When Life is Hard, God is Still Good
"How great is Your goodness which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in You. In the shelter of Your presence You hide them from the intrigues of men; in Your dwelling you keep them sat from accusing tongues. Praise be to the Lord for He showed His wonderful love to me (Psalm 31:19-20)."
Though we try with all of our might, we are not in control. Death, loss, sickness, devastating circumstances, wayward children, relationships that come to an end are some of the things each one of us will experience while on this earth. We cry out to God. We plead with Him to fix it, but sometimes, His answer is no. We cannot understand. We think we know what is best, but we must remember that God's ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). When tragedy strikes, as His beloved child, we need to remember that God is still good and He causes all things (the good and the bad) to work together for our good and His glory as He conforms us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29).
You and I were created in the image of God to bring Him glory and to spread the gospel all over the world. God never promised us an easy life, but He did promise He would never ever leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus plainly tells us that in this world we will have trouble, but to take heart because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).
Think about it for a minute, Jesus left His throne in glory, He left His Father and came down to earth to suffer for our sake. He could have called ten-thousand angels to come to His rescue, but He willingly chose to suffer and die for every one of our sins. When God calls you out of darkness and into His marvelous light, He places His Spirit within you. The moment you become His, He begins to transform you, to make you more like His Son. God uses the most painful and difficult times in your life not to break you, but to cause you to cry out to Him; to make you aware that you are not in control and cannot do this on your own. He uses these painful and difficult times to draw you to Him and show you that He is faithful.
There is not anything or anyone that is more important than your relationship with Christ Jesus. God will not share His glory with anyone else (Isaiah 42:8). If we have been putting other things or people above Him and giving them the place that only He deserves, He will do whatever it takes to show you your great need for Him, not because He wants to cause you pain, but because He loves you so much! He is the one we can always depend on. He is the one who never changes. He is our Abba Father and cherishes us. Jesus is the only one who can truly ever satisfy the deep longing we have in our hearts. Until we come to Christ, we try to fill this longing with so many things, but none ever satisfy. His invitation is for all who will believe. "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to Me; hear Me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David (Isaiah 55:1-3)."
Jesus is the living water (John 4:14). In Him, you will never thirst again. He gives you His peace and righteousness and satisfies your soul. When you go through difficult seasons in life, don't think for a moment that God has abandoned you or that He doesn't love you. His covenant is forever and His love is unfailing. "The Lord your God is with you; He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you; He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17)."
Over and over again in His word the Lord asks us to trust Him. No matter what we face can have confidence in the truth that He is good, He is compassionate, He cares for us, He is sovereign and He is Lord of all. God will never fail you! So when it seems like your world is falling apart, know and rest in the fact that God is holding all things together (Colossians 1:17). He loves you more than you will ever know!
"I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:15-19)."
Though we try with all of our might, we are not in control. Death, loss, sickness, devastating circumstances, wayward children, relationships that come to an end are some of the things each one of us will experience while on this earth. We cry out to God. We plead with Him to fix it, but sometimes, His answer is no. We cannot understand. We think we know what is best, but we must remember that God's ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). When tragedy strikes, as His beloved child, we need to remember that God is still good and He causes all things (the good and the bad) to work together for our good and His glory as He conforms us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29).
You and I were created in the image of God to bring Him glory and to spread the gospel all over the world. God never promised us an easy life, but He did promise He would never ever leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus plainly tells us that in this world we will have trouble, but to take heart because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).
Think about it for a minute, Jesus left His throne in glory, He left His Father and came down to earth to suffer for our sake. He could have called ten-thousand angels to come to His rescue, but He willingly chose to suffer and die for every one of our sins. When God calls you out of darkness and into His marvelous light, He places His Spirit within you. The moment you become His, He begins to transform you, to make you more like His Son. God uses the most painful and difficult times in your life not to break you, but to cause you to cry out to Him; to make you aware that you are not in control and cannot do this on your own. He uses these painful and difficult times to draw you to Him and show you that He is faithful.
There is not anything or anyone that is more important than your relationship with Christ Jesus. God will not share His glory with anyone else (Isaiah 42:8). If we have been putting other things or people above Him and giving them the place that only He deserves, He will do whatever it takes to show you your great need for Him, not because He wants to cause you pain, but because He loves you so much! He is the one we can always depend on. He is the one who never changes. He is our Abba Father and cherishes us. Jesus is the only one who can truly ever satisfy the deep longing we have in our hearts. Until we come to Christ, we try to fill this longing with so many things, but none ever satisfy. His invitation is for all who will believe. "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to Me; hear Me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David (Isaiah 55:1-3)."
Jesus is the living water (John 4:14). In Him, you will never thirst again. He gives you His peace and righteousness and satisfies your soul. When you go through difficult seasons in life, don't think for a moment that God has abandoned you or that He doesn't love you. His covenant is forever and His love is unfailing. "The Lord your God is with you; He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you; He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17)."
Over and over again in His word the Lord asks us to trust Him. No matter what we face can have confidence in the truth that He is good, He is compassionate, He cares for us, He is sovereign and He is Lord of all. God will never fail you! So when it seems like your world is falling apart, know and rest in the fact that God is holding all things together (Colossians 1:17). He loves you more than you will ever know!
"I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:15-19)."
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