Have you ever wondered why God seems silent or distant at times?

Have you ever found yourself in a place of wondering why certain things don't happen or why they happen certain ways?  What about wondering why it seems that God is silent or seems to not hear your plea?

I have recently been finding myself asking God a lot of whys.  Why is it that when I pray, nothing seems to happen?  Why is it that even though You promised signs and wonders would follow us, they don't?  Why is it that I have been praying for certain things for a long time and there is no answer, while other people I know get answers to the same request?  Why is it that I ask to hear from You in a very real way, that I seem to hear nothing?  Why do I seem to be deaf in my spirit?  Why do miracles happen for others but not for me?  Is there something wrong with me or am I asking with wrong motives?  I don't think I am, but if I am PLEASE let me know so I can change that.  Why is it that others seem to be getting their socks blessed off and mine stay on?

Have you ever wondered these things?  I know I have and it can be very frustrating.  While I know that God is working, and hears, my logical mind tells me nothing is happening.  While it seems  God is deaf, I know He is not.

These battles between my spirit and my emotions are very real.  It makes it difficult at times to believe in what God is doing.  At times I cannot look at the present alone.  I have to look back and then I can see that God really IS hearing, really IS working.  It is for this reason that David and others often retold the stories of God doing incredible things in the past.  We see it all through the Old and New Testament's.  God does hear us and He does move, just not in the time frame we think He should work.  While in the moment, it does not seem to help and our emotions run wild, God has a plan and is in control.  God can turn things around in a moment.  For example,  In Genesis, Joseph knew what God was speaking to him when he was young, but then circumstances seemed to turn an him and I am sure, even though the Bible never tells us, that he wondered what God was doing, and why things kept getting worse and worse.  But we have one advantage Joseph did not.  We can read the end of the story and know what happens. Joseph did not have hat advantage.  I am sure he thought many times that things were starting to turn around, and then suddenly his situation got worse.  But when he least expected it, in less than 5 minutes, God turned everything around and he went from the dungeon to the being the Prime Minister of the most powerful nation in the world.  It was then that Joseph was able to say "You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people."  (Genesis 50:20, NLT). 

We have to remember that God intends all He allows to come our way, even the times it seems He is silent and or has forgotten us; He has a plan and is in control.  In the moment, it does not make it any easier, but there is a reason for all God allows and does.  Often, in the end it is not just for our good, but to save others through the story of our struggles.  I know it is easier said than done, but if you are finding yourself in this place, tray and focus on the fact that God has a bigger purpose for your situation that what you can see, and it is to save others and to bring more glory and honor to His name.

Face Your Fear

Imagine, if you will, being Abraham with a long awaited son, Isaac, and then asked to sacrifice that son on a request from God.  What would be your thoughts?  Would they be ones of total acceptance?  If they are, you would ascribe to Abraham the level that is above a natural human.  Abraham was human just as we are.  If it was me, my thoughts would be ones of fear, disbelief, confusion, even wondering if God is truly a God of love and a God that cares for us.  It would seem that God had asked something that goes against all that I would have known about God.  This is the same God that spoke against human sacrifice, and yet here he is asking for one.  This is the God that promised a son, and that through this son, a nation would be born and that this son was the son of the promise that had been given years before and the son that was born to an old man and an old woman.  None of this would make sense.  But at the same time, knowing God had a plan and a purpose for this so that His overarching design for the universe.  Would you be as confident as Abraham that maybe, just maybe, God would raise the son of promise from the dead.  He had some sort of thought of God hopefully intervening when he told the others of the party that accompanied him that he and Isaac would go to the mountain and both return.  Imagine the fear flowing through Abraham.  It must have been huge.  But, despite the fear and despite all the emotions and lack of 'logic', Abraham obeyed.  Would you have done the same?  Would you have ran?  Now remember, Abraham did not know what the outcome would be.  We can read the story and have the advantage of knowing the outcome. While the story turned out well and Isaac lived and Abraham was relieved of the fear, it can teach us all a lesson.  What lesson is that?  The lesson of obeying and trusting God no matter what our own emotions are telling us. 

Sometimes God asks us to do things that makes no sense to us and brings fear and lots of emotions that do not make sense.  Maybe God has asked you to sacrifice your job, or your car, or house or_________________ (fill in the blank).  What did you do?  Did you trust Him to take care of you?  Did you run away?  What did you do? 

