Faith During the Hard Times

Job was a man who had it all. He was the richest man in the land where he live, as Job 1:3 tells us. He was a man who feared God, and verse one of chapter one tells us that he was a "man of complete integrity," (NLT). As we read Job 1:1-5, we see that Job has everything going for him, in all he does.

Moving into verse 6, we switch gears, and are given insight into what is going on in heaven at this time. From verses 6-12, we read about Satan approaching God, and God telling Satan about Job, and how dedicated of a servant Job was to His Lord God. Satan stood up against the Lord, telling Him that Job just followed Him so faithfully because God protected him, and allowed Job to prosper in all he did. Satan reasoned with God, telling Him that Job only followed Him because God protected and provided so well for him. "Take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!" (Job 1:11, NLT). The Lord told Satan to do what he would, but not to harm Job physically.

The story continues, telling about how Job lost everything he had, all in the same day; first his animals and farmhands, sheep and shepherds, camels and servants, and even all his sons and daughters.

Job was distraught. The Bible tells us he stood up and tore his robes because of his overwhelming grief (1:20). However, even though he had lost everything, he did not curse God, but praised Him! (1:21). He never blamed God for anything, but praised God through everything He went through.

How quick are we to blame God when things do not go our way? I know I am quick to become angry with God when I do not get my own way. But, is that the way we are supposed to be? I don't think so. Is this difficult, praising God through trials? Definitely!

I attended a church service over the weekend, and the pastor was preaching on the people of Zion, and their wondering about where God was in the midst of their trials. He said something that stuck with me, and it will be something that I will often think about; "Despite what we may think or feel, God is with His people," (Benjamin Pass).

Job knew that God was with him in the midst of his trials, and tribulations. Can we trust God will do the same for us?

Psalm 23:4 (NIV)
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

(Suggested reading: Psalm 23).

Trusting God

I'll be very honest. Trusting God is not easy. I have a very difficult time with this. It is hard to trust God with everything; finances, relationships, education; it's hard. But you know what is harder? It is harder to try to figure things out by yourself. Let me explain a bit.

I have tried so many times to try to figure things out on my own. I have done things that I regret because I was doing what I thought was right, or what I was feeling like I wanted to do. However... each time I have found out that my plan... well, it sucks. Every time, I let myself down, and I always let the people around me down too. And I'll be honest... I don't like doing that.

I'm in the process of learning to lay things down and let them go, giving them to God. Cause honestly, God knows all of it, and He knows everything that is going to happen. And I believe that God has the best plan for my life. I also think He has the best plan for your life.

The best thing that one can do to learn how to let go and trust God is to grow closer to Him. In every relationship, as you get closer to someone, you trust them more. If we grow closer to God, we will learn to trust Him more, and then we will be able to let things go. And how do we get closer to God? Well, how do you get closer to anyone? You spend time with them. You talk with them. This is what you need to do with God. You need to take time to spend with Him, praying and listening for Him to answer. You need to read His Word, and reflect on it. Just like when you think about what your friends say, think about what God says.

I'm not saying that this is going to change things completely. This is a process, and it is going to take time. The best relationships are formed over time. Your relationship with God will form. It takes time and work, just like any other relationship, but it will be worth it.

You can and will learn to trust if you want to. So, what do you want to do?

God is with You

In Exodus 33:12-23, Moses talks with God, saying that God has been telling them to go to the Promised Land. (Side note for those who do not know; God had told Moses to lead His people, the Israelites, out of Egypt, into a land God would show them; the Promised Land as it is referred to). Moses complained that God had not told him who would go with him. Moses wanted to have a plan, and know where God was leading them. It is much like each of us. "God, what are you doing?" we ask. "Where are you leading me?"
We seek an answer when really, what God wants is for us to really do is trust Him and follow Him faithfully. He tells Moses in verse fourteen, "I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest - everything will be fine for you." (NLT) God called Moses by name, because He knows Him by name, (see verse 17). God says He will be with Moses. God will be with each of us too. If God has called you to something, He will not leave you alone, but walk with you and guide you through all of it. That doesn't mean it won't be scary... it probably will be... but you can know that the King of the World is on your side.

For I Know the Plans...

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." -Jeremiah 29:11 {NLT}

God always has a plan for us. He has a plan for each and every person on this planet. This, quite obviously, includes you. So why are you fighting His plan?

Hahahaha now, listen, I'm no one to talk. I've been fighting God's plan for a while now. I know why you are fighting it. Probably the same reasons I am. Fear. Uncertainty. Hurt. Wanting control... trust me, I get it.

You know what I've learned though? My plans SUCK. I try to do things on my own, and if I had a mess before... well it is way worse now. I'm learning how much I need to trust God. And gosh darn it, it is hard. Some days it seems near impossible. But He is there with you all the time. You don't have to carry everything on your own. Don't carry disappointments, regret, shame, hurt, or anything else. Let it go. Let God come in and replace that in your life.

"For I know the plans I have for you..."

Sometimes it seems like God is leading us around and around in circles, with no direction or guidance. But He's always there. Even if we don't like where we are right now... God will lead us to something better. He has good plans for us!

