Tammy from Not Mine but God's story
Tammy please send me your mailing address and I will get this little prize out to you.
On to what is on my mind today....
God is tricky sometimes. Okay, well... HE is really not tricky... but things about Him are. How do you prove to someone that God is good. Especially when He is not doing what they want Him to do??? I love it when Beth Moore says, "when God doesn't obey". And that is what we want isn't it?? We want Him to obey us. He want Him to do what we want Him to do. But fortunately.... God doesn't work that way.
And yes, I said fortunately.
If God did everything that we think we want Him to do... we would all be in a mess. Everyone would have more than enough money.... leaving us with no way to reach out and show God's love to others. Everyone would have perfect children... leaving us no way to teach them about forgiveness. Everyone would be healthy... both physically and mentally... leaving us no way to pour out our lives to help others, to show compassion and love in their times of trouble. And everyone would be saved and headed to Heaven... leaving us no way to serve God and carry out the great commission. And we would just be so self-sufficient that we would no longer need God. We just can't have what we want all the time. There are times that God has to say "no" to what we want. And even to somethings we think we NEED. It is all according to His calendar... not our watch.
I am glad that I can trust in my heart that if God says "no"... or "not now" it is because He can see the big picture and knows what is best for me and the ones around me. Not to mention for His Glory. I have been in some places that I would rather not be... but with God... knowing what I know about Him... and His character..... I can endure and persevere. I can lean on the verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 that says....
"Rejoice always, pray continually, and GIVE THANKS in ALL circumstances, for this IS GOD'S WILL FOR YOU in Christ Jesus."
I believe that God has a purpose in every circumstance that He allows me to be in. I can rest in that. I have come to realize that I don't have to like the circumstance.... but I can know that He is there... and it is His will for me to be there... for His glory. I am glad for the faith that HE has given me to trust in Him in times that seem bad.
But what do you do for someone that can't trust that??? Someone that just doesn't have that belief or trust into their heart yet????
That is where I am sitting today. I have come to the conclusion that I can't prove God's goodness to anyone. And I want to . I want to pour out some of what I have... into their heart so that they can trust too. Persevere. Endure. Grow. Believe. Trust. Wait. BUT I can't.
This morning I looked up every verse that speaks of goodness. They were all great verses.... but even they can't prove to someone that God is good. It comes from experience. It comes from walking the hard path. It comes from being in places that you don't want to be... and then coming out on the other side. Looking back. It comes from faith. It comes from studying God's Word and seeing the way He has dealt with man over time.
I have no answers. All I have is faith and trust.... How do you give it to someone else??
Any thoughts?? I'd love to hear them.
1Peter 3:15
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared in give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
8 comments:
Lynn, I've struggled with this for someone I know for a few weeks now. I have a friend who's son didn't get the house he bid on, he's not getting a job. He is not a believer. So, I struggle with what to tell her. She knows the way of a Christian life, she is a believer. But, I want to encourage her and over the weeks my words have seemed feeble. I've tried to share how I had to wait two years, live in a house alone, abandon by my beloved, and yet, I knew God was in it. I am now blessed with a beautiful home that brings peace and joy through His goodness. It's just hard to explain when one doesn't even believe in God let alone trust His plan.
I did a post called "How Good is God?" and included many scriptures on the word 'good'.
http://hisways-isaiah558.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-good-is-god.html
It was St. Francis or Brother Lawrence, I'm not sue which who said "Preach the gospel always, use words when necessary."
Basically, for me it means that I may be the only bible my neighbor will ever see. How I act, how I conduct myself, how I respond is my testimony. There are moments when i can verbalize my faith:
1PE 3:15 ...Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
Let your action speak louder than your words and then you will be able to back your actions up with your words of faith.
Just my two cents worth
Blessings
Robin
Thanks for sharing.
It's frustrating, isn't it?
I just have to try to keep my cup full and pray that is spills out over on those I rub shoulders with every day.
It's not always easy. Most days it's hard.
But God is so good and He always gives me a little more strength when I need it!
I hope you are doing well, Lynn. I'm not around blog land much these days!! I miss reading up on everyone, but am glad to visit tonight.
Lynn,
I too believe it is great when God doesn't answer all our prayers. I love the point where you stated that we would all have more than enough money. Just that simple statement in most peoples minds would cause them to relax so much, but then we would forget our need for God. We would simply call on Him when something else changed for us.
God is great by providing just what we need, occasionally more than what we need, but keeps us humble and coming back to Him.
Love and Hugs ~ Kat
It would be so nice if we could do that, wouldn't it? But then again, maybe not. I'm so glad God meets me where I am and not where someone else is. We love Him because He is so personal and yet uses our testimony (and at times no small amount of prayer) to draw others to Himself. He is good.
Melanie
Thanks for the surprise and that I was.
I know what you mean about wanting someone else to "get it". I bet my mom thought the same way as I would walk out the door to do my bar hopping. Sad but true!
For me, its hard to stay out of God's way so He can work in the lives of those who don't "get it"...like, my kids.
love and hugs~Tammy
Wow Melanie I love what you said, "I'm so glad God meets me where I am and not where someone else is." That is SO true, He is an awesome God who is always meeting me right where I am.
Lynn I love this post. And everyone's comments are very insightful.
Lately I think that God is showing me that I sometimes frustrate people who "don't get it" like I "get it." I use to try to fix people. Tell them what they are doing wrong and encourage them to try harder. I thought I had an answer for everything. And I hate to say this but I think that I even thought that if God wasn't "obeying" we must not be doing something right.
Boy! that thought process has really changed these past two years.
God has shown me that instead of trying to fix someone I should just love them like He has loved me. Right where they are! Speak truth into their lives with love whenever He gives the opportunity and let Him to the rest. Remember TRUTH never comes back void. We may not (probably won't) see the return on our time table. But the truth is ~ IT WON'T COME BACK VOID ~ so we have a choice to make. Believe it or don't believe it. I'm going to choose to believe, and keep planting and building in people's lives. I'm sure you'll do the same even though sometime it seems they "just don't get it" yet.
I love you sister, thanks for being who you are and for loving me where I am. You are truly a Godsend in my life.
Lynn, this is tough. I am praying Col 4: 6 hat my speech would be gracious, seasone and that I would know how to answer each person with God's words from my lips.
I posted a prayer request on my bolg tonight. my friend needs everyone's prayers right now. Thank you.
His Maidservant~Pamela
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