I had a friend years ago who went through a really tough time (for a long time) in her life. She was part of my click of friends at church and we were involved in Drama, the youth band and several other ministries. she didn't know where to turn at a certain stage in her life. It just seemed like her whole world had come down. Not long after that did severe depression hit her so bad. She always looked up to the Heavens and cried out to God for a way out. One day, she came to the conclusion, that God had put her file with all her prayers in a "filing cabinet" and had gone on vacation. She got so depressed about everything to the point that she gave up on her walk with the Lord (for a long while). But friends, the Bible gives no indication whatsoever that God goes some place or even has a 'filing cabinet'. Are you one of those who has been waiting on God for something for a while now and it really does seem like God has forgotten?. Are you at cross-roads in your life and it sure feels or even seems that there is no way out of your situation? I pray and hope that this write-up will encourage and bless you at the place where you are.
As mentioned in my previous message, the book by Oswald Chambers called 'My Highest For the utmost' has blessed me so much. I have been so encouraged and now it is your turn to be encouraged as well. Many of us in our walk with Lord Jesus, are currently at the 'Red Sea' in our lives where we are faced with Red Sea in front and the enemy coming from the back (chaos and turmoil in our lives). So here we are faced with this enormous problem at this place in our lives. Our trust is in the Word of God and our faith is in Him? After walking with the Lord all these years or whatever time period it has been for all of us, we arrive at this place that will test our faith in God in great proportions like never experienced before. Are you at this place in your life? I know I am! What do we do? Maybe its not the 'Red Sea' but just a time of Spiritual confusion...not knowing which way to go or turn at this very crucial point in our lives. It seems as though we have been waiting 'forever' to hear from on high for direction. Some would even say..."the Clock is ticking". Question: Is God's Clock the same as ours? Isn't time in His hands?
There are times in my life and your life when there is confusion, and the way out of it is not simply to say that you should not be confused. It is not a matter of right or wrong, but a matter of God taking you and me through a way that we we temporarily don't understand. And its only by going through the spiritual confusion that we will come to an understanding of what God wants for us.
In Luke 11:5-8, Jesus gave the illustration of a man who appears not to care for his friend. He was saying, in effect that is how the heavenly Father will appear to us at times. We some times think that He does not hear us or that it is because of some sin in the past that we committed and that's the reason we hear nothing from Him. Quite Frankly, there are times when the heavens are VERY SILENT, when we hear nothing but...silence. The time will come when everything will be explained. When God appears to be completely silent about our situations, are willing to hang on with confidence in him? I can tell you now that some times, its very difficult but that is what Faith in God is all about.
When we read Luke 11:11-13, we hear Jesus saying that there are times when our father will appear as if He were an unnatural father-as if He were callous and indifferent-but remember, He is NOT!! "everyone who asks, receives..." (Luke 11:10). Friends, if all we see is the SHADOW ON THE FACE OF THE FATHER right now, lets HANG onto the fact that HE will ULTIMATELY give you and me clear understanding and will FULLY JUSTIFY Himself in everything that He has allowed into our lives. I, like you have more than a million questions as to why things happened the way they did in my life or why they didnt happen. We ask "Why me or why this or that?" God ALONE has the answer and...its all part of HIS PLAN for our lives. NO WITCH OR WIZARD CAN EVEN TELL THIS!!! NOT EVEN READING THE HOROSCOPE OR THE STARS(like many desperate Christains do) can reveal or foretell the FUTURE!!! CHRISTIANS NEED TO FIND THEIR WAY BACK TO GOD AND THEN...Like Jeremaiah 33:3 says, He will show us great things we know not!
A question is posed in Luke 18:8. "...when the son of man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" Where is our faith? in what or in whom have we placed our trust? Will the Lord find the kind of faith that counts or banks on Him in spite of the confusion in our lives? Friends, let us stand firm in faith, believing that what the Lord Jesus said is true, even though in the meantime, we don't understand what God is doing.
Psalm 77 is one of favorite because like the psalmist, I have been to the place (I'm sure you too) where God seemed to so silent. In verses 10 and 11 the writer comes to himself and declares that He will remember God's wonders of old. God HAS NOT FORGOTTEN US but rather He has THE perfect plan for our lives. His ways ARE HIGHER than ours!!! Be encouraged, He will turn our darkness into light (Psalm 18:27).
THIS IS OUR GOD!!
Have a blessed day!!
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