God has recently been clarifying to me that the difficulties I have been facing and continue to face have been Him forging me in the crucible of challenges – melting me and molding me in order to fill me and use me. He is lovingly forcing me to grow in so many different ways.
All too often, however, the enemy would have us believing that we are facing certain problems in life because God has abandoned us, or He is punishing us for some sin in our past, or there is some secret curse in operation; in short, all manner of things.
Firstly, God can never leave nor abandon His children. It is simply not in His nature and it completely goes against the promises He has made to us in His Word. Secondly, if you believe that Christ has paid the price for all your sins, then God cannot be punishing you for the very same sins. That would make a mockery of what Christ did for us and Father God would never do that. Having said that, sometimes we do suffer the consequences of some of our poor choices but that is not God punishing us.
Regarding curses, yes, sometimes that could be the case but, more often than not, us Africans are too quick to wrongly attribute life’s challenges to “village people” or evil family inheritance. If you think there is a curse in operation then take the matter to the Lord because, again, Christ has paid the necessary price and broken every curse. We are seated in heavenly places with Him, far above all evil forces – we need to know it and own it!
If we take Job for example, his trials were not the result of sin or anything else but a test to prove his faith and bring glory to God’s name. What about Christ? Who suffer pass?!
The Lord has been encouraging me to simply trust Him and to trust His process. Let’s face it, if we didn’t have difficulties in life we would probably think that we didn’t need Him. 😊 He went on to challenge me further by saying that, surely, if I have fully surrendered to Him like I say I have, then my life is firmly in His hands.
Thinking about it further, what sort of irresponsible and incompetent God would He be if I trustingly place my life in His hands and then He drops the ball, misplaces me, leaves me alone and abandoned, or some other dastardly act? What sort of God would that make Him? Certainly not a God worthy of our love, affections or trust! That kind of god is definitely not worthy of our worship.
So, we have to ask ourselves – what God are we worshiping? Is it the all-powerful and all-knowing God who created the heavens and the earth in all their magnificence? The wonderful God who fashioned you and me with such complexity that millions of years later, the scientists and psychologists have still not been able to fully work us out?
Is it the one true God, the King of kings and Lord of lords who has power and authority over every single person and situation? The loving and kind God? The God who said that we should not be afraid because He is with us and that He would help us and hold us steady? The One who said that He knows the plans that He has for us – to give us a future and a hope? The God who said that He has already given us all things pertaining to life and godliness? The One who said that He would cause everything to work together for our good because we love Him?
Is it the God who said that he would supply everything we need according to His riches in glory (which no be small riches 😊)? The One who said He would never give us more than we could bear? The God who said that when we are tested, He will always make a way of escape for us? The One who said that no matter what we are going through, His grace is sufficient for us and His power is made even more evident when we are weak.
Is it that God or some other god that is a pale shadow of the One who sits above all else? Is it a god that is fashioned and crafted in our minds or the One who Himself crafted our minds?
So, if na de original Baba God, to know Him is to trust Him, to trust Him is to rest fully in Him.
Ask yourself today, which kind God you dae worship and then purpose to live accordingly!
Reflections
- Ask Father God what lies you have been believing about Him.
- Ask Him where you learnt the lies from.
- Forgive who ever was involved in you learning the lies for the things they did to you and how they made you feel.
- Ask Father God for His truth to counter each lie.
- Ask Father God to give you the grace to withstand life’s challenges and the heart to fully trust Him.
Scripture references
Hebrews 13:5, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 2:6, Ephesians 1:20-21, Genesis 1:1, Genesis 1:27, 1 Timothy 6:15, Isaiah 41:10, Jeremiah 29:11, 2 peter 1:3, Philippians 4:19, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 2 Corinthians 12:9.
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