May 6, 2011

True Confessions

So this has been an interesting week. Bryant and I were talking after church on Sunday about how we can feel a heaviness on our people's hearts. Last night at Ladies Bible Study, the heaviness was prevalent...and this time, it was in my own heart. It's interesting to me how the body of Christ tends to face the same things at the same times...ironic or Supernatural? God knows we need each other. Just as Moses needed Aaron and the other leaders of the Israelites to hold up his arms during battle, we need our brothers and sisters in Christ to help us stand up in the face of Adversity.

However, last night, I was struggling with my own views of God, and then I was supposed to lead a Bible Study. Awesome. This morning as I was driving to school, I realized that I needed a good dose of the Truth. I am wondering if anyone else does. So here it goes.

Bryant told me the other day that if Satan can thwart our views of God, Satan can ultimately destroy us. Wow. That is a sobering thought. I have to be on guard with how I view God and am interacting with Him as a result. However, two really good questions were raised last night as to how we are to hash out our relationships with God.

1. Why would God allow Satan the chance to influence us negatively toward Him (God)?
2. Why does God ask for all of our trust and then sometimes disappoint us with His answers?

Two really good, tough, necessary questions to ask.

1. God has given us free will. Our free will is the ultimate gift and sign of His unconditional love for us. Why? Because He proves over and over again that He will love us and forgive us and cherish us regardless of whether or not we choose Him. We are also created in the image of God with intellect, will, and emotion. However, our emotions are flawed. Satan preys on these flawed emotions. While God does allow Satan to tempt us and while God doesn't demand certain responses from us, He does give us His Word full of Truth and His character that never changes. He has revealed Himself to us; we have the opportunity to get to know Him for Who He is and then to cling to that knowledge. So God ultimately does protect us from the onslaughts of Satan. We just too often believe our emotions are more powerful than God. 1 John 3:20 says that God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. 1 John 4:4 says that God is greater than Satan. So there you have it: Ultimately God is greater than Satan and our hearts...we just have to choose to believe that when we feel otherwise. He has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (1 Timothy 1:7). You can take that to the bank. 

2. God is the only One Who sees the end from the beginning. God is the only One Who knows absolutely everything. God is the only One. Why does He say no and sometimes perpetuate our pain? Cause He knows. He knows more than me. He knows more than I will ever want to know. He Knows. Again, I have to really ground myself to the Truth of His Word: He will never give me more than I can handle (1 Cor 10:13), He is my faithful and empathetic High Priest Who gets it (Hebrews 4), He will never forsake me or leave me defenseless (Psalm 141). Ultimately, I have to realize that Proverbs 3:5-8 is more than just a nice verse to hang on my wall at home. It is a lifeline. Trust in the Lord. Don't lean on my own understanding. Don't be wise in my own eyes. In all my ways, acknowledge Him...notice this doesn't say I "feel" Him...I acknowledge...acknowledge He is there, He is powerful, He is gracious, He is good, He is loving, He is present, He is safety. He will direct my paths and I will be healed. Where does healing come from? Trusting in Him.

I leave you with a question Stasi Eldredge asks in Captivating:

Is God worthy of our trust?

1 Peter 3:6: Don't give way to fear. Put your hope in God.

Yes, my friend, He is worthy. Cling to Him.

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