We like Abraham do not have the advantage of knowing the end of the story.  Our emotions run wild, while in our hearts we can either feel betrayed or know that God is in control and will come through.  It is not an easy thing when one finds themselves in a place of total trust in God  but our emotions try and convince us to try something or to give up or even convince us to reject God altogether.  The best we can do is to push through the fear.  Once again I will quote from Frank Herbert's Dune.  In the series there is a group of women, a sisterhood, that developed away to overcome fear. They would quote to themselves the following:

"I must not fear.

 Fear is the mind-killer.

 Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

 I will face my fear.

 I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

 And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

 Where the fear has gone there will be nothing......Only I will remain."

It makes sense, but I would like to change the last phrase for those of us who follow after God.  I would change it to say "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer.  ..... I will face my fear with God. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing......Only God will remain."

Only with God and his help can we conquer the fear that comes our way.  Fear is a mind-killer, but with God our sanity, mind, and spiritual lives will survive.  Knowing these things will not make facing fear any easier, but it is a way to lean on Someone besides ourselves.  I leave you this verse.  Think on it Meditate on it, and let God help you face your fear.  "Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago? You are my witnesses—is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock—not one!" Isaiah 44:8 NLT

I am Hungry and Thirsty: What it means to hunger and thirst for God, the living God

Have you ever been hungry or thirsty?  Your stomach is growling and you’re your throat is

parched?  We have all experienced that.  Sometimes we are not very thirsty, but we drink

anyway, and sometimes we are not hungry but we eat anyway.  But other times we are very thirsty and very hungry.   The feeling is different depending on the degree of hunger and thirst.

 

When we search Scripture, there are many verses regarding hunger and thirst such as Psalm 42:2: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”  So what does this mean to hunger and thirst for God?  First let’s look at the meaning of these words.  In the Greek the definition for thirst is “1) to suffer thirst, suffer from thirst; 1a) figuratively, those who are said to thirst who painfully feel their want of, and eagerly long for, those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, strengthened.”  For hunger it is “1) to hunger, be hungry; 1a) to suffer want 1b) to be needy  2) metaphor - to crave ardently, to seek with eager desire.”  Obviously when the Bible speaks of hunger and thirst for God or the things of God, it is not referring to physical hunger and thirst.  It refers to “those who are said to thirst who painfully feel their want of, and eagerly long for, those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, strengthened” and “to crave ardently, to seek with eager desire.” 

 

Does this mean that to hunger and thirst for God is to have a mild want or the thought that it would be nice, but if I don’t get it, then it is OK?  Not at all!  Psalm 63:1 says this:  “O God, you are

my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”  David is longing for God as if he was in a very dry desert.  In a place like this, water is a necessity or you die.  That is what David means when he says he thirsts for God; if he doesn’t find God he will die.  That sounds like a very strong desire to me.  That is not a “would be nice but not necessary” feeling to me.  It sounds like David is desperate, like his spirit is in a desert place and not only wants but NEEDS God to satisfy that thirst.  David repeats his cry again in Psalm 143:1, 6 “O LORD … I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.” And again in Psalm 42:1: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.”  Imagine a deer running through the forest from a predator.  After a while his thirst will be strong and it doesn’t matter if he is close, he MUST find water or he will die anyway.  That is what David is referring to when he speaks of a dear panting for water.  That is how badly David longs for the presence of God. 

 

But how do we satisfy this hunger and thirst?  Do we just sit around and hope He comes to us?  Again the answer is found in Scripture, this time in Isaiah 55:1-2 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.   Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest

 of fare.”  It requires us to go to God and seek Him, to go for Him.  But the problem is, many go to God and they are not hungry or thirsty so they don’t eat or drink of His presence.  Others feel a deep need in their spirit for God so they seek Him.  And the good news is it is free for the asking.  This verse in Isaiah bids those to come to Him who are hungry and thirsty, and He will give it to them freely without cost.  It costs us nothing more than the desire to find Him and the desire to want more of His presence.

 

John 6:35 says “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.’”  Jesus is the only way to have our spiritual hunger and thirst quenched.  It requires coming to Him and believing in Him.  This does not mean that we say we know who Jesus is and that we believe that he existed; it means that we believe in such a way that we want to know him and believe that what He says and all He has ever done is true.  Jesus even tells us in Matt. 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”  Jesus promises to fill us and we are blessed when we are hungry and thirsty for Him.

