Very interesting, huh? What you were seeing didn’t match up with what you were hearing, so your brain told you you were hearing a different sound. The truth was that the sound never changed. Only your perception of it did.
I think the same thing happens with our circumstances.
We “hear” God say in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
Or Hebrews 13:5, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Then in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
And yet everyday we encounter circumstances that seem impossible for us to handle or overcome. A medical diagnosis. A larger than expected tax bill. Unfair treatment from a supervisor. A rebellious child. A never-ending mountain of laundry, a sink full of dishes and an infant that won’t sleep.
We “hear” God say everything will be okay and we even believe Him for a moment or two, but then we “see” our circumstances again and we become fearful, worried, anxious or discouraged.
Is there any hope for us? Is it really possible to rise above the up and down feelings of this life? Is there any way to truly experience the joy and peace of God regardless of what we see?
The answer is “yes.” The key is to see with the right eyes.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says:
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
A few verses later, in 2 Corinthians 5:6-7, Paul says:
Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
We live by faith, not by sight.
Abraham was an old man when God told him to leave his home and go to the land God would show him. Abraham had no children when God said, “I will make you into a great nation…”
David was a teenager with no military experience when he faced down Goliath, the Philistine’s most feared soldier.
Noah built a boat. On dry ground.
Moses led Israel out of Egypt and through the desert for 40 years.
Despite a overwhelming odds and a ferocious propaganda campaign, Nehemiah led the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem in just 52 days.
A woman who’d been bleeding for 12 years new if she could just touch the cloak Jesus was wearing she’d be healed. She did. And she was.
A Roman soldier requested that Jesus heal his servant. The father of a dying 12-year-old girls asked Jesus to heal her. The servant was healed. The girl, who died before Jesus arrived, was brought back to life.
We fix our eyes on what is unseen. We live by faith.
God gave us His word, the Bible, to reveal Himself, His purposes and His ways to us. As we read it, we get to know Him better. We see what He’s up to in our lives and in the world. We see how He works. And our faith grows stronger.
The more we read it, the more we understand and trust Him. We are better able to fix our eyes in what is unseen. We find that we are more equipped to live by faith, not by what we see.
None of the people I mentioned above were perfect. Abraham passed his wife off as his sister so he wouldn’t be killed. Twice. David committed adultery and murder. Moses disobeyed God and wasn’t even allowed to enter the Promised Land.
No, they weren’t perfect, but they didn’t give up. They kept going despite their sins and circumstances. They chose to fix their eyes on the unseen. They walked by faith, by believing that what God said was true even though what they saw didn’t line up.
Rob Bell is the pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandeville, Michigan. He just released his new book, Love Wins, which I’ve read.
The Dalai Lama will be speaking at the University of Arkansas on May 11th. I live across the street from the campus and help to pastor The Church at Arkansas whose mission is to reach the campus community with the good news of Jesus Christ.
At the risk of over-simplifying their messages…
Rob Bell believes everyone will eventually be reconciled to God, without exception. There will not be an eternal punishment for sin. If you aren’t reconciled to God in this life, then you will eventually be after physical death. God’s love will win out over God’s wrath.
The Dalai Lama is a Buddhist. Speaking about Buddhism, Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Zen master, said, “Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. Buddhist systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth.”
So what? Why does any of this matter?
Well, ideas matter. What we believe or don’t believe is important. I know the prevailing value of our day is “tolerance”, but some things are true and some aren’t true.
For example, the house I live in is white. It either is the case that I live in a house with a white exterior or it is not the case that I live in a house with a white exterior.
It’s intellectually dishonest and logically incorrect to say, “Well, you believe your house is white, but I believe your house is red. It might be white for you, but to me it’s red.”
In other words, we can’t all define our own truth. Truth is absolute, not relative. Imagine saying to the bank, “I know you say my checking account is out of funds, but to me it’s not, so I’m going to keep writing checks.” That wouldn’t work for very long, would it?
Or picture yourself in the passenger seat of a car as you head toward a busy intersection. The light is red, but your friend who’s driving doesn’t appear to be slowing down. When you frantically call attention to the light, your friend says, “Oh, don’t worry, to me it’s green.”
Again, some things are true and some are not true. We need to know which are which. Especially, when it’s a matter of life or death. And even more importantly when we’re talking about eternal life or death.
So when Rob Bell and the Dalai Lama begin to articulate their views, it’s important to determine whether or not what they are saying is true. If something is true, then let’s embrace it. If it’s false, then let’s reject it.
