From the devotional, “Uncharted”:
“It doesn’t mean you won’t have bad days, but it does mean that God is there in your bad days, able to use them to produce good outcomes.”
BARB TALK:
I believe this statement can make or break a Christ Follower. We know God is good, and we know He protects us, so we get puzzled with the horrible things that people go through.
I have NEVER read this in scripture: “God wants us to be happy and healthy and have nothing ever go wrong.”
Somehow we can read the scriptures and weave the above statement into our belief.
God promises to be with us, guide us, teach us, and remind us that He is present. He promises us an Eternity with no pain or tears, and beautiful surroundings, with His Presence, His very self, as the Centerpiece. It makes sense to me if Heaven is a place with no more sickness, pain, tears, and disasters, that this life on earth will be full of tears, etc. In this world, He promises wars and rumors of wars. He promises earthquakes, famine and disease. He has a history of teaching His people how to fight and defeat the enemy. With all I have read, I don’t know how we came up with the idea that things will be just peachy if we become part of God’s Family through faith in Christ Jesus.
I remember the title of a book I never read: “Why Bad Things Happen to Good People.” Bad things happen to everybody. My faith in Jesus, and being a part of God’s family, does not preclude me from tragedy.
So, if He’s not going to fix everything, and stop bad people from doing bad things, why bother with God at all?
It’s all about His Presence. He is astoundingly beautiful. In His Presence is the fullness of joy.
Psalm 16:11:
“You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”
There is no relationship like a relationship with God.
And because He loves us so much, He doesn’t just leave us broken and alone, He brings healing and new life to the dead areas of our lives. When we receive His Presence and healing into our lives, our relationships begin to change. He gives us His Wisdom, Kindness, Love, Peace, Joy, Steadfastness and Patience in the craziest of situations. By cleaning us up, as only He can do, we learn to respond rather than react. We begin to bless rather than curse, love rather than hate, embrace rather than reject. He shows us the Big Picture, so we don’t get lost in the minutia. He never ever leaves us alone. His Presence surrounds us and fills us.
Jesus’s words, recorded in John 16:33 amp:
“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have perfect peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer, take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted! For I have overcome the world. I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.”
Notice what He DIDN’T say: “I’ll stop all troubles and trouble makers.”
2 Timothy 1:7, amp:
“God did not give us a spirit of timidity of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear, but He has given us a spirit of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”
We don’t need to fear, because we are eternally secure. God has asked us to tell others of the Hope we have in Him, as those who don’t know Him have a terrifying eternity. The Good News is that choice for each of us is in our hands. When we choose Him, we can walk in God-confidence, and He will remind us that we are His, and no longer are we defeated by our past, present and future. We are free to gain the fullness of joy.
Lyrics to Matthew West’s
Hello My Name Is:
“Hello, my name is regret
I’m pretty sure we have met
Every single day of your life
I’m the whisper inside
Won’t let you forget
Hello, my name is defeat
I know you recognize me
Just when you think you can win
I’ll drag you right back down again
‘Til you’ve lost all belief
These are the voices,
these are the lies
And I have believed them,
for the very last time
Hello, my name is child of the one true king
I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, and I have been set free
Amazing grace is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true king
I am no longer defined
By all the wreckage behind
The one who makes all things new
Has proven it’s true
Just take a look at my life
Hello, my name is child of the one true king
I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, and I have been set free
Amazing grace is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true king!”
Songwriters: Matthew West
Hello, My Name Is lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc
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