GOD IS GOD

You are going to go through times that test your faith, your resolve and your committment. Please remember these will be difficult times. There are no shortcuts and no easy way out. When you accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior you were instantly saved but the Christian life is a life of growth and evolving maturity. It doesn’t happen overnight and it will not happen without your permission. The key to a victorious Christian life is to never give up, keep pushing through, don’t get stagnant, never be satisfied with where you are and don’t get discouraged with yourself or the process. If I am too comfortable it is a sign to me that I am not in a growth spurt! And I should pay attention and not get too complacent. Before I was confident of my salvation the book of Revelation would scare me and I would not read it because the description of the end times is very disconcerting. Then when I was sure of my salvation the book of Revelation no longer scared me because I knew I was secure in Christ but then I found myself apprehensive about the book of Job. Here this man was going about his business trying to do right and loved the Lord and all of a sudden all this calamity came upon him. His children died, he got sick, he lost all his property and riches, he had friends yakking in his ear about their interpretation of why he was going through what he was going through and giving all their unsolicited advice. And his wife was disgusted with him and his faith in a God that would let all this happen. Job didn’t “deserve” what happened to him but it still happened. Not only did it happen but God put Job on satan’s radar because satan thought he could make Job curse God and God said go ahead and try. That concerned me and made me feel uneasy to be honest. But God would only allow satan to go so far. And ultimately after Job was done feeling sorry for himself he learned what we all must learn. That God is God. It is fascinating, informative, awesome, merciful and gracious how God takes Job and all of us to school starting with Job chapter 38. The Lord puts everything in perspective quick, fast and in a hurry! He lays it on the line and lets us know without a doubt who He is. You understand that no matter what, it is foolish and futile to second guess God. God is God.

Following God can be exhilarating, exciting, joyful, powerful, fun and wonderful. It can also be lonely, confusing, scary and out of your control.  During those times when everything seems so uncertain there is a question we must settle in our minds. Does God mean to harm me? Does He have ill will toward me? The answer is and must always be a resounding No!  Which means whatever your condition or circumstances you must trust Him. No matter what it seems like or what you are going through you must trust that he has a plan. That plan may not have the absence of pain. There may be some pain involved but God is ultimately in control and He loves you no matter what. He gave His only Son to die for sins He didn’t commit. He sent His Son to pay the debt we owed. Now that is love. Stay encouraged beloved and be convinced:

Romans 8:38-39 NIV

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Following God may sometimes lead to pain. You may be misunderstood, ridiculed, laughed at, persecuted, and hurt but you are not alone. Don’t be discouraged and you don’t have to be afraid. Summon your faith because He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him ( paraphrased Hebrews 11:6). Focus on what God is imparting into you and not on what the enemy is trying or has taken away. Trust His love for you. Only then can you have peace. Look at Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. The battle may not be over for us but the war is won!  I remember something I heard Andy Stanley, the son of Dr. Charles Stanley, say on his Dad’s TV show “In Touch” on January 21, 2007  and it stuck with me. He said “God takes full responsibility for the life that is totally yielded to Him”.  Hallelujah!  Thank you Jesus! God is God!

When you are tempted to look at your circumstances more than your God listen to this song to bring things back into perspective.  God Bless

With Love,

Ms Wanda, GAC