By the way, it’s possible to reject a belief without rejecting a person. I can disagree with Rob Bell, the Dalai Lama or whomever, but it doesn’t mean I must attack the person. I see way too much of that in politics. When one side doesn’t agree with the other, they not only attack the idea, but the person. It doesn’t have to be that way.
Of course, some will say there are many paths to God, that all religions are equal. I’ll agree with the latter half of that statement. I would define religion as “man’s attempt to reach God.” In that sense, yes, all religions are equal. They all fail.
On the other hand, what if God reached out to us because we were completely incapable of reaching out to Him? In that case, I would expect there to be one path to Him, the path that He made.
All of us need to keep our guard up when it comes to thoughts and ideas and the words that convey them. Some ideas sound so good and right. They just seem to make sense. They make us feel good. The Dalai Lama has said:
“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”
“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.”
“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.”
In a world full of wars, natural disasters, violence, slavery and countless other acts of hatred–it can sound good to hear someone say the purpose of life is to help others or that we don’t need temples or complicated philosophies–we just need kindness.
But is it true? Is the purpose of life to help others? Can’t we all just get along and be kind to one another?
Or when Rob Bell says, “A staggering number of people have been taught that a select few Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous place called heaven, while the rest of humanity spends forever in torment and punishment in hell with no chance for anything better…. This is misguided and toxic and ultimately subverts the contagious spread of Jesus’ message of love, peace, forgiveness, and joy that our world desperately needs to hear.”
Misguided and toxic? Sure, if he’s right. But is he?
In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
In his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul wrote:
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Apart from Christ, we are dead in sin and objects of God’s wrath. And yet because of His great love for us, God has offered the gift of forgiveness. Through Christ, our sin can be forgiven and we can experience peace with God.
Despite what Rob Bell has written in Love Wins, there is no opportunity to receive forgiveness after we die. Hebrews 9:27 says, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…”
Jesus died for you. He invites you to receive His gift of forgiveness now.
Because we live in a physical realm with real needs, real problems and real issues–it’s easy to lose sight of the spiritual realm in which we also live. Of course, even saying “lose sight of” illustrates the point–it’s easy to lose sight of something we can’t even see.
We relate to this physical realm through our five senses. We see. We hear. We smell. We taste. We touch. And living in this realm requires material things like money, homes, cars, clothes and food. It’s all very real and tangible.
The spiritual realm is no less real though. It’s just unseen. And so we walk in it by faith–trusting that what God says is true, right and best. But that’s not easy when when our circumstances are difficult, confusing or painful.
One unseen truth I absolutely must come to grips with is this: God’s plan matters and mine doesn’t.
Now if my plan is in sync with God’s plan, then great. Often, that’s not the case though. My plan always includes comfort, pleasure and plenty of money. It never includes suffering or death.
Sometimes suffering or death is God’s plan though. And that’s when I’ve got to remind myself: God’s plan matters and mine doesn’t. If I don’t remember that when times get tough, I will find myself asking, “Where are You, Jesus? Don’t You see what’s happening here?”
Only I might not say it that nicely.
What got me thinking about this was a verse I read last night:
When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee.
Returned to Galilee? Huh? Your cousin, the guy who prepared the way for You, the guy who baptized You is in prison and You leave? Try putting yourself in John’s position for a minute. Forget the fact that he was “John the Baptist” who preached in the desert and ate locusts. John was just an ordinary guy who didn’t want to be locked up.
Why didn’t Jesus go to Jerusalem and get him out of prison? Why didn’t He at least ask the Father to do something?
Why did He just go back to Galilee without doing anything to set John free from an unjust imprisonment?
Because it was not God’s will.
John had performed the ministry to which he’d been called. He had fulfilled his purpose in God’s plan. And now Jesus was fulfilling the ministry to which He’d been called, which, by the way, would also involve suffering and death.
Honestly, I wish it was different. I wish troubles and suffering and death weren’t a part of this life. I wish life could always be enjoyable and pleasant. I wish it could be like it was in the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eve rebelled.
But wishing doesn’t change this reality: God’s plan matters and mine doesn’t.
On December 23rd, I walked my second daughter, Erica, down the aisle, stepped onto the stage and performed her wedding ceremony. It was an emotional moment, made easier only by the fact that I love and respect her husband, Ross. He is a good man and loves my daughter with all his heart. I’m proud to have him as my son-in-law.
