TRUST in GOD'S LOVE

Our little nativity set (Precious Moments)

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Romans 8:35

A friend of mine was going through a series of disappointments and setbacks. It seemed one thing after another went wrong in her life. She said to me, “I am questioning God. Why is He letting these things happen to me? Doesn’t He care about me?”

            Her reaction is understandable. In the midst of personal setbacks, tragedies, and hardships, many people blame God for the situation and question His love. Yet, we cannot ascribe the distress and disasters of this fallen world to a lack of God’s love. We live in a time of His permissive will, and the foolishness of man abounds in this sin-sick world. No one is spared misfortune.

But take heart. God’s love has already been proven for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16). God’s love was revealed through His mercy and grace when He made a way for us as sinners, reconciling man to Himself through Jesus Christ. God also gave the precious gift of the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter. As followers of Christ, we can put our faith in the love of God and hope in the promise of eternal life when we shall live and reign with Him forever. So today, trust in His love and goodness, no matter the circumstances.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Romans 8:37

When facing difficult circumstances, meditate on how God demonstrated His love to the world and to you personally in countless ways. Remember that your life is in His hands and God’s purposes will be fulfilled.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

A reminder with my morning cup of coffee

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A New Commandment ~ A New Standard ~ As I Have LOVED You

Photo courtesy of Aaron Baron

A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

John 13:34

So, that is the standard, “as I have loved you.” There is no greater love; no higher standard that Jesus Himself. The words of the Lord Jesus rebuke us. When we shun the annoying neighbor, hurry away from the malodorous homeless man – the words of Jesus rebuke us. The memory of His life and sacrifice is sufficient to bring the rebuke.

            Jesus gave that new commandment. Yet, can even training of the most steadfast and severe cause us to feel and think and respond along those lines naturally? Can a tiger change his spots? Man’s relationship to man is certainly a mixed bag revealing the depths of the human heart from desperately wicked to sublime saintliness.

            But how in every moment of our lives – every crisis and perplexity – do we manage to love as He loved? I would think it is only possible if we become a new creature. Marvel not that I said to you, you must be born again. Without the new birth, trying to live Jesus’s commandment is a goal beyond our human grasp. As new creatures, born again of the Spirit of God, we are enabled by the indwelling Holy Spirit to live in accordance to His will. Then it is possible to form the mind of Christ. The ultimate refining comes as we obey His commands and work into our character what God has given by His grace.

The scribes asked Jesus which commandment was the most important. Jesus answered. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is none other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:30,31) When we live these commandments, we will begin to love as He loved us.

 

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When Facing the Storms of Life, Consider God's Servant Job

And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”  Job 1:8 RSV

I cringe when I hear someone say that natural disasters are God’s punishment on people for their sins.  I have heard it said twice in two days that God has sent these hurricanes (i.e. Harvey and Irma) to punish our nation.

What pompous, prejudicial statements!  Who can know these things?

I daresay, those who make such comments are reminiscent of Job’s “friends” who slandered him. They thought they had the answers to the calamities that he faced, the answer to the why of his suffering based on their narrow beliefs and theories of God.  They thought surely God was punishing Job for his sins, and that Job was deserving of all the punishment. They passed a shallow verdict on Job and presumed to know more than they possibly could know.

They were wrong and God rebuked them. (See Job 42:7)

Job suffered according to the permissive will of God. God allowed Satan to test his servant Job.

"All right, you may test him," the LORD said to Satan. "Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don't harm him physically." So Satan left the LORD's presence. Job 1:12 NLT

And through it all, all the calamities that befell him -- loss of property and children, the contempt of his friends, and the loss of health, and the consequent mental, physical, and spiritual suffering that followed – no matter what he went through, Job stood true to the integrity of God. He had an implicit understanding of God’s character and he held true to his relationship with God.

What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.  Job 2:10b

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.  Job 13:15a

Job proved Satan, who is the accuser of the brethren (Revelations 12:10), wrong – men do worship God for more than just His blessings.

Job also proved his friends wrong. Job had not brought the suffering on himself by his own wickedness.

When facing the storms of life, consider God’s servant Job, whose faith when tried came through as pure gold.

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:7 KJV

Give a hand to someone in crisis. Help lift someone up. Pious platitudes and judgments are not helpful. 

Beaver Creek Reservoir Charlottesville, Virginia ~ courtesy of Eileen DeCamp

Thank you for taking the time to read Write Moments with God.  I appreciate you and have prayed for all who visit this blog.  I hope you will join me in prayers for all those who are in the path of hurricanes and any other storms you face. As we call upon God, may His grace and mercy be with us, and may we find strength and help in our times of need.