There is a misconception amongst the Saints that God brings
bad things to take us to a higher level. As a new convert, I often heard this
when people were experiencing rough times, sickness and decease or as some like
to say, “Going through!” This leads one to not have to look at what part they
might have played in ending up in the “hard” times. It gives us the allusion
that it’s all God’s doing, when in reality—it could be the consequences of our own
sin or lack of wisdom.
I have never seen in the Bible where God gives hard times to
bring us to a higher level. In fact—what does that really mean?
When we look at Job, God didn’t allow Satan to test him to
bring him to a higher level. No. The Lord knew that Job was going to pass the
test, because of what he already had in him. In fact, when he tried to complain,
the Lord put him in his place.
You could say that the apostle Paul (though a Jew) was one
who lived in the world and later came to Christ as many do each day. He had a
past he brought with him, but like us all, the Cross erased his sins, but it
does not erase the natural consequences of our sin. When he was a Pharisee, he persecuted
Believers. He was instrumental in having them stoned, imprisoned and beaten. Did
his Damascus experience with the Messiah erase what he might suffer because of
his actions? Nope. As an Apostle, Paul was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked and imprisoned.
Secular history leads us to believe that he might have died by decapitation.
If you were an intravenous drug user before Christ, there is
no guarantee you will not be diagnosed with Aids of hepatitis C because you are
now a Believer. If you murdered someone, it doesn’t mean you will not spend
time in prison or even be executed. If you had children out of wedlock, it
doesn’t mean that as a Believer, God is going to kiss your boo-boo and make it
all better. No. You will have challenges in your life as a single parent and
they may not be pleasant. If you married the wrong man, it doesn’t mean God
will take him out of your life. In fact the only way to be free might be “Till death do you part,” and you might
be the one to go.
Now is God going to be with you through it all? Yes! Will He
work it together for your good? Yes! But there are stipulations. Read Romans
8:28-30 (click)
As a child I was raised by a harsh woman (she was the best
she could be at the time), which was out of my control—we don’t get to choose
our parents. And as an adult I made some poor decisions based on my hurt and
pain. But, there came a time I had to take responsibility and stop blaming my
mother for everything. It wasn’t her fault I was frivolous with my money and credit
card debt. It wasn’t her fault I found myself pregnant at 39, and lost my job
and couldn’t pay my bills. Nope, it was all on me.
My life has been far from easy. And even with God pleading
for me not to have an abortion and trust Him…He didn’t make it easy. He has been faithful to His promise to supply
all that we would ever need, but I still didn’t get off scot free.
Am I that same person I was 23 years ago? Praise God, no! Have
the hard times I’ve lived through made me different? Or was it my relationship with
God? It was my relationship with God, which empowered me to live through the
things I encountered.
Since we have a free will, I could have become an old bitter
woman and blamed God because He didn’t make things easier for me—after all—I
didn’t have the abortion. But I chose to “Trust’
Him and over the years learn who He truly is. Not the God I heard about, or
the God I had made-up in my own mind—but the God of the Bible.
My experiences haven’t taken me to a higher level (still don’t
really know what that means), but my growth has matured me and made my relationship
with the Father more solid. And it was the Word of God that did this.
Sisters, many of us are in trouble right now because of
things we have done in the past, or things we should be doing now but aren’t.
Why is this? We are not really living on truth—because we don’t know what the
truth is for ourselves.
Nowhere in the Bible have I seen that God brings the bad
into our lives to take us to a higher level. And if you disagree, please get
into your bible to prove me incorrect. Because I read that if we seek Him, we
shall find Him. If we draw close to Him, He draws close to us. I read, He will
supply all that we have need of, through Christ Jesus and if we lack wisdom we
are to ask Him. I read we are to meditate on the Word, hide it in our hearts so we
can divide the truth from fiction and have a renewed mind. I read that there
are consequences for our sins (though forgiven) but that God will use these
things and work them for good in our lives. I read, we go from faith-to-faith
and in the beginning of our walk we drink the milk of the Word, but we are to
grow so we can eat the meat. I read, that through obedience comes a blessing…but
nowhere do I see He gives bad things or hard things to take us to a higher
level.
Girls, stop being afraid to study the Bible for yourselves!
Stop, living on what others tell you or what you have dreamed up on your own
and learn the truth about your inheritance and the God you serve. Learn what it
really means to put your trust in Him and let go of stuff you are trying to
hold on too!
It is the Holy Spirit’s job to lead us into all
understanding and truth and decipher the Bible for us.
You don’t need a little
book in the morning to start your day off…read and study your Bible. Pick
something you question and study it out. Pray, ask the Holy Spirit to explain
and enlighten you.
Too many of us are suffering, simply because we do not, I
repeat, “Do Not!” know the God of the Bible, what it means to live in the
Kingdom of God, what Christ bought for us on the Cross or who and what the Holy
Spirit’s job is. And we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Do you think Noah would have been able to build the Ark once
the rains came? Same with life, it is hard to try to get the Word inside when
the storm is raging—it helps to already be there.
Study, study….STUDY!
Until next week...
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