Because Ross is in the Army, he had to be back at Fort Bragg on January 2nd. Four days later, Erica and I drove from Arkansas to Fayetteville, North Carolina so she could be with him. For much of our two-day drive, we listened to a worship CD. There was one song we listened to over and over. Here it is:
Since I’ve been back in Arkansas, I continue to listen to it. I think I can’t get away from it because it’s the cry of my heart. I want Jesus to be lifted high in my life. I want to live in such a way that He receives honor. I want people to look at me and instead see Him.
And yet…
And yet, I sin. I disobey Him. I do what I want. I don’t run hard after obeying the One who gave His life for me.
And that makes me grateful for His grace.
“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1-2)
Grace does not give me an excuse to sin. There are no excuses. But the love and grace of Jesus overwhelms my sin.
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:35)
Nothing we do will separate us from the love of Christ. Nothing we do will exhaust His grace. His love and grace have no limits. They cannot be measured. They continually wash us clean of our guilt and shame.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
Do you desire for Christ to be lifted high in your life?
Then don’t let your sin keep you from seeking Him. Allow His immeasurable, unending, limitless love and grace to wash over you. You are not defined by your sin, no matter how awful or persistent it is. If you are a follower of Jesus, He defines you. And He sees you as holy and blameless. He gives grace, not condemnation. He forgives and forgets your sin.
When you stumble and fall, God isn’t standing over you shaking an angry finger. In love, He extends His hand to lift you up again, so that He can be lifted high in your life.
When I was a kid, my parents taught me to make out a Christmas “wish list.” Of course, there was no internet, so I would flip through the pages of the “Sears Wish Book.” When I saw something I really wanted, I would write it down with the page number!
Now why would they do that? Why would they tell me to make a list of things I wanted? And why would I do that with my own children? Each year around this time, I will come to them and ask, “What would you like for Christmas? Make out your list.”
I do it for the same reason my parents did it. I absolutely delight in giving to my children. On a scale of 1 to 10, “getting” is around a 2 or 3, but “giving” is an 11. I love it! I love giving to them. I love building anticipation for them. I love creating mystery. And I love surprising them.
Could it all be taken too far and become overly materialistic? Sure it could, but what’s interesting is that my kids never really ask for anything unreasonable. And they’re always very grateful for whatever they receive. That’s not my point though.
If I love to give, how much more do you think God delights in giving?
Colossians 4:2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
God commands us to be devoted to prayer. To be diligent about it. To not quit. And in our praying, to also be thankful.
So let’s break this down for a moment.
What is prayer?
I’m sure we could come up with many definitions, but at its simplest, isn’t prayer talking with God and asking for things?
I know prayer can also include confession and praise, but you can’t get away from the fact that God says very simply:
Talk with Me and ask Me for things. Don’t give up and remember to thank Me.
Let’s not over-complicate it.
God actually commands you to ask Him for things. Now when I say “things”, it could mean you’re asking for wisdom, peace, courage, a spouse, money to pay a bill, an opportunity to share your faith with a friend, a new job, the power to obey or something else.
Often, God doesn’t choose to answer right away. The timing of our request may not be right. Or maybe we’re praying for the wrong thing and He needs to change our thinking. Or could it also be that He enjoys it when we talk with Him and if He answers quickly, we’ll stop praying?
Don’t assume that just because God hasn’t answered yet that He’s not going to. If God did not want to give to us, then He wouldn’t tell us to ask Him for things. Think about that for a moment. I think it’s easy to have a distorted view of prayer and think God really isn’t all that excited about giving to us. And yet…
“Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” (Romans 8:32)
No, we won’t receive everything we ask for. It would be arrogant to think we always know what is best for ourselves, for others and for God’s kingdom. But we can know with confidence that God will never withhold whatever is for our good and for His glory.
So what are you waiting for?
God delights in giving to you. Could He have something to give you, but is waiting until you ask?
You are one of approximately 6.7 billion people on earth.
The earth feels like a big place, but about a million earths could fit inside the sun.
Betelguese, a red giant star, is 700 times bigger than our sun, so 700 million earths could fit inside it.
It is estimated that the universe contains 70 sextillion stars. Another way to say that is 70 billion billion.
Let all that sink in for a moment.
By any measure, you are extremely small in an unimaginably big universe.
And yet, you matter to God and that makes you immeasurably significant.
