As I walk through this life God has blessed me with, He is teaching me so much! My life hasn't been easy. He's never given me the "easy way out." For whatever reason, when trials come my way, I have to walk through them. I have to complete the process and through every process, I become a better person. I am thankful that God has chosen to not give me the "easy" life. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world! My trials have made me who I am today and with each new trial that comes, I am being conformed more and more into His image!
If we're not careful, we can paint a false image of what victory looks like. We read the Bible and take God at His Word so we expect that instantly we should receive everything the Bible says we can have. We expect immediate delivery, immediate healing, immediate results. Great men and women of God tell us that if we have enough faith, all we have to do is speak the Word and we should have whatever we say.
While that works for some people, we can't limit God or put Him in a box. It's not up to us to determine how God works. We don't see the whole big picture but He does. He works with each person as an individual. We can't say that God will do the same thing in each person's life. When we tell people that they need to have more faith or speak the Word more and they don't see immediate results, the enemy will use that to cause them to doubt their relationship with God. They will question if they really have faith at all. They wonder why God is mad at them and punishing them. All of this is so far from the truth!
We like to put a certain label on faith and say it always looks a certain way. For some, faith is believing for a supernatural miracle which comes instantly and God will use this to impact their lives as well as others. But for others, faith is continuing to believe day by day, even when you don't see a change. Faith is continuing to love God and live a life dedicated to Him in spite of the pain, the weakness, the frustration. Faith is knowing that God is in complete control no matter what the circumstances look like and knowing that if you have to walk through it, you will come out the other side victorious! Faith is a peace and willingness to walk through the darkest hour knowing that it will not destroy you! Faith is having such confidence and trust in God that you are perfectly surrendered to His will and rely totally on His strength to get through whatever life throws your way!
As I have walked the past 3.5 years with some health issues, it would have been so easy for God to just speak a word and instantly deliver me from all of this. However, the greatest miracle is how He continues to sustain me in the midst of it all! Naturally speaking, I have no immune system. If I go by what doctor's say, I should not be in large crowds of people. I should go around with a mask on to protect myself from all the germs. I have never worn a mask. I go to the grocery store. I go shopping. I go to church every time we have a service. I am surrounded by people who are sick. I love to hug people. Not only am I in the midst of sick people, I am always hugging them because I love people and that's just what I do. But guess what? God has protected me and kept me from catching anything! They tell me a cold or sinus infection could put me in the hospital. I have had several sinus infections but my body somehow fights it off even with "no immune system." Things in my body seem to progressively get worse, but God gives me the strength to keep going each day and most people have no clue what is going on. I just went to a neurologist yesterday and am scheduled for an MRI next week. I don't know what the results of this will be, but I am confident that God is with me and He will continue to strengthen me through the process.
We have to stop accepting defeat when God doesn't move the way we think He should! Look at all the disciples and people in the Bible. Look at all the trials they faced! They went through everything imaginable but still chose to serve God and live a life dedicated to fulfilling His will! Through the trials and difficulties, they were able to continue preaching the Word of God and being living examples of His faithfulness and goodness. Countless lives were introduced to the Kingdom of God because of their determination and steadfastness.
You may be one who instantly receives answers! Praise the Lord if you are! But if you are one who seems to always have to walk through stuff, be encouraged! He knows you can handle it and it's not to destroy you or punish you. He is doing a great work in and through you and as people watch your life, they will see Him. People will be drawn to Him as they witness you really living life. It's easy to be happy and joyful when everything is going good. But sometimes people need to see someone going through the storm. They need to see how you respond so they will have the courage to go through their own storm.
No comments:
Post a Comment