 

But what happens when we find ourselves in a place where we are N

OT hungry or thirsty.  I recently found myself in such a place and so I asked myself when that hunger and thirst disappeared and why it disappeared. I also found myself asking how to get it back.  Immediately the story in Mark 9 came to mind when the man brought his son to Jesus that was suffering from an evil spirit. After a conversation with Jesus the father stated “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” (verse 22)  Jesus answered ‘If you can’? Everything

 is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”(Mark 9:23-24).  I found myself, like the boy’s father, saying to the Jesus “Lord I am hungry and thirsty, please help my lack of hunger and thirst for you.”  It seemed immediately the Holy Spirit said to me “Why don’t you ask for hunger and thirst for God?”   And so I did.  What followed was incredible.  It seemed hunger and thirst for God, the living God came pouring into my soul.   Is this the only way to get or renew your hunger and thirst for God?  Probably not, but what would it hurt to ask what you need to do if you find yourself in a spiritual famine, lacking hunger and thirst?  If this is you, take a chance and ask what you must do, or even just ask that Jesus give you the thirst for Him that you want or that He desires you to have.  It won’t hurt.  For the Bible also says: “Anyone who asks, receives” (Matt. 7:8).    Jesus wants us to come and ask and to hunger and thirst for Him.  As Rev 22: 17 states: “The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.”

Beware The Slow Blade

In the Sci-Fi book series Dune by Frank Herbert,  Paul Atreides notes: "In shield fighting, one moves fast on defense, slow on attack ... Attack has the sole purpose of tricking the opponent into a misstep, setting him up for the  sinister attack. The shield turns the fast blow, admits the slow kindjal!"  He is referring to fighting with a body shield that repels fast attacks from an opponent.  The slow attack is permitted to enter the shield and can be just as deadly as the fast attack.  In one scene in the book, Paul is practicing with a mentor and without warning looks down and discovers his 'opponents' (training mentor) blade has penetrated the shield.

There are times in the spiritual life we are so busy countering the attacks that come at us fast and furious that we neglect to look for slow gradual attacks.  These attacks are just as damaging as a fast attack if we are not looking for them, and can attack us without us even knowing.  Let me give you an example:  Recently I have been looking and watching for the fast obvious attacks coming at me from Satan and his henchmen.  Without realizing it, while I was busy countering those attacks, his slow blade had penetrated my 'shield'.  I had no clue.  The attacks came so subtlety that I did not see it and just thought it was just my own reactions to life situations around me.   I now know it for what it real was, a slow blade.

Just as in Dune, we are attacked hard and fast to distract us from the slow attack that creeps in with the attempt to destroy us slowly.  It is these slow attacks that we need others to be our eyes to watch out for us and to warn us of the slow blade.  If someone asks you if something is wrong and you don't think there is, consider the idea that it could be the slow blade penetrating your carefully constructed shield of faith, the armor that you think is impenetrable.  We need each other to counter these slow blade attacks.  Without the spiritual awareness of others, we could miss them and become bound by attitudes that can keep us from gaining all God has for us.

What are these slow blades?  There are many.  Some are failure, depression, anger, bitterness, etc.  They creep in so slow that we do not know they are tangling us up in their grip.  Listen to those that are spiritually attuned and know you well to help detect these slow blades.   Accept their observations and listen to them, and allow them to pray for you.  You may be surprised at the slow blades that have attacked you, keeping you from walking in victory in Jesus Christ. I learned my lesson, I pray that you can be made aware of the slow blades attempting to penetrate your shield so you can counter them.

What Does God want me to do?

Quite often I have heard people say: "What is God's will for me?  What should I do?   What kind of job or career should I go after? Where does God want me to go?"  And yes even I have asked these questions.  But lately I have been asking myself a different question.  "Should I even be concerned about God's long term plan for me?" 

If you look in the Bible, God very rarely told anyone what His long term will was.  Even Abraham.  God told him to leave his town and job and go to a place He would show him.  He didn't tell him why, or where, just told him to go.  The amazing thing is Abraham did it.  He had no way of knowing that where he was going was going to be ok or that there would be security.  All he did was do it.  Then later, God told him to leave another city and keep going.  As far as we know, he asked no questions, he just did it.  Did everything turn out alright for him?  Yes.  Did he have hard times?  Yes.  Did he have doubts about God's leading and about his own relationship with God?  Probably.  But Abraham did one thing.  He focused on what God wanted for him one day at a time.  He trusted God no matter what.  He focused on his relationship with God above even that.  That is what drove him to be the man that he became.

