(no subject)
Hello friends,
Much has been happening, and please forgive me that my attention and energies have been drawn into other places over the past few weeks! But regardless I hope that you’re doing well, and even if you are not that you are able to see God’s goodness.
Most recently I’ve been wrestling in seeing God’s goodness in dark circumstances not involving myself, but a loved one. It’s difficult to see sin acknowledged, but not changed or even a willingness to change, and where I struggle with that is how God’s Word addresses such things. It’s the kind of thing that makes me ask, “Why is this happening? Why are you, God, allowing it to happen?” People will ask similar questions when suffering persists or harm is being done to them - and understandably so. It isn’t wrong to ask that in faith-many writers from Psalms questioned the way God was doing things plenty of times. However, where I know I need to bring myself back is when it comes down to praising God in spite of those things.
For example, in the book of Daniel (chapter 3) you’ve got Shadrach, Meschach, and Abendego who, when threatened to be thrown into a fiery furnace and killed, said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it. … but even if he does not, we want you to know O King that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” While this is definitely an example of standing firm for God, I know I’ve overlooked that whole “but even if he does not,” part. Even if God did not save them from being killed, they would still worship Yahweh. It’s not like these three men were super-humans and had this amazing supernatural gift to be able to say that. They were people like you and me. So it’s not impossible for us to pray, “I know you CAN do this, but even if you do not do it…” I think it would be fair to pray for that kind of faith and that our hearts can praise God like that, and me too. I know for me that prayer looks a lot like, “I know you can do this, but I don’t understand why you’re not.”
I will pray for that for each of us, and I pray that you are moved to do the same. God is so good in all that He does! I also pray that we are assured that it is OK to ask questions, to wrestle and even doubt… but I also pray that we are brought to praise God through it.
In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne
Much has been happening, and please forgive me that my attention and energies have been drawn into other places over the past few weeks! But regardless I hope that you’re doing well, and even if you are not that you are able to see God’s goodness.
Most recently I’ve been wrestling in seeing God’s goodness in dark circumstances not involving myself, but a loved one. It’s difficult to see sin acknowledged, but not changed or even a willingness to change, and where I struggle with that is how God’s Word addresses such things. It’s the kind of thing that makes me ask, “Why is this happening? Why are you, God, allowing it to happen?” People will ask similar questions when suffering persists or harm is being done to them - and understandably so. It isn’t wrong to ask that in faith-many writers from Psalms questioned the way God was doing things plenty of times. However, where I know I need to bring myself back is when it comes down to praising God in spite of those things.
For example, in the book of Daniel (chapter 3) you’ve got Shadrach, Meschach, and Abendego who, when threatened to be thrown into a fiery furnace and killed, said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it. … but even if he does not, we want you to know O King that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” While this is definitely an example of standing firm for God, I know I’ve overlooked that whole “but even if he does not,” part. Even if God did not save them from being killed, they would still worship Yahweh. It’s not like these three men were super-humans and had this amazing supernatural gift to be able to say that. They were people like you and me. So it’s not impossible for us to pray, “I know you CAN do this, but even if you do not do it…” I think it would be fair to pray for that kind of faith and that our hearts can praise God like that, and me too. I know for me that prayer looks a lot like, “I know you can do this, but I don’t understand why you’re not.”
I will pray for that for each of us, and I pray that you are moved to do the same. God is so good in all that He does! I also pray that we are assured that it is OK to ask questions, to wrestle and even doubt… but I also pray that we are brought to praise God through it.
In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne