Why is it when we are faced with difficult situations we want to think the worse? We think God has abandoned us. We say, “I can’t hear God anymore” Friend, He has not left you.
Pick up that bible and you will see you are not alone in this thinking. Elijah felt it when he was being chased down by Jezebel (1 Kings 19) READ IT! Here is a man who called fire down from heaven! And now he wishes he was dead. Think about the story of Jonah. He hears from God. A prophet who HEARS from God, and even in the end of his story, who wishes he were dead..(for a stupid reason mind you) Then there is David who often felt that God abandoned him. And even Jesus on the cross says this.
It isn’t that God leaves us. But, maybe the reason for Gods silence is we do things that may hinder his presence. SIN. So therefore, we are not in the right relationship that we once were. That is why we must repent of our sins. Sometimes, repenting, even of sins that we didn’t even realize we committed.(Leviticus 5:16-18)
Okay so some of you may not be sinning..maybe you are praying for a healing. And you ask, “God why are you not intervening? do you hear me?” That silence can be deafening. I know because I have a daughter with Spina Bifidia. We may pray and pray for the healing but it never happens. Does that mean God doesn’t hear us or that he doesn’t heal people today? NO! His plans are higher than ours. He has reasons for answering and not answering. He is sovereign after all.
I was reminded recently of the story in the New Testament where James was in prison and going to be executed. The people prayed hard I am sure. But he was never released and he was executed. Now Peter and Paul on many occasions were put in prison, beaten..etc..and people prayed for their deliverance and God answered. God has reason for staying silent in some situations and answering in others. The point is…we can’t give up.
Whether we hear Him answer or not…WE CAN NOT GIVE UP! Perhaps He is teaching us to trust in Him. (Lets be honest…He is always teaching us that)Maybe He wants our faith to grow stronger. Maybe he has plans that will impact many. Or plans that may touch just one soul.
How often have we been to funeral and we were unaware of one person responding to God that day? Such a sad time…but that loved ones death may have helped bring a lost soul to the Lord.
Maybe our faithfulness in the lord through our struggle will impact someones life. They too will see how God is with us and can be with them through what ever struggle we go through. Often times I see families with children who are worse off than my daughter. And yet, they seem to keep the faith and always have a smile. I know it is because they have God in their life. Which makes my story not so bad anymore. If they have the Lord through their struggle surely HE IS WITH ME through mine.
We like to give up, give in, cry a little, let people ride the sob train with us. But, we are not alone. God IS with us. He is always there with a plan. We just have to trust Him. I know it is difficult at times. But, when we get down we have to force ourselves to Turn to Him, Worship Him, Dig into our Word. Don’t put yourself around people who will bring you down. The family of God is to lift you up. They are the ones that we must turn to for help and strength.
(This is a great song. If i copied it in right…listen) I hear this song and I can almost hear it is God singing it over me. He loves us. He is our light in our darkest times. So…Don’t Give Up
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