Friday, December 19, 2014

“…for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12

Yes, I know in Whom I have believed, but… I know that He is able, but…..

How many times, in how many ways have we doubted God. How many times have we ask Why? How many times have we said, ‘LORD, I don’t understand‘? Or am I the only one who has wrestled with the whys and I don’t understands in life.

My daughter has a very rare form of cancer. She has been battling this dreaded disease for about six years. Radiation, chemo, surgery after surgery. Why? Could this be God’ plan?

ISIS is murdering and maiming its way across the Middle East, seemingly unstoppable. Muslim, Christian, children, pregnant women, the elderly. Why? Could this be God’ plan?

YES this could be God’s plan. Calamity, sickness, death, murder….

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

My daughter has become a believer and she knows her help indeed comes from the LORD. Had she been spared these past years I am not sure she would be where she is today in her Christian walk. Regardless of what time our LORD gives her on this earth, her dad and  I will have all eternity to spend with our daughter. His thoughts are indeed higher than ours.

And today I read: ‘Atrocities by the Islamic State (ISIS) are softening the hearts of Muslims to Christianity. Tent churches among refugees are sprouting up like mushrooms. For people who have suffered such deep loss, seeing that they can pray to a personal God whom they can call Father.. “You can see the tears in their eyes when we pray – now knowing - God cares. They see that God can give them strength, can heal them, that He loves them. They say that things have changed, they have a peaceful attitude towards those ‘who have done this to my kids, wife, or husband - “I can pray about it and give it to God.”

Former Muslims, who once prayed five times a day as a duty, say they don’t quite know how to describe the difference. They say, “Now with our relationship with God, we see a huge difference; something has changed in our life.”’

http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/2014/December18/185.html

God has eternity in mind in everything He does. We see here and now, He sees forever.

Perhaps I will not always see the eternal picture when things come into my life that are
hard, or painful, but I pray that regardless of how bad things look, how bad they hurt, or how I just don’t understand - I will remember…

“For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

And keep an eternal perspective.

“…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 search for Me with all your heart.…” Jeremiah 29:12-13

What a MIGHTY God we serve.
 

2 comments:

  1. Amen dear sister, amen! Your sufferings are extremely difficult; we cannot know exactly why things happen as they do. However, we do know God is preparing us for His eternal kingdom, and that preparation comes through the school of suffering in this life. I've often wondered how it is that so many professing Christians have no idea what it's like to go through sufferings, and others seem to have them back to back.
    I'm amazed at Job's response when his whole world fell apart, 'Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped;
    and he said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."
    Can you even imagine this?!? He lost everything, including his children...and he falls down and worships God! He understood the sovereignty of God, as well as the brevity and unsurety of this life. I think Matthew Henry's commentary is appropriate here, "He adored God in both. When all was gone he fell down and worshipped. Note, Afflictions must not divert us from, but quicken us to, the exercises of religion. Weeping must not hinder sowing, nor hinder worshipping. He eyed not only the hand of God, but the name of God, in his afflictions, and gave glory to that: Blessed be the name of the Lord. He has still the same great and good thoughts of God that ever he had, and is as forward as ever to speak them forth to his praise; he can find in his heart to bless God even when he takes away as well as when he gives. Thus must we sing both of mercy and judgment, Psa_101:1. [1.] He blesses God for what was given, though now it was taken away. When our comforts are removed from us we must thank God that ever we had them and had them so much longer than we deserved. Nay, [2.] He adores God even in taking away, and gives him honour by a willing submission; nay, he gives him thanks for good designed him by his afflictions, for gracious supports under his afflictions, and the believing hopes he had of a happy issue at last.
    Lastly, Here is the honourable testimony which the Holy Ghost gives to Job's constancy and good conduct under his afflictions. He passed his trials with applause, Job_1:22. In all this Job did not act amiss, for he did not attribute folly to God, nor in the least reflect upon his wisdom in what he had done. Discontent and impatience do in effect charge God with folly. Against the workings of these therefore Job carefully watched; and so must we, acknowledging that as God has done right, but we have done wickedly, so God has done wisely, but we have done foolishly, very foolishly. Those who not only keep their temper under crosses and provocations, but keep up good thoughts of God and sweet communion with him, whether their praise be of men or no, it will be of God, as Job's here was."


    I will keep you and your family in prayer...

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  2. Through it all, I've learned to trust in Jesus, I've learned to trust in God. Our trials only come to make us strong(er).

    Blessed be the Name of the LORD.

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