So that brings the topic to us.  What is easier to focus on, the long time or the short term?  If you think about it, its the long term.  You don't have to make plans for it (although you should) and you don't have to think about the present.  What if all we did was focus on our relationship/walk with God?  What if we surrendered so fully to God that there was no worry about tomorrow?  What if every day we asked God what He had planned for us today?  What if we just worshiped God for who He is and not where He is taking us?  Not an easy task if you think about it.  Isn't it more frightening to here God ask us to do such and such a task right now or pray for someone right now than it is to think about the future?

Sometimes God does give us a dream and desires.  And sometimes they work out great, and other times, they feel like everything is falling apart.  But when we focus our attention on God, on Jesus, on The Holy Spirit, there is no time to focus on the long term.  Go with God.  He knows the gifts and abilities He gave you.  If He hasn't told you what to plan for in the future, then don't worry about it.  Just worship Him and do what He asks of you day by day, moment by moment.  Will that be easy?  Probably not.  Will it be worth it?  Yes it will be, no matter the outcome. 

So the crux of this whole blog is to say, don't worry about God's will for you in the long term.  What does He want for us now?  If he tells you to get ready for something, to plan for something, then do it with all you have.  But if He does not, don't ask others what to do, or ask others what God's plan for you is if you are not focusing on what you are to do right now.  He may just give you a bigger plan for you than you ever dreamed of.  Start now and ask God "What do you want me to do right now, today?"  It may be small but that small step of faith may be just what He is waiting on to reveal to you His bigger plan.  The more in love and the more obedient you are to Him, the better the relationship you will have with him.  “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." (Matthew 6:34).

Why do good people experience crisis?

Crisis comes when we least expect it and always when we don' want it.  But why does it come?  I have heard this question many times.  Usually the answer comes back in various ways.  Many times it comes back as "I am being punished for something I did" or "The devil is just out to get me."  Or even "It's just life, bad things happen to everyone so why not me."  All of these answers have a negative spin to them.  Does this mean that every time things go wrong or a crisis comes that it because of a something negative?  I don't believe so.  Stay with me, and I pray you will learn what I have learned recently about a crisis situation.

First let's look at Job from the Old Testament.  The book starts with God commenting on how Job seeks after God and points out his righteousness.  He is not commenting to the angels or another person, He is commenting to Satan.  Satan asks permission to bring about a major crisis in Jobs life.  God grants the request with one condition, that he cannot take Jobs life.  So within a short time, Job loses his wealth, his children, and his health.  He also has his wife speak very badly to him (I am sure after losing all ten of her children at once she was also feeling the effects of the crisis) and his best friends come and stare at him for 7 days before they tell him how horrible of a person he is and that they know that he must of dome something horrible for God to do this to him.  In the end, God corrects all of them, Job, his friends, and his wife.  So the purpose of God allowing Satan to come after him was 3 fold:  1) Satan wanted to prove to God that Job was not as good as God thought, 2) God wanted to prove to Job and his friends and all who heard his story how great and awesome God is and How he can create wonderful things out of tragedy, and 3) Job and his friends needed some fine tuning in their attitudes toward people and toward God and how God works.  This last reason I believe is the greatest of them all.  Because after Job learned the lesson and was fine-tuned, he was blessed and became even wealthier and more righteous than before.   The end of the story is greater than the beginning. 

So why do crisis events/bad things happen to us as followers of Jesus?  For the same reasons.  God not only wants to show us and others His great power and how much He loves us, but also to make us more into the image of Jesus so that we can be even more able to further the plans God has for us.  And just like Job, the end of the story for us can be greater than the beginning.  The hard part is recognizing the refining and attitude adjustment God is doing in our life.  It is never easy to go through a crisis, but if we keep our attention on the One who made us, we will see great things in the end.

Are these crisis events that come our way just for us?  Again looking at the story of Job, the crisis was centered on Job, but the effects reached farther than Job; his wife and friends were affected as well as all those that have heard his story.  They all learned that a crisis can be good in the end.  They all learned that was Satan had meant for evil to harm Job, was turned into a victory not only for Job, but for God.

