“Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am planning disaster against you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.” Jeremiah 18:11 NLT
As a follow up to yesterday’s devotional, sometimes God allows plans to change during the course of our life, but His end goal for our life will be accomplished. Throughout the course of our life, regardless of what happens to us, God is in ultimate control. When God told the Israelites that He was planning disaster against them, that wasn’t His ultimate end plan for His people, but rather something God was allowing so that He could work in the life of His people towards His end goal.
If you are in a difficult situation right now, God has allowed it. I wish I could sugarcoat that fact, but I cannot. God is in control. Sin in your life may have welcomed God’s discipline, trying to get you back on the right course for your life. . You may have done nothing wrong and your situation may simply be the result of living in a fallen world. God may be strengthening your faith through the trial and you’ll later understand His reasoning, but whatever the reason you are suffering, God allowed it. God’s sovereignty is going to work everything for good in your life through the trial. Additionally, even though you may not currently understand how He could, God is going to use this time for His glory and to accomplish His end goal for your life.
The best you and I can do when going through difficult times is to cling closer and stronger to God during the hard times. Trusting Him through the hardest times of life is called faith. Without faith, it’s impossible to please God. When faith is displayed…God must surely smile!
Have you noticed your faith growing more during the hard times than the good times of life?
It is interesting, Ron, but I find this question among Christians perhaps more than any other. I was counseling a 21-year-old man the other day who had been sexually abused by his father as a child. The question he asked…that I've heard so many times…is, "Why did God allow this to happen?" The answers you have given, I've given over and over again. It is a hard pill to swallow, but it is the truth. My hope and prayer is that God can work through us in the context of the church/body of Christ to demonstrate the love of God for a person who has experienced the most horrendous of circumstances…some by their own design, others just because they are victimized in a fallen world.
These are hard questions and real-life answers. Thankfully, Jesus heals the wounds and binds up the brokenhearted. For that, I'm thankful. I appreciate your thoughts and the presentation of the truth.
Thanks Randy! I hope you are doing well these days.
My faith definitely grows more during the hard times than the easy times, I just wish I recognized it more as I'm going through it rather than after the fact. The whole "hindsight is 20/20" deal.
Thanks Carissa.
"Have you noticed your faith growing more during the hard times than the good times of life?" Absolutely! Isn't that usually the way? We don't tend to do a whole lot of growing when we aren't being challenged by something. But I think God "schedules" good times so that we can rest between those hard-learned lessons.
That’s a great add! Thanks!
I think a lot of that depends on where you are in your walk with God. For years I had some hard times, and was confused about why and felt very frustrated. Now I see that the problem was my immaturity in my walk with Him. So now I am "paying the price" for my sins with some different and harder times, but my more mature walk and my faith and trust in Him is surely sustaining me during this time.