What kind of questions cross your mind when you are struggling to understand what God is doing? Especially, if you are in the midst of circumstances that are not so pleasant. Maybe questions like the following have crossed your mind...
"Art thou (Jesus) he that should come? or look we for another?" Luke 7:20
"How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?" Psalm 13:1
"LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?" Ps 94:3
"...Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?... neither hast thou delivered thy people at all." Ex 5:22-23
How could John the Baptist, David, or Moses ask questions like that? Did they lack faith? Isn't that what we think or hear when we are struggling? You need to have faith... I submit that only those who believe and are seeking God ask questions like those above. Why? Because they come from expectation of God acting.
Statements like, "...There is no God..." or "...Why couldn't we (fill in the blank)..." would come from those who do not believe that God is or are reliant on themselves and their works rather than God's grace.
Asking questions or feeling far from God because of circumstances might not be due to lack of faith. Maybe it is not even a question of faith. In other words, circumstances do not define faith. It is what you do in the midst of circumstances that demonstrates faith.
"Art thou (Jesus) he that should come? or look we for another?" Luke 7:20
"How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?" Psalm 13:1
"LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?" Ps 94:3
"...Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?... neither hast thou delivered thy people at all." Ex 5:22-23
How could John the Baptist, David, or Moses ask questions like that? Did they lack faith? Isn't that what we think or hear when we are struggling? You need to have faith... I submit that only those who believe and are seeking God ask questions like those above. Why? Because they come from expectation of God acting.
Statements like, "...There is no God..." or "...Why couldn't we (fill in the blank)..." would come from those who do not believe that God is or are reliant on themselves and their works rather than God's grace.
Asking questions or feeling far from God because of circumstances might not be due to lack of faith. Maybe it is not even a question of faith. In other words, circumstances do not define faith. It is what you do in the midst of circumstances that demonstrates faith.
Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Then after establishing himself as a responsible trustworthy servant, he is falsely accused by his master's wife and sent to prison. He establishes himself in the prison, but is forgotten. Many years later, things work out for Joseph, and as he had dreamed a long time before, he now rules over his brothers. And what is his attitude toward his brothers? "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." Genesis 50:20 If that were me, I would probably be saying, "I told you so..." Joseph continues to say... Genesis 50:25 "And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence." Hebrews 11:22 "By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones." Assurance of things hoped for...
Or how about Job. "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil." Job 1:1 Now that is a nice intro. But then, Job lost everything, except his wife and his life. His condition after his loss "....his grief was very great..." Job 2:13. After much misplaced counsel from a few of his contemporaries, God answers Job starting in Job 38. Here are two interesting verses in God's answer that summarizes God's reponse....
Job 38:4 "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?..."
Job 40:8 "Wilt thou also disannul my judgment?..." Sound familiar?
Remember, Revelation 14:7 "...for the hour of His judgment..." and "...who created..."
Or how about Jesus... Hebrews 12:2-3 "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." What question did He ask.... "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46
Yes, trials are hard and may cause some to ask questions, but do not confuse trials with lack of faith. James 1:2-3 "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." Interesting that the passage in James does not say that the result will be more faith, but the result will be patience. This passage also mentions asking for wisdom, not more faith. Perhaps the wisdom is to understand the trials, and God's work, so that the result will be "..., that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing..." James 1:4.
Why not ask for faith? Faith is a gift from God and as James writes later in chapter 1 verse 17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
How much faith has God given?
1Cor 10:13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
The answer is enough, but we are responsible to use what he has given us for His glory.
Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
Or how about Job. "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil." Job 1:1 Now that is a nice intro. But then, Job lost everything, except his wife and his life. His condition after his loss "....his grief was very great..." Job 2:13. After much misplaced counsel from a few of his contemporaries, God answers Job starting in Job 38. Here are two interesting verses in God's answer that summarizes God's reponse....
Job 38:4 "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?..."
Job 40:8 "Wilt thou also disannul my judgment?..." Sound familiar?
Remember, Revelation 14:7 "...for the hour of His judgment..." and "...who created..."
Or how about Jesus... Hebrews 12:2-3 "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." What question did He ask.... "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46
Yes, trials are hard and may cause some to ask questions, but do not confuse trials with lack of faith. James 1:2-3 "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." Interesting that the passage in James does not say that the result will be more faith, but the result will be patience. This passage also mentions asking for wisdom, not more faith. Perhaps the wisdom is to understand the trials, and God's work, so that the result will be "..., that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing..." James 1:4.
Why not ask for faith? Faith is a gift from God and as James writes later in chapter 1 verse 17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
How much faith has God given?
1Cor 10:13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
The answer is enough, but we are responsible to use what he has given us for His glory.
Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
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