This is Our God

In my christian walk over the years, I have numerously come to a place when I was in dire need of God's intervention in my life. When suddenly it turned so 'dark' and couldn't find my way. I thought to myself that surely, if I pray and add a few days fasting, perhaps He would come rushing to my rescue. Needless to say, God took His time. How many times do we want to see God move but we tend to put a time limit in which He has to move and do things for us?.

I have come to realize that God does not operate that way! He may come quickly but speaking for myself, He seemed to take His time. After asking so many questions and wondering why He was not coming through like I wanted, the answer came...He was helping me to prioritize and put Him first. In the midst of the chaos in my our lives, God wants us to draw even closer to Him. He is the potter and we are the clay. One of my favorite scriptures that I have held onto over the years and has encouraged greatly in the hard times is: Isaiah 43 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire,you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze".

God sees and listens. He sees all those tears that we shed and the longings of our hearts. When we go through these times and seem to hear nothing from Heaven, it does not mean that God has forsaken us. He will NEVER forsake us!!!

In the book of Job, we read of a man who came under severe attack by Satan. Within a short amount of time, Job went from a man of wealth, health, and large family, to a man who lost all his possessions, was near death, and childless.

In the early stage of his trials, Job demonstrated a deep commitment to God's sovereignty; "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised" (Job 1:20-21). Then when his wife told him to curse God and die, Job responded with: "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 2:10).

Job seemed to have a deep understanding of the verse we often quote in times of trial; "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him" (Romans 8:28). But at the same time, Job struggled with understanding why God would allow these things to happen. Yes, God is in control...but why!? When Job couldn't find an answer he began to feel terribly alone and abandoned.

Job 23:3-5
"If only I knew where to find Him; if only I could go to His dwelling! I would state my case before Him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would find out what He would answer me, and consider what He would say."

Our trials often cause similar concerns. We find ourselves asking where God has gone and why He is allowing such hardship. Even though we may believe God is "working all things for our good," we often search in vain to find something positive in our situation. And when we fail to see any possible good, we become frustrated and assume God has forgotten us, abandoned us in our time of need.

Finally, God responded to Job's cry for answers: "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!" (Job 38:4-5). God's response continued for almost four chapters: "Who has a claim against Me that I must repay? Everything under heaven belongs to Me" (Job 41:11). The Creator of the Universe - the One who formed every intricate detail of what we see and cannot see - the One who lifted us out of the slimy pit and set our feet on solid ground, spoke to Job and simply said, "I'm God!"

Our Heavenly Father loves us so very much! He truly desires for us to know Him better and walk by His side with complete trust. But there are times when our trust must take comfort in accepting a difficult answer. Often, in the middle of our trials, we must continue to simply believe His Word is true. Though we may not understand, we must desperately cling to His promises and KNOW He will never leave us nor forsake us! Let's be at total peace and restore our hope by always remembering that He is the Lord God, the Lover of our souls.
THIS IS OUR GOD!!


Have a blessed day!!