What Do You Believe about God?
I have come to the conclusion that how you view God can greatly affect whether you stand or fall when trials come.
I have lost track of how many church leaders have fallen in the last several years. Whether they have turned their backs on Scripture, their families, or God Himself, I have struggled to understand why. If we don’t know where others are going wrong, how can we be sure to stay on the straight and narrow path ourselves?
I was visiting some friends a couple of weeks ago when the lightbulb came on.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us (1 John 2:19)
This doesn’t mean that they don’t know the Word or haven’t experienced God in some way, but they don’t really know Him. They have false ideas about who God is so they turn their backs on Him when circumstances arise that they don’t understand.
For myself, I believe God to be good. I know that He loves me. When hard times come, I trust that He is walking beside me because I would be a basket case if He wasn’t. These assurances cause me to lean on Him regardless of what life throws at me. I don’t believe that He causes every bad thing that happens to me, but He carries me through them and, for that, I am grateful.
Sometimes I think God is saying with Lynn Anderson, “I beg your pardon. I never promised you a rose garden.” God’s original plan was for mankind to have a rose garden but, because of sin, life is now full of thorns. So don’t blame God when trouble comes. Instead, draw near to Him. Learn from Him. Get to know Him when life is going well so that your faith does not waver when the storm begins to beat on your foundation. Then praise Him for being a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
Leave a Reply
