Prager U: God and Suffering
Rock Solid Faith
Abraham was a tenth-generation descendant of Noah. At the age of 75, he got a direct call from God Himself:
“Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you…and in you, all of the families will be blessed.” Gn. 12:1 – 3. ESV
God is telling Abraham to take his wife, his nephew and a few servants and leave all that he has ever known, to embark upon a 1500-mile trek to a land (Canaan) that he has never seen. The promised carrot that God is motivating Abraham with, is that He will miraculously facilitate a child for he and his wife (also a septuagenarian).
Abraham took a great leap of faith; and because of that faith, we enjoy many blessings in our walk of faith.
Five years pass, and Abraham’s faith begins to waver; (this is actually a good thing for us to see because he is often referred to as the ‘father / paragon of faith,’ and even he experienced doubt. So, we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves if we slip):
“O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless…” Gn. 15:2 ESV
It is hard to wait on God sometimes, but His timing is always perfect. Jehovah does not delay gratification out of cruelty. No, He is expressing His love by nudging you into molding your character into a prepared vessel, to be able to make the most out of your granted petition, and to integrate that gift into His perfect plan concerning you.
God responds to Abraham:
“…one who will come from your own body shall become your heir…Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them…so shall your descendants be.” Gn. 15:4, 5. NKJV
This gives Abraham’s faith a big kick-start:
And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Gn. 15:6 NKJV
Thus, we can see that faith is required, to be in ‘right standing’ with Him.
God always keeps His word. Still, Abraham was 100 years old when his son, Isaac was born…
Fifteen years pass, and God visits Abraham with his biggest test of faith:
“Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” Gn. 22:2 NASB
Jehovah is telling Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on a burning pyre, such as was common with animal sacrifices as a form of worship. Moreover, that ritual of worship demanded that the sacrifice be killed prior to the burning.
Abraham immediately responds by faithfully taking Isaac to the mountain, building the pyre, and placing his son upon it. Then, he begins to draw back a knife to kill his son. What was Abraham’s faith based upon?
He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead… Heb. 11:19 ESV
He must have contemplated that since God promised his seed would the source of multitudes of nations, and that Isaac was the first part of that chain, his son could not die before he too propagated his line. Nevertheless, just as Abraham readied himself to thrust the knife, God sent an angel to stay his hand – accepting Abraham’s faithful intent. Jehovah responded:
“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” Gn. 22:18 NKJV
So, we see that because biblical principles are eternal, when we obey, i.e. exercise our faith, our descendants are blessed as well.
What does Abraham’s adventures have to do with being cherished by God? Well, God cherishes you, but you cannot enjoy the benefits of it, without faith. God does not work with those who operate in purposeful faithlessness:
…without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him. Heb. 11:6 AMP
The first important question then is, what is faith?
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Heb. 11:1 NASB
Faith is the hope in things that aren’t tangible to us yet, i.e. not available for the validation of our five senses. Most everything that God reveals to us, must be taken on faith – even creation itself:
By faith [that is, with an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power, wisdom and goodness of God] we understand that the worlds (universe, ages) were framed and created [formed, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose] by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made of things which are visible. Heb. 11:3 AMP
Likewise, God takes the focus of your faith and manifests it from the spiritual realm into the material one. In fact, our entire walk with God must be undergirded with faith:
…for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises] – 2 Cor. 5:7 AMP
With faith, you can accomplish anything, because that is when God shows up:
“All things are possible to him who believes.” Mk. 9:23 NASB
Faith is also the bond that brings all God’s children together as one (Eph. 4:4 – 6).
All this faith sounds great, but how do we go about getting it?
…God has allotted to each a measure of faith. Rm. 12:3 NASB
…let us run with endurance the race set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith… Heb. 12:1, 2. ESV
But the fruit of the Spirit is…faithfulness…Gal. 5:22 ESV
So faith comes from hearing [what is told] and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ. Rm. 10:17 AMP
Therefore, God gives us a gift of faith that He created through His Son, which is delivered to us by the Holy Spirit. It is nurtured and strengthened by immersing ourselves in the hearing of the gospel.
There are many benefits that God sends our way when we exercise our faith. One is being made righteous, as we’ve learned from Abraham (see also Rm. 3:28). It also empowers us with divine strength and it protects us – even warding off the devil himself (Ps. 31:23, 56:4; 71:5, 6; & 125:1; Pt. 3:8; Eph. 6:16.).
In fact, our faith brings us all of the promises of God):
“Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” Lk. 1:45 NKJV
We can both have this faith and sustain it because we know that God is faithful:
Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations: Ps. 119:89, 90. NASB
When we have faith in God and Jesus, we are transformed for all of eternity:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes in Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” Jn. 5:24 NASB
Finally, as we gather this faith, we need to share it, by bringing the kingdom message to as many as we can:
“…to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” Acts 26:18 NKJV
Faith is the hope in the promises from the Creator of the universe, through His Son. That hope is a privilege, but given for free. From that hope, we draw upon the limitless power of God, manifesting it through Christ. It moves mountains, heals the sick, removes iniquities, strengthens and protects, walls off the devil, showers us with abundance and happiness and reserves our place in eternity.
