Is God Really Good?

Have you ever been praying for someone- Maybe a friend- Maybe a family member- Someone who is sick- Maybe even in severe suffering- A good Christian person- Someone who clearly loves Jesus- Someone whose life exemplifies the Love of Christ- And yet God doesn't heal them. The pain and suffering continue. You know God could heal them- He could take away their pain with a word- Or even just a thought- And yet He doesn't. Is this God really good? Does He really Love us? Is He paying attention? Is He really able to do what we ask?

I am here to say Yes, Yes and Yes Again.

God is Good!

God does Love us!

God has not forgotten us!

God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine!

Now that last phrase from Ephesians 3:20-21 might be the key to the whole thing.

Could it be that even in the suffering of the one we Love-

Somehow God is doing more than we can ask or imagine-

Something that will bring this one or even many more...........

To Life

Could it be that even suffering is accomplishing Love and Life in that person and the people around them in ways that are not otherwise possible.

Remember when Jesus told his disciples about how He would suffer and die-

Peter's response was, "Lord this can not be".

Remember how Jesus rebuked Peter-

"Get thee behind me Satan-

For you have in mind the things of this world-

Not the things of God".

Please don't misunderstand-

I do not believe God is the Author of our pain-

I do believe it is good and right to pray for our loved one's healing and comfort-

But in all this we must always remember-

No.........More than remember-

We must get a firm grip on the reality

that God Loves People infinitely more than we can imagine.

Can we fall so in Love with Jesus

That we come to trust Him not only with our own lives-

But also with the lives of those we Love?

Father in Heaven, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit-

Triune God

I know many who suffer just now- Some Greatly.

I pray that You would have mercy on each one and the people who Love them.

I pray that You would bring comfort in their affliction.

I pray for physical healing where it will lead to a deeper trust in You.

Father in those places where I see no healing coming,

I pray that You redeem every ounce of pain experienced-

To the end of bringing Life.

I thank You for Your Love for each of these who are hurting-

I choose to trust You with their Lives.

Move in me and others close to those who suffer to become

Vehicles of Your Grace, Love and Mercy so that they might feel

Your Love

Through us.

Amen

God Loves People....... Through People

The Bible is Awesome- Worship Experiences are incredible- Prayer is Life Sustaining- Christian Writers and Speakers are Invaluable- But...........

When it comes to experiencing the Love of God-

When it comes to life changing encounters with the Holy Spirit-

To taking the Love of God from abstract theology-

Or an idea-

Or a romantic notion-

To Living , Breathing, Life Changing Experience-

I have come to believe that as much as any of the above-

God expresses His Love for people-

Through people.

Jesus was the great example.

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us"

The great question is- Am I allowing Jesus to live out His Life through me to such an extent that those God brings my way are experiencing His Love and Goodness and Power in all their dealings with me? Truth- If I am a Christian- If I have given my life to Christ- He is in me- I am a New Creation- His Love can flow out through me- I have His endless capacity for Life and Grace and Love. That is Truth.

It is time to Live in Truth.

Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you-

And I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking

(In need of expression)

In regard to Christ's afflictions-

For the sake of His Body-

Which is the Church (His People).

Father forgive me where I live out of my own self interests-

Give me conviction and a heart of repentance minute by minute where those around me do not experience Your Love and Goodness and Grace through me.

Amen

Prayer, Life and Revelation

Have you ever wanted something- Pursued something with all your energy- Prayed for that thing- Hoping- Just hoping God would come through? Between Thanksgiving and New Years I spent no less than 30 hours sitting on a deer stand. I spent an additional 15 to 20 hours in preparation for or traveling back and forth to the woods. Now as much as I love the woods- The risng sun in the morning- The scene around me coming to life in ways no other man will behold that particular day- I have to admit that not seeing even a single deer was a bit discouraging. I went hunting primarily to kill a deer- At least to see deer- It is why I was there. It is what got me up at 5:00 am each morning- To brave the cold and sometimes rain. My greatest desire was to hunt down, outwit and kill a deer- The bigger the deer the better- Oh I pretended to myself that it was enough to be in God's wonderful creation- But in the end my disappointment revealed my true desires.

I could not truely be satisfied-

With anything other than what I wanted.

My prayers for the last few weeks-Maybe months-

Have included a request that God give me a greater desire-

A greater Love for Him-

A Love for Him that is greater than my Love for anything else on the earth- Or Beyond. I wonder sometimes if in answering that prayer- God must reveal those places in me where His rivals live-

There can be no confession or repentance-

Without there first being conviction.

God answers prayer for sure-

But what about when the prayers are at odds with each other?

Lord give me a Greater desire for You than anything else in this world-

Or Beyond.

Lord send me a deer this morning.

Maybe the denying of the lesser-

Contributes to the fruition of the Greater.

Psalm 37:4-5 Delight yourself in the Lord-

And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord-

Trust in Him and He will do this.

Father in Heaven-

Thank You for answering the greater prayers.

Move in me to trust You and give me a desire for You-

A Desire that is truely greater than any other desire I have for anything else on this earth or beyond.

Amen