In the Old Testament book of Hosea, God is lamenting the fact that His people have forgotten Him. In Hosea 13:4-6, God said:
“But I have been the LORD your God ever since you came out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me. I cared for you in the wilderness, in the land of burning heat. When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me.”
Can you hear God’s heart?
“I cared for you.”
“I fed them.”
“When they were satisfied, they became proud.”
“They forgot me.”
God desires friendship with you. He wants you to know and experience His love. And if you’ve forgotten Him, He is always calling you to come back to Him.
God doesn’t need you. He doesn’t need your love, your worship or your service. But He does want you. He desires you. He is jealous for you.
You are not significant because of what you own or what you do or what others think about you. You are significant because you are significant to God. Period.
A lot has changed since I was a kid growing up in New Jersey…
We didn’t have cable TV. Instead, we had a box that sat on the floor next to the television which we used to control the antenna on the roof. We could point it at Philadelphia or New York City and get channels from either city. All together, we got about a dozen channels.
We didn’t own a microwave oven. I don’t think anyone did.
If we wanted to watch a movie, we either went to a theater or waited for one to be shown on TV. VCR’s hadn’t even been invented.
We made phone calls from a phone that hung on the wall in the kitchen. I had no idea what the * and # keys were for.
If we wanted to play video games, we went to an arcade at the boardwalk and spent a quarter.
To write a paper for school, I used the Collier’s encyclopedias we had. No one would say “Google” for another two decades.
Yes, a lot has changed. And a lot has changed since the Bible was written. But there’s even more that hasn’t changed. The big stuff. The important stuff.
God hasn’t changed.
His commands haven’t changed.
His ways haven’t changed.
His purposes haven’t changed.
So if we want to know how to really live life, we need to go back to what God has revealed in His word. Today and tomorrow, we’ll look at a few guys who lived 2600 years ago and the life lessons they can teach us.
King Nebuchadnezzar learns this the hard way. The really hard way, which we’ll see more tomorrow.
In chapter 3, we see him setting up a 9-foot wide, 90-foot tall idol of gold. Think “9-story building.” This thing was huge.
He then gives the order that whenever the music plays, everyone is to fall down and worship the gold image. “Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
It’s easy to think that pride isn’t so bad and idol worship only applies to people who worshiped things made from gold, stone or wood. But the essence of pride is living life on my own terms and idol worship is anything we worship that isn’t God.
Don’t think of worship as just bowing down or singing praises. Idol worship comes in many forms.
What do you give the bulk of your attention to? Television? The internet? A relationship? Pornography? A hobby? Sports? Your looks? Your job? Your phone?
See if this might help to identify any idols in your life. How would you complete the following sentence? “I don’t think I could live without __________________.”
Whatever you put in the blank may be an idol for you.
And pride may be an issue if you ever finding yourself thinking, “I know God says ___________, but I __________.”
The key word there is “but.” Remember, the essence of pride is living life on your own terms. It’s going your own way. In a sense, it’s acting like the god of your own life. Knowing what God requires, but doing what you want anyway is pride.
God isn’t interested in sharing his authority with us or our attention with idols. He wants us to submit to Him and walk away from our idols.
Life Lesson #2: The world is under the control of the evil one.
Have you noticed that it’s okay to believe just about whatever you want these days? Tolerance for other views and religions has somehow become the highest virtue. Is there anything worse today than being labeled as judgmental or narrow-minded?
And yet if you’re a Jew or a Christian, there’s very little tolerance for you. Think back through history–does the hatred we see for the Jews seem rational to you? Why was Hitler so intent on wiping them out? And today, there are any number of countries that would love to see the nation of Israel eliminated.
That’s nothing new.
After King Nebuchadnezzar builds the idol and commands people to bow down to it, it says, “At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews.”
1 John 5:19 says, “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”
This world system is under the control of Satan. That means that from the time you wake up in the morning until the time you go to bed at night, almost nothing will encourage you in your relationship with Christ. In fact, you will face a multitude of lies, deceptions, temptations and discouragements. They may come from media, government, advertising, teachers, friends and even family.
This does not mean there are not Christ-followers in politics, business or teaching. There are many godly men and women serving Christ in those arenas. Just understand that this world system is enemy territory. So don’t be surprised. Be prepared for it. This world system, under the control of the evil one, is intent on discouraging, destroying and yes, even killing Jews and Christians.
If you have any doubt, just watch the news.
