At first it's hard to see how a bad situation in life is actually God's loves for you. Doesn't make sense. We'd do everything to help people we love once we see them in trouble. Right? Then why is it that God doesn't seem to be doing anything? We often think troubles or problems are blockages or unfortunate mishaps or bad luck or punishment for wrong doing. Well, most times it's a result of what we did, and sometimes, too, it's some form of punishment (says 1 Thessalonians 1.8). But often it's how God loves us. God sees things so differently.
Jesus said the Father won't give us snakes if we ask him for fish, or scorpions if we ask for eggs. But often, we beg him for snakes and scorpions without realizing it. For some reason, we're head over heels for them and in our blind desperation we see them as fish and eggs. So when God refuses to give in, we think we're being punished. "What wrong did I do to deserve this refusal from God" we wonder.
Actually, God is only keeping us safe from the snakes and scorpions we're trying to ask from him. We can't see them as thus because we are still slaves to the world's systems and perception of things. We're still carnal, not knowing that his love spares us from the world's deception. Keep this in mind--a lot of times (not always), if we can't see as God sees, we're still worldly.
Job thought he was being punished unfairly. But actually, God was so fond of him that HE picked him among so many on earth as one of a kind believer. And HE bragged about him to Satan--to the extent of challenging the enemy to try Job in an extreme way. That's GOD's love. See? Do you want God to love you? Then we must start to understand how HE loves.
He also loved Jesus, His Son, so much. So Jesus was crucified and felt abandoned by the Father that he cried out, "Why has Thou forsaken me?" But actually, the Father had declared once how Jesus was his, "beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." See that word "beloved"?
It's something like what James' and John's mom wanted for her sons--to be seated on the right and left hand of Jesus in his Kingdom. Jesus said (and I could see him chuckle at the idea), "You do not know what you're asking." Often, we think we know what we want but we don't. We want God to love us in a special way but we're not ready for it. And God sees all that. He sees the end of all things right from the beginning.
And he spares us from added sorrows by not granting our request. Instead, he gives us something much better. He never says no but his yes are often misread. We think of it as a no or a rejection or a forfeiture. Sometimes, his yes is even taken as punishment. But remember, true believers always get a yes to their prayers because, "no matter how many promises God has made, they are yes in Christ," [2 Corinthians 1.20].
Because he loves us. This is why "stalking" behind Jesus (my way of saying getting too up-close to Him) is urgent. You've got to see Jesus doing his thing right before your very eyes.
At first, it's hard to comprehend how the thing God gives us is "much better" than what we're asking for--especially when what we're given doesn't look promising one bit. And it usually isn't. But in time we will, if we trust him. God will open our eyes to see truth at its barest if he sees our hearts are pure and ready to see it.
It's okay to be prone to shortcuts and escapism and ask God to just spare us the trouble. It's human nature. It even manifested in Jesus. He himself somewhat had the same experience while agonizing in Gethsemane. He asked the Father to cancel (or let pass) his suffering or crucifixion, if it were at all possible. It was human agony, the human side of Jesus getting the harrowing thought. But the cross went through, anyway. And Jesus had the spiritual eyes to see truth.
Was the Father punishing him? Nope, though it looked that way to people. It was because the Father loved him so much.
The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. [John 10.17]
Well, in a broader sense, the Father punished sin when Jesus suffered the cross because Jesus, who was sinless, "was made sin" for us [2 Corinthians 5.21]. But that's for another topic to discuss. Right now, you have to understand that most dire situations we're in is actually God's rescue, keeping us safe from worse things, because he loves us. So we have to thank God for everything, even for things we don't have any inkling about. And then ask God to guide you through the ordeal. "God, what's this all about?"
Because we need to be guided in all things.
Once upon a time, I couldn't understand why I had this strange illness that kept me in bed. All medical tests were normal and yet one slight move made me weak and dizzy and breathless. So I was confined to bed in my room for months without understanding why--and I was asking God really serious questions about it--about my life, actually. WHY?
Later, while deep in my dramatic moments, I suddenly turned my sights to my bookshelf and saw the title of a book: "The Jesus I Never Knew." Then I remembered how the Lord had been urging me a long time to read the book again--a second time--because I had the impression that he wanted to point out something there, but I was so busy with other things I thought meant more to me and made me productive in life.
So, feeling so sick and confined to bed, I realized I had more than enough time to spend reading it. God actually arranged everything to get rid of the "snakes and scorpions" I had been pouring time on (and thought made me productive) so I could spend quality time on what was really "fish and eggs." See?
Still cannot get what this is all about? Don't worry, a lot of people also didn't get it even when they heard it straight from Jesus. Even his disciples at times didn't. To get enlightened, you need to have Jesus first in your life, ruling it. When Jesus is in your life, so is his Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit will give you enlightenment. Surrender your life to Jesus first.
Surrendering to Jesus
Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Then receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord, then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do, but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.
No comments:
Post a Comment