If and when you find yourself in a crisis situation (because they will come), be asking God what the purpose is and what you need to do or what area He is targeting to transform into something wonderful.  Just like Job, you will have friends and family tell you that you must have done something horrible or that Satan is out to get you.  It is quite possible that Satan is out to destroy you, and maybe, just maybe it is the result of something you have chosen to do, but keep it positive.  Search your heart and soul and attitudes.  The purpose of it is to make you more into the kind of person that God wants and needs you in order to fulfill His purpose for you AND for those around you AND for all that hear about what God has done for you. 

I leave you with this final thought from Philippians 1:6 : "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."

Trash vs. Gold

I can just hear your thoughts.  "Trash vs. Gold?  There is no comparison.  Gold is where it's at.  Who wants trash?"  When you look at these two pictures there is no comparison.  I would go for the gold too.  But here is the problem.  Many of us feel that we are more like the second picture than the first one.  Many of us feel trashy, or at least not much better than trash.  Many of us try and try and may even try and make others think that we believe we are valuable, but deep down, we often don't.  We lie to ourselves.  But if most of us are honest we would have to agree that we are not anywhere close to gold, but much closer to trash. 

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you have probably heard the saying: "God doesn't make junk."  But the problem is that we believe it, but yet tell ourselves that we may not be junk, but are not much better than junk.  But have you ever thought about what God has says about each of us in His Word?  Have you searched the scripture to see what he has to say about your worth?  It is in there.  First look at Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship..."  Now let's look at the word workmanship for a moment.  Some versions have instead masterpiece.  What is a master piece?  According to Webster's dictionary it is  "a work done with extraordinary skill; especially: a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement."  In other words, it is worth great value, worth much not only to the maker, but to all who look upon it.  Often masterpieces are a one of a kind and are priceless.  Not garbage, not junk, but worth tremendous value.  Look back at Ephesians 2:10, some versions say we are God's creation.  

Before we go any further, let's look at what the original word and meaning of the word translated as workmanship, masterpiece, and creation.  The original Greek word here is poiema.  It is the same word found in Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made..."  The inference here is that everything made by God has been made to declare who God is, and declare His power and nature.  Did you get that?  YOU have been made to show the rest of creation who God is and how powerful He is and What he is like.  That does not say junk or barely better than junk to me.  That says value.  That says that we are ALL made to not show each other that God is God and and that He makes us in such a way that we are valuable to His plan and purposes.

I don't want to stop there.  I want to go further.  When I found that Eph. 2:10 has also been translated as God's creation, my thoughts went back to Genesis 1:26 and 27 which says: "Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, ... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."  Did you see that?  We are created in God's image and likeness.  He didn't just say it once; in these two verses He said it repeatedly.  Look at it again and count the number of times.  1)"Then God said, "Let us make man in our image,  2)in our likeness, ... 3)So God created man in his own image, 4) in the image of God he created him; 5) male and female he created them."  Did you get it?  Not once, not twice, but 5 times God stated that he made us in His image.  When God repeats something over and over, especially right in the same passage, its important.  It's important because we have lost that sense of value because of sin, because of the sin of others. 

You are worth it.  You are worth ALL that He has done for you.  In fact, He values you more than gold.  How can I say that? Let's look at Revelations 21:18-21:  "The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.  The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.  The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, ..."  These verses describe the city He made for us, or as we know it, Heaven.  Did you see what the city was made of?  Precious stones, giant pearls, with the pavement being gold.  Yes gold.  Not just crowns, but the streets we will walk on will be gold.  We are that precious and valuable to Him. 

Even better than all of this, He allowed Himself to die in our place on a cross so that we could have the opportunity to discover our value, our worth.  He loves all of us enough to do this.  He made us valuable and so we always will be valuable.   Knowing all of this, why would we want to do things that make us less valuable in our estimation?  Why would we not want to be follow Him and be his friend and follower?  After discovering all of this, I like Paul want to say even more now than ever "I want to know Christ" (Phil. 3:10).

Lord. I pray for all those that read this that may feel they have little to no value.  I ask that something I have said here will impact them and change their life in way that helps them see how valuable they really are.

Whats your value?