Life Lesson #3: Just because God is able to do something, it doesn’t mean He will.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are threatened with death if they don’t worship the idol, but here’s what they said to the king:
“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
These three young men had confidence that God could save them, but knew He might not. Being saved from death was not their primary concern. Honoring God was–even to the point of losing their lives.
Sometimes we face painful circumstances and believe God will save us from them because He is able. I’ve made this mistake many, many times and it has led to a lot of anger and discouragement.
If saving us from a painful trial is best for us and will bring God glory and accomplish His purposes, then He will deliver us from our circumstances. Sometimes though, taking us through the painful trial is what is best. And sometimes, people who trust God will die.
Do I understand it? No, not really.
Do I wish there was another way? Absolutely.
God did choose to save these young men from their trial. He doesn’t always do that though. I’ve lost both parents even though I prayed for their healing. I’ve endured unemployment and financial trials even though I pleaded with God to help me. I’ve asked God for help and healing that never seems to come.
More than understanding why God works the way He does, what I really need is to trust that God is always good, no matter what. Even if He doesn’t answer my prayer or come through like I’d hoped–He is still good, still loves me and can still be trusted.
Life Lesson #4: Nothing is ever too hard for God.
He is the God who can deliver us from the fiery furnace. This may seem like a contradiction to #3. I get that. I feel the tension. Don’t let that stop you from praying big, from praying for a miracle.
God wants us to trust Him and ask Him for things that only He can do.
Know this–today, you have everything God wants you to have. If there’s something you don’t have that you need, then God can provide it. Keep seeking and trusting Him. Maybe in the meantime there’s something He’s wanting to teach you about Himself or His ways. Maybe He wants to grow your faith. Maybe the timing isn’t right yet.
Focus on “Who?”, not “When?”, “Why?” or “How?” Some questions have no answers, at least not in this lifetime. Choose to focus on God and knowing Him better. Don’t let the unanswerable questions shipwreck your faith.
Life Lesson #5: People are impressed with God, not you and me.
After God saved them from the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.”
Notice what the king says, “They trusted in Him…”
God responds to our faith and does things only He can do. When that happens, He is praised. He is believed in. He receives honor.
When we walk by sight and only attempt things that we can pull off, God doesn’t often show up. At least not in a way that makes anyone notice.
We can do things our way and get the results we can produce. Or we can do things God’s way, step out in faith, and experience Him do things only He can do.
King Nebuchadnezzar experienced God doing what only God could do, but like us, the king had a tendency to forget, which leads to another life lesson, which we’ll save until tomorrow.
I grew up in a town called Brick, New Jersey, which is about 90 minutes south of New York City and 90 minutes east of Philadelphia. I loved growing up there. It was a beach town, I had great friends and the high school football program was one of the best in the state.My high school coach was Warren Wolf. It was an honor to play for him. Thousands of others who played for him would agree with me. He was tough and required a lot of us, but he loved those who played for him.
There’s no doubt I’m a step or two (or three) slower than I used to be, but even though it was 30 years ago, I could still run some of the plays we had in our offense. Why? Because we ran them over and over and over until we got them right. Coach Wolf corrected our mistakes and made us run the play again…and again…and again.
“Get on the ball! Run it again!”
Any good coach is going to correct mistakes and make his team run the play until it’s done right. That’s how you get better. That’s how you win games. That’s how you achieve goals.
So why do we get so discouraged or angry or confused when God corrects us? Proverbs 3:11-12 says:
My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
When you encounter painful circumstances, difficult people, situations that seem beyond your ability to handle–remember, God is not angry with you. He hasn’t left you. He hasn’t forgotten you. It’s just the opposite–He is treating you as His child. He is training you.
We will not always see things in our lives that need correction and we cannot possibly see character qualities that must be strengthened for what lies ahead. But God does. He is the perfect Teacher, the perfect Coach, the perfect Father.
One of my greatest failures as a Christ-follower is believing the lie that says God is not good and doesn’t love me if I’m facing difficulties or painful circumstances. The truth is that God trains (disciplines) those He loves. He accomplishes His training by using some of the very things I fight against and want to avoid at all costs.
So the next time you or someone you love faces an unexpected and unwanted medical issue, a financial crisis hits, a boss or co-worker treats you unfairly or the desire of your heart goes unfulfilled–consider that maybe God is using those things to train you to be more like Jesus.
His discipline is evidence of His great love for you.
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)
Our first parents, Adam and Eve, rebelled. They ate what they were told not to eat and that introduced sin into the human race. Ever since, we’ve been bent on going our own way. Our nature is to seek life and happiness on our own terms, not God’s.