We have faith in the Faithful, drawn from the word of God, sealed by the Holy Spirit and remain focused on the resurrection of Christ. Keep the faith – rock solid…
Goodnight and God bless.
Deepening Your Relationship With God
All relationships begin with communication. Your relationship with God commences with prayer.
Until we learn more about who God is and what He wants for our lives, our prayers tend to revolve around ourselves. And sometimes we ask for things that don’t serve our best interests:
You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. Jas. 4:3 NASB
Fortunately, God only answers those prayers that align with His will – a divine mindset that only provides that which promotes our highest and best life:
…if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. 1 Jn. 5:14, 15. NKJV
God loves you so much that He wants your relationship to be a full-time affair. So, this must also be reflected in your prayer:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Th. 5:17, 18. ESV
Coming back to your prayer being in alignment with God’s will, you must also pray with a forgiving heart, because He will not hear you if you bear malice towards anyone. (Mk. 11:25) In addition, you must first get right with God (through confession and repentance) before He will hear you. (Ps. 4:3) And, you must have faith in God’s ability and desire to answer your prayer. (Heb. 11:6)
God loves you and wants to grant you your heart’s desires. You don’t have to be ‘special.’ God doesn’t work that way. He doesn’t practice partiality. Everyone is special to Him. What He wants, is your authenticity:
The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. Ps. 145:18 NKJV
Even in our weakness, God sends the Holy Spirit to us to strengthen and perfect our prayers for the greatest effect / response. (Rm. 8:26)
The only thing that gets in the way of our praying is when we give into our humanity. Sometimes our prayers are not answered (at least not in the way that we imagined), or it seems that God is taking His sweet time in doing so, or we think that He has rejected them altogether. We begin to think that prayer doesn’t work.
It exposes the weakness in our faith. Instead of asking Jesus to strengthen our faith, [because He always will (Heb. 12:12)], we put shame and guilt upon ourselves and pray even less, or not at all. We get more hung up on the ‘proper mechanics’ of prayer rather than keeping our focus on the Father and the Son, to whom we are praying to.
Prayer is your God-connection. Because life happens to us continually and at full-speed, we want to be having that running conversation with Him. Prayer is like any other endeavor; it improves with practice. It’s a part of your spiritual make-up. God placed that channel in you; but you have to initiate the conversation. He’s always right there. (Mt. 28:20)
God is in control of everything. He’s the one you want to talk to. The more that you make your needs and the needs of others known to Him, the more God is going to show up to answer the prayers that bring you closer to Him, which is where you will find your highest and best life.
If some prayers aren’t answered, they didn’t meet that criteria. It doesn’t mean He is neglectful; God is looking out for you. The ones that are answered will bolster your faith, increase the efficacy of your prayers, and embolden you to pray all the more – simultaneously advancing the Kingdom.
Concurrently, God starts removing the dross laid upon you from your foray into the world; then your true shining self begins to emerge.
God does not expect you to show up as a perfect person or prayer-giver. Your time spent with Him will get you there. Your ‘authentic self’ is who God wants to meet face-to-face. If you ask Him, He will reveal any false identity that you may have attached to yourself. And that’s a good thing, because then you can see what you need to step away from – with His help.
Neither does God want you to come to Him in prayer as cool and calculated. You can approach Him wild and weepy. He wants to meet you wherever you’re at, because He wants to deliver you from your problems, and then meet and exceed your needs.
“…I am with you [always] to protect you and deliver you,” says the LORD. Jer. 1:19 AMP
Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us… Eph. 3:20 AMP
If you could have had that perfect life as a perfect person, you would have done that already. But nobody can. Why? Because our lives cannot be whole until they are lived with God inside of us. Prayer invites Him in, and our continuing use of them is what keeps Him there. It cements our relationship. Thus, you must set aside regular intervals to do that.
That God-channel can only open and flourish when we invite Christ in our heart.
Also keep in mind that there is someone (Satan) who does not want you to pray. He wants your relationship with God to be dead. So, if you’re struggling with prayer or you don’t think it has any value, remember that those thoughts are from the pathetic squawking of that enemy on your left shoulder. But we know that Jesus has overcome that liar (Jn. 16:33)
So, shrug those doubts off, take a deep breath and call out again to your Maker. Knowing that you have Jesus at your back will encourage you to be dauntless and audacious in your prayer. Expect answered prayer and be thankful before and after that answer comes.
…I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. Ps. 20:6 AMP
“Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name [in prayer]. Make His deeds known among the peoples [of the earth]; proclaim [to them] that His name is exalted.” Is. 12:4 AMP
God always wants to work with you, but you must bend your will to His. When we come to Him in humility, we can ask and keep on asking, until the answer comes. And remember that Jesus is your conduit to the Father. When we ‘seal’ our prayers in Christ’s name, they are presented to the Father in their proper ‘Holy Spirit wrapper’ – guaranteed to be considered.