We have all heard the phrase "God doesn't make junk."  I have heard many people quote this, but the truth is many of us think we are just a little better than junk, that we have little value to others, and especially to God.  Why does this happen?  IT happens to different people for different reasons but it is a major reason why many people are ineffective for the kingdom of God.  Many of us feel less value than someone else such as their pastor, or a national or international leader.  Just because someone is popular in the worlds eyes does not make you more valuable to God.  God has no favorites and views us all the same.  We are valuable no matter what the world says, no matter what our emotions tell us or our feelings.  He made us for a reason and has given us desires to do certain things for a reason.

As an example, I have a friend that as a young man was molested and raped and because a few others saw him as a person of little to no value, he also began to listen to those lies that told him that he was a low class person.  He believed that God really doesn't make junk, but life and others and told him that he was not worth much more than junk.  One day God broke in and changed all that.  He heard a pastor teaching about purity and realized that the reason he had felt inferior was because of others actions and that it was all based on a lie.  That moment revolutionized his life and he is now happy and ready to allow God to create a new person and value in him so that he can fulfill the purpose and call God has on his life, no matter what that looks like.

If you are reading this and you are feeling inferior to others or feel like you have little to no value to anyone, especially God, then you believe a lie.  I challenge you to ask Jesus to show you your value, not in the eyes of the world but in His eyes.  That is where true value lies.

Psalm 8  (NLT)

 

1O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

Your glory is higher than the heavens.

2You have taught children and infants

to tell of your strength,

silencing your enemies

and all who oppose you.

3When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—

the moon and the stars you set in place—

4what are mere mortals that you should think about them,

human beings that you should care for them?

5Yet you made them only a little lower than God

and crowned them with glory and honor.

6You gave them charge of everything you made,

putting all things under their authority—

7the flocks and the herds

and all the wild animals,

8the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,

and everything that swims the ocean currents.

9O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

How much does God love you?

Many have pondered this question for a long time.  Does God REALLY love me?  We all know the Bible tells us and we know the story of the crucifixion and yet we still wonder.  We all have our own reasons why we question this.  Sometimes it seems like it is just a nice saying or something we wish would happen.  We look at the circumstances of our lives and we wonder how true it really is.  We experience setbacks and we feel alone sometimes.  But we keep telling ourselves that God loves us, or at least we hope He does. 

I have heard many sermons on this topic but somehow it never quite becomes a part of me, or something that I truly believed.  That is until recently.  I was at a church service and the lyrics of the song being sung at the moment went something like this  "Oh I’m running to Your arms, I’m running to Your arms, The riches of Your love, Will always be enough, Nothing compares to Your embrace, Light of the world forever reign."  I just happened to be holding my two month old son who was asleep in my arms.  I looked down and I could tell I loved him, but did he know it?  How does he know it?  Suddenly I saw a picture in my mind of me holding my son. or so I thought, but when I looked down in this picture, it wasn't my boy, it was me relaxed and asleep in those arms.  I suddenly realized that God was allowing me to see myself as He does for a moment, resting in His arms.  As I looked at this picture, I knew how much I loved my son and how much I wanted the best for him and to protect him from harm.  I want the best for him, and I knew that there was going to be times when he might not think that what I am allowing him to go through is actually love.  As I looked at this picture, I was aware that if i loved my son that much and only knew what was happening at the present right where we are, then how much more does God love me who not only knows me as I am now, but knows the future and what I need to experience to make me a better man of God after the current situation is over and in the past.  I was overwhelmed with how much He truly does love me and in the current situation when it seems dark that He is holding me close and is using the present to shape my future for all eternity. 

As the service progressed, I became more aware of how much God loves each of us and that He allows things for a reason and those things are to perfect us.  We will never be perfected until we come to be with Him in His heavenly realm.  So If I love my son as much as I do, and would do anything to make his life better for him and want to protect him, how much more would God do the same for me, His son?  Things may be tough right now, but God knows what is coming against me and is working to correct that and not only make it better for me, but to make it work for His ultimate good for all mankind and so that His purpose is fulfilled more than my own plans and visions for my life.

God does this for every one of us.  None of us are exempt from this love.  He made us and knows us much more deeply and intimately than we know ourselves our own children.  Who knows what terrors would come upon us if He did not love us.  We may experience horrible things in our lives and wonder where He is, but God loves us enough to die for us and even to suffer the consequences of our sin, and unfortunately the sins of others.  But I can truly say that He truly does love us with a deep and everlasting love. 

I challenge to open up your heart and mind to experience that love that can only come from our Heavenly Father, the One who made us.  Even if you don't feel it, he really does love us and is holding us close to Himself.