So it's up to you. Will you trust Him and let Him lead you into His perfect plan for you, or will you continue to resist? Remember, this is a process. Don't expect perfection right away. You will probably steal driver's seat again once or twice or twenty times. But the process means that you'll always give it back to the professional... in this case, God. So, back to the question... Will you trust Him and let Him lead you into His perfect plan for you, or will you continue to resist?

"For I know the plans I have for you..."

It's the Simple Things

You know, I have learned a lot in the past little bit. And God has been teaching me a lot of things, sometimes in the most unexpected times and places.

For example, at work yesterday, God taught me something.

I had decided I was going to strive to work for Him, rather than for people. Which meant I would strive to do my job with excellence, and really care about what I was doing, not just go through the motions.

As I was at work, a thought came into my mind... "If I (Jesus) were coming to inspect the store, what would you be doing right now?" I responded with another thought... "Well I would be working a lot harder and faster and doing a lot of cleaning to make it spotless."

Then this is where it all got real.

I got a response...

"You would do that if I were coming to visit the store, but I am in your heart and life every day, and you don't keep that spotless."

Ouch.

Living a holy and perfect life is difficult. Many would say impossible. I know that we all strive to be perfect (on/in our own power).... but what if we gave the controls to God, and asked Him to teach us how to live pure and holy lives before Him? I think we would see a big change...

Just something to think about.

Decisions, Decisions

Have you ever wondered why life is so hard? And for those of you who have reached the stage between teenager and young adult, have you been amazed at how many decisions you have to make on a daily basis? For some of you, you did not decide anything before you went off to school; your parents decided everything for you, right down to what you were eating. Some of us (like me) had more control over some of the decisions we had to make, and a say in others.

Decisions are not always easy to make. Decisions like what you are having for supper are relatively simple ones. Start thinking about harder decisions. Like where to go to college. What to do with your life. Who to be in a relationship with, or whether to have a relationship at all. Who to have friendships with. You have to decide what influences you want in your life. You need to decide who you want to follow; the world, or Jesus.

Let me be super honest with you. I like to listen to me. I like to do what I want. I want to have control over myself and my life. And I have tried to live my life that way.

Let me tell you something... It has not been working well for me. It isn't easy.

And living for Jesus isn't easy either.

In fact, it is tough. You have to give up your own wills and desires to live for Him. Sometimes, you will have to make super tough choices, and give up the things that you want every single day. I'm learning all over again how to do that. And it is tough. Every day is a struggle. But living for Jesus will give you such peace in your life, and will help make a lot of the tough decisions easier. PLEASE NOTE: I did not say it will make tough decisions EASY. I said EASIER.

When I left school, I had high expectations for this summer. I knew God was going to do something awesome. And I had that in mind, plus the things I wanted. I wanted to combine the two. However, God threw some obstacles in the way. And I don't know if I am completely correct in saying this, but maybe this is what God had me excited for. Who says awesome things happen in only good times? Sometimes we have to go through some tough things to see amazing things happen. And I know God is working on me. I know in the end it is going to be amazing, even if right now it hurts and is uncomfortable. How do I know all this? Well, I don't have concrete evidence. I try to operate on faith. Many times faith has helped me more than concrete evidence. (If you don't know what I mean by this, think of someone who has been diagnosed with cancer, and given a certain amount of time to live and that time passes, they are alive, and then beat cancer. The doctor's report; the "evidence" showed one thing, but faith shows another... hopefully that made sense.)

The main thing I am trying to get to is this: The decisions you have to make in life won't be easy. Deciding whether or not to follow Jesus is one of the most pivotal and important decisions you will have to make in life. But I can promise you this; following Jesus will help you so much in your life, with decisions you have to make, and just with life in general. I invite you to join me in learning/learning over again, how to let Jesus make the decisions in our lives. It'll be a bumpy ride, but, my friends, it's gonna be worth it.

Romans 5:5-6
"Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Life Like a River

So this past year has been crazy. As you know from my last post, I've finished my first year of University... which is crazy. I had a lot of ups and downs in this last year. One day, I went with some of my friends to go hiking. We went up, and when we reached the top, we were able to look down and see the fields below us, and the river running through them. As I sat there taking some time alone with God, watching the river flow, He spoke to my heart. God definitely does speak through nature, I have learned that so much over the years. This is what he spoke to me...
"Life is like a river. Sometimes it flows fast, sometimes it flows slow. Sometimes it hits a rock or two and gets redirected. Sometimes there's a choice to make; a split; and one has to decide which way to go. Go where you flow naturally. Follow and trust the leading of the river. Trust that God guides the river, and He is guiding you."
This spoke so much to me. It helped me a lot when I was going through some tough times at the end of the semester. Some of my friends were not planning on returning to the University, and were planning to switch schools, which meant I would not be able to see them as much. I was unsure if the program I am in is the right one for me. I was having a hard time accepting things, and was just tired, mentally and physically. This boosted my attitude and my spirit. It helped me to accept things better. I was able to cope with the thought of my friends not returning in the fall, and it is amazing that God worked things out so that my friends were able to come back again!
God speaks to us in our times of need. He is there to always help us through things. There are countless instances that I can recall where just this thing happened. My challenge to you is to trust God. Listen to what He is trying to tell you. Flow where He leads you. Trust me, it is better than anything you can come up with.

Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
  In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." (NIV)