed.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”  –Hebrews 11:6

Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” –Mark 4:38-40

“And he was amazed at their lack of faith.”  –Mark 6:6

While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher any more?”

Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” –Mark 5:35-37

Is God Good? Really?

40 Days of Believing God – Day 5

Last week, I had an appointment to meet a friend for lunch. It turned out he forgot about the appointment, but it gave me a chance to talk with one of the servers I knew. As we talked, she told me about her son and how he’d turned his back on God.

Her son was angry, because of some difficult circumstances that had occurred in his life. He was blaming God and feeling like God had let him down.

Can you relate to his feelings?

I can.

A number of years ago, I went through some hard times. Nothing I did seemed to work. Difficult circumstances got worse, not better. When I was sure things couldn’t get worse…they did. I felt not only humbled, but humiliated.

I got angry. At God. I thought I was doing everything I knew to do to walk by faith and please Him. Rather than blessing me for it, He seemed to delight in making things harder.

I was angry. Very angry. It didn’t stop there though.

My anger turned to bitterness. My heart was filled with it. It infected my thoughts, my feelings and my words. My relationship with God suffered. My influence for God suffered. There was more though.

The anger and bitterness turned to cynicism. I no longer trusted God. I didn’t believe He really had my best interests in mind. That being the case, I saw no reason to trust Him. He wasn’t going to come through anyway. So what was the sense? I concluded that the best thing to do was to simply lower my expectations of God. If I didn’t expect much then I couldn’t be disappointed.

I’ll be honest, even though that period in my life was over ten years ago, I can still feel those emotions surface once in awhile. It’s kind of like having a virus that lies dormant for years, then becomes active again. For me, it’s a virus I must guard against.

Maybe you can relate. You’re in a season like that now. If so, let me suggest you meditate on these two verses from the Psalms today. As we talk about believing God, it’s crucial that we believe the truth about His character. We’re not talking about having faith in faith. Our faith or belief needs an object. In our case, that “object” is God, so we must know what our God is really like.

If we develop our understanding of God based on our circumstances, it’s likely that God won’t seem very good. That’s why we must develop our view of God from what He has revealed about Himself in His word, the Bible.

By the way, when I use the word “meditate”, I mean to think about it, “chew” on it, mull it over. Talk to God about it. Ask Him what a verse means. Think about how it applies to Your life. Stay with a verse or passage until it fills your heart and mind and begins to crowd out the wrong thoughts and ideas about God.

Okay, here are the two verses:

“As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless.”  (Psalm 18:30)

“For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100:5)

Don’t run by those two verses. Write them a note card or whatever and read them over today. Let them sink in. Let them renew your mind. Let them change the way you think about God. You’ll be transformed.

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about why God allows difficult circumstances and what to do about it.

By the way, I left a voice mail yesterday for the young man I spoke about earlier. I told him I could relate to how he’s feeling and asked if he’d meet me for lunch. Would you pray he calls me back and accepts my invitation?