And yet all through history, God’s message has been consistent: return to Me. I will be Your God. You will be my people. I will love and provide for you. You will love and worship Me.
Life as it was meant to be will one day be restored when God brings heaven to earth (Revelation 21-22). Our desire to go our own way, to live independent of God will be no more. We will leave in peace with Him, enjoying the friendship with Him that He always desired.
Until then, we toil and sweat and endure pain and hardships. We suffer loss. We experience conflict with people we love. We live in fear or anger or worry or anxiety. We wonder if God sees or cares or actually does love us. We question His goodness when times are bad. We struggle and groan in a world cursed by sin.
Faithfully though, God continues to call to us. He invites us to love Him and seek Him. He wants us to trust Him, to believe Him, to rely on Him. When we do, we discover He really is good. He really does love us. He can be counted on when times are good and when times are bad.
Sadly though, we most often seem to forget Him. Some of us go hours without even thinking about Him. Many of us go through entire days or weeks without truly taking the time to talk with Him or even consider that He’s there–waiting for us to acknowledge Him, seek Him and love Him.
In Ezekiel 22, God is detailing the sins Judah has been guilty of when in verse 12 it says, “And you have forgotten Me, declares the Sovereign LORD.”
You have forgotten Me.
Do you think that just maybe that might be one of the worst sins we could ever commit? Maybe the worst? Could forgetting God be the root issue of all the sin and difficulties in our lives?
Flip it around for a moment. What would your life look like today if you were to constantly remember God’s way of doing things and His presence in your life?
What if you were to remember that His ways are always best and that His power is always available to enable you to carry out whatever He has called you to do?
He has a plan for your marriage and the power for you to live it out. He knows your spouse’s needs and how best to meet them. He knows the sources of conflict and how to resolve them. He sees the problems that lie ahead and how to handle them.
Your job may not seem like a spiritual activity, something God is all that involved in, but it is. Your job as a teacher, a coach, a manager, a sales person, a business owner or whatever, is no less sacred than being a pastor or missionary. If God has called you to your position, then He knows how He wants you to do your job and His wisdom and strength are available to do it.
Your financial problems may seem like your mess to deal with, but that’s not how God sees it. Yes, you may have to deal with the consequences of poor choices, but He has a plan to help you. His principles for handling finances are always best.
In God’s way of thinking, there is no segmentation to life. You don’t have a personal life, a work life, a family life and a church life. You don’t have a life you live Monday through Thursday, another you live on Friday and Saturday nights and then another for Sunday mornings. You have one life and God is central to it. In fact, HE IS YOUR LIFE.
Read that last sentence again. I believe our failure to believe it, and then live like it’s true, is the real problem we all face. We forget God, but still have needs, wants and desires that we long to fulfill. Life then becomes and endless, fruitless search for life and meaning apart from the only true Source.
Isn’t it funny that people have looked for life and happiness in money and material things for thousands of years, but haven’t found it? And yet we keep looking there? According to Sports Illustrated, 78% of former NFL players are broke or financially stressed. 60% of former NBA players are broke just five years after retiring. These guys made millions of dollars, but are now broke. No, they didn’t understand how to handle their money, but that’s the point. They sought life and happiness by buying all the things and pleasures money could buy. But it didn’t work. They spent themselves into poverty.
This life provides a multitude of distractions. All kinds of diversions and excuses for forgetting God. You’d almost think someone evil was behind a world system like that.
So here’s the question for you (and me): what will it take for you to remember God? I don’t just mean remember He exists, but that He’s your life. That He’s central to who you are. That He doesn’t want to just be an afterthought, but wants to be your first thought and last thought and every thought in between?
What will it take for us to embrace Him and His way of living life and stop chasing our lesser gods? What will it take for us to put away our idols and turn away from our temporary pleasures and pursuits that provide fleeting happiness, but always leave us empty?
Will it take a personal crisis? A serious health issue? The loss of a job? What will it take for us to truly remember God?
Gregg Stutts - Executive Pastor of The Church at Arkansas in Fayetteville. Husband to Robyn and father to Rachel, Erica, Amy and Rob. On a continuing journey of believing God.
My high school coach was 
Gregg Stutts - Executive Pastor of The Church at Arkansas in Fayetteville. Husband to Robyn and father to Rachel, Erica, Amy and Rob. On a continuing journey of believing God.
