So I recently read a devotion about trusting God and one of the big questions that it posed was, "Can I believe God loves me and not trust Him to take care of me?"
I mean, I say that God loves me, And I believe that. But if I believe that, then why do I still doubt that God will give me good things?
Around my age, people start to worry, about a lot of things. But mostly about their future. You know, what profession is the best for them, what will keep them happy and healthy, what will lead to success, I get worked up worrying that maybe I won't be able to do what I want, or that I'll fail to be smart enough or skilled enough to do something.
And a big problem I have is that I'll end up doing something I don't want to do with my life, but it will be what God wants me to do. You know?
Like what if God wants me to give up my dreams of being an actor or a guy whose job involves a lot of travel, or whatever; just because it's not part of his plan?
But if God loves me, and has my best interest in mind, would it make sense for him to give me a job that I hate? That doesn't really work, in my head.
If God loves me and wants the best for me, does that really involve something that will hurt me for a long period of time?
It could.
But in Matthew 7:9, it says "'Which of you, if his son asks for bread will give him a stone?'" If human people are able to take care of their children, why shouldn't God, who is all-powerful, be perfectly capable of taking care of me?
An all-powerful God who doesn't care enough about me to take care of me contradicts everything in the Bible, even the Bible itself, if you think about it. And a God who cares enough about me to take care of me but isn't powerful enough to do so doesn't match up with what the Bible says about God either.
Verse 10 and 11. "'Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!'"
If evil people know how to make their kids happy, then how about an infinitely holy being? Could he do it too?
Also, if you think about it, if God loves us so much that he's willing to give his SON for us, why wouldn't he give us a good gift that costs so much less?
We have to keep in proportion God's love for us and God having our best interest in mind.
Can I look at the sacrifice of Jesus and think to myself, God doesn't love me enough to take care of me?
And finally, the questions that we all have to answer is: Does God love me? Do I trust Him?
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Cross Country and Hosea
Hosea is basically a track record of how Israel doesn't stay loyal to God and how God demonstrates his enduring love and patience. Throughout this time period, Israel would turn to the Lord and then turn away over and over again, but God still watched over His people.
It was during this time also that God punished Israel for turning from Him. He allowed their enemies to wipe hundreds of their number out. He ditched them in battle. It wasn't long before many Israelites thought that God had forsaken them.
But in Hosea 6:1-3, something hit me.
"Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear;"
Reading these verses got me thinking. See, cross country season started recently and we've been running a lot, close to 6 or 7 miles a day. And as anyone who has done a sport seriously will tell you, when you exercise hard, you get sore, and your body is weak and you're incapable for some time.
When you exercise, you tear muscle fibers in your body, which causes the soreness. But after they heal, they come back bigger and stronger than they were before. God has "torn us to shreds but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds." and we will come back stronger than we were before.
In verse 2 it says, "After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us." This got me thinking. For all the times I have been sore, the soreness begins to wear off on the third day, but I wasn't sure if it was just me or anything, so I looked it up.
Yahoo answers says that it usually takes 72 hours to recover from 1 hour of proper hard-work exercise.
Hmm.
About.com says soreness is generally worst within the first two days following the activity and subsides over the next few days.
Interesting.
The Bible says that Jesus died and remained in the grave for two days but on the third day came back to life.
Huh. It might just be me looking too hard for meaning in this verse, but the whole deal about them being REVIVED after TWO DAYS and on the THIRD DAY being RESTORED that they may LIVE in his presence seems a bit familiar.
But not only does this passage tell us about how God will heal us, it also tells us that God will appear and meet us.
"As surely as the sun rises, he will appear;"
This passage doesn't just tell us that God will help us, but that when we return to him, he will meet us. He will heal us.
When God puts you through trials, like he did the Israelites, it is to strengthen you and sharpen you, so that you will come out of it bigger and better than you were before.
But sometimes God puts you through trials, like he did the Israelites, to bring you back to him.
See, Israel had pretty much come to the conclusion that God had abandoned them. God didn't care about his chosen people anymore, or whatever. What didn't cross their minds was maybe God was putting them through these trials to help them realize that they CAN'T DO IT ON THEIR OWN. So the only way to resolve this problem would be to DRAW NEAR TO HIM.
It's kind of crazy, but when I'm sore, I'm quite happy with myself. It means that my body has taken the kind of beating that will make it stronger. That's an accomplishment to me. I know that when the tissues are sewn back together, I'll be able to do greater things because I'm bigger and better than I was before.
And I guess I need to start applying this concept to my real life. When I'm having trouble in my life, I need to thank God and praise him for the hardships, because I know it is through this that I draw closer to him, and it is through this that my faith will grow stronger.
And because my faith is stronger, I'll be able to do greater things.
It was during this time also that God punished Israel for turning from Him. He allowed their enemies to wipe hundreds of their number out. He ditched them in battle. It wasn't long before many Israelites thought that God had forsaken them.
But in Hosea 6:1-3, something hit me.
"Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear;"
Reading these verses got me thinking. See, cross country season started recently and we've been running a lot, close to 6 or 7 miles a day. And as anyone who has done a sport seriously will tell you, when you exercise hard, you get sore, and your body is weak and you're incapable for some time.
When you exercise, you tear muscle fibers in your body, which causes the soreness. But after they heal, they come back bigger and stronger than they were before. God has "torn us to shreds but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds." and we will come back stronger than we were before.
In verse 2 it says, "After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us." This got me thinking. For all the times I have been sore, the soreness begins to wear off on the third day, but I wasn't sure if it was just me or anything, so I looked it up.
Yahoo answers says that it usually takes 72 hours to recover from 1 hour of proper hard-work exercise.
Hmm.
About.com says soreness is generally worst within the first two days following the activity and subsides over the next few days.
Interesting.
The Bible says that Jesus died and remained in the grave for two days but on the third day came back to life.
Huh. It might just be me looking too hard for meaning in this verse, but the whole deal about them being REVIVED after TWO DAYS and on the THIRD DAY being RESTORED that they may LIVE in his presence seems a bit familiar.
But not only does this passage tell us about how God will heal us, it also tells us that God will appear and meet us.
"As surely as the sun rises, he will appear;"
This passage doesn't just tell us that God will help us, but that when we return to him, he will meet us. He will heal us.
When God puts you through trials, like he did the Israelites, it is to strengthen you and sharpen you, so that you will come out of it bigger and better than you were before.
But sometimes God puts you through trials, like he did the Israelites, to bring you back to him.
See, Israel had pretty much come to the conclusion that God had abandoned them. God didn't care about his chosen people anymore, or whatever. What didn't cross their minds was maybe God was putting them through these trials to help them realize that they CAN'T DO IT ON THEIR OWN. So the only way to resolve this problem would be to DRAW NEAR TO HIM.
It's kind of crazy, but when I'm sore, I'm quite happy with myself. It means that my body has taken the kind of beating that will make it stronger. That's an accomplishment to me. I know that when the tissues are sewn back together, I'll be able to do greater things because I'm bigger and better than I was before.
And I guess I need to start applying this concept to my real life. When I'm having trouble in my life, I need to thank God and praise him for the hardships, because I know it is through this that I draw closer to him, and it is through this that my faith will grow stronger.
And because my faith is stronger, I'll be able to do greater things.
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