God never said that life would be easy. At times, we all suffer. In those sufferings, God is trying to get our attention, to pray to Him because He has something to work out with us. In all suffering, God delivers us or shows us the way out of it.
What is prayer? It’s a gift from God – a communicative channel through Christ to access them both. When we do that, we invite them to live in us, which they are more than happy to do.
They accept you just as you are. The only qualification, (and it is a continuing one), is that you confess and repent when find yourself straying from and or actively being contrary to God’s plan for your highest and best life.
When we stay in continuous conversation with God, humbly laying our will aside and living out His instead, walking in forgiveness for everyone, including ourselves, placing others’ needs above our own, and showing up as our authentic selves in gratitude, God shows up in a HUGE way.
To be continued…
Goodnight and God bless.
Waiting on God is the Hardest Part
Sometimes we have to wait for God’s presence, or for Him to act on our behalf, because we haven’t been holding ourselves accountable for our behavior. This is especially so if our actions have run contrary to His word. In this case, He distances Himself from us, and maybe throws a little discipline our way to get us back on track. We are always just a confession and a repenting, away from God’s restoration:
Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins? Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD! Lam. 3:39, 40. ESV
Moreover, even in our darkest hour, we can always depend upon the love, mercy and steadfast faithfulness of our God – who covers us with the limitless grace that we could never earn on our own.
Our loving God takes no pleasure in dishing out the discipline (justice) that we (during our slip and falls) have forced His hand to administer. He only does that to save our lives:
For the Lord will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. For He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. Lam. 3:31 – 33. NKJV
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lam. 3:24 – 26. NKJV
Another time that we may have to wait on God, is for answered prayer – especially because we want them granted within our desired timeline.
Jesus tells us that whatever you pray to God for, in His name, Christ will make it happen. (Jn. 14:13, 14.) The caveat is that what you pray for must align with God’s will, and not be detrimental to you or others:
You ask and do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. Jas. 4:3 NASB
Or, you may be holding a grudge against someone at the time of your prayer. God will not answer your prayers while you practice unrighteousness. (Mk. 11:25)
The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous. Pr. 15:29 NKJV
But God can turn you around in a heartbeat through His mercy, after He first hears your repentant prayer:
He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him, he shall see His face with joy, for He restores to man His righteousness. Job 33:26 NKJV
And then the door is open:
…the Lord has set apart for Himself [and dealt wonderfully with] the godly man [the one of honorable character and moral courage – the one who does right]. The Lord hears and responds when I call to Him. Ps. 4:3 AMP
Lastly with regards to prayer, you may need to shore up your faith to get it answered:
…whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mt. 11:24 ESV
Nevertheless, even after you have met God’s conditions for answered prayer, you may still have to wait. Why? Because God loves you so much, He is going to wait until you are ‘positioned’ in your life (i.e. have the maturity and understanding) to use HIs blessing to get the utmost out of it and to accomplish His will in you – and that’s a good thing.
The last thing we may have to wait on God for, is His promises. And as far as I’m concerned, His biggest promise is about gaining the presence of Christ to usher us into eternity. In our eyes, this has been a long wait. And if we think it has been long, let’s consider our ancestors.
It was approximately 3500 years ago when people were first introduced to the Messiah by Moses – when they heard that He was going to take out the devil. (Gn. 3:15). Later, Moses also revealed that Jesus would come from the Hebrew people and speak for God. (Dt. 18:18).
The Hebrews waited another 400 years to get more information, when they find that Christ will come from the line of King David of Judah. Three hundred more years’ elapse until the people learn more about their Messiah from the prophets Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah and Daniel. Another 500 years’ pass before the Hebrews hear more about the ‘Anointed One.’ So many generations of people waited for their Deliverer. Regardless, many stood fast in faith:
By faith, Noah, being divinely warned of things not seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark…and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called out to the place which he would receive an inheritance…By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child who she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them from afar off, were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Heb. 11:7, 8, 11 & 13. NKJV
They (and many more) had faith that God’s promises would manifest in the right time.
A little over 2000 years ago, Jesus did come, and many beheld the promise. Yet a little over 30 years later, Jesus was caught up to HIs Father – all according to God’s plan and promises.
So here we wait:
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I hope in Him!” The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. Lam. 3;24 – 26. NKJV
(Still, thank God that we have access to Christ now through the Holy Spirit.)
But regardless when Jesus physically comes, (and He most assuredly will), the promise will be fulfilled at just the right time:
“Surely I am coming quickly.” Rv. 22:20 NKJV
Waiting on God can be hard; but He is a promise keeper. They will be fulfilled for you at the right time. To help that time come about, prepare yourself. Just as it was said in the movie Field of Dreams, “When you build it, he will come.”
For this very reason, applying your diligence [to the divine promises, make every effort] in [exercising your faith to, develop moral excellence, and in moral excellence, knowledge (insight, understanding), and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, steadfastness, and in your steadfastness, godliness… 2 Pt. 1:5 – 7. AMP
Goodnight and God bless.