saltandlight

We all go through tough times, some tougher than others.  We have heartaches and heart breaks.  That is just life.  We go from skinned knees and sprained ankles to car accidents and health problems. We go from having an empty piggy bank to a negative balance in our checking account with more bills due!  Or if not financial problems, there are broken relationships and broken homes or health problems and diseases.  There are always problems to deal with. The worst ones for a parent are when your children go through problems that you can’t fix. When they start getting older and start finding out the hard way that people cannot be trusted. It’s hard to watch and not get in there and handle it yourself.  

Everywhere we turn there are problems. We have our own problems and situations that cause us stress and then we have so many of our friends and family dealing with problems and situations.  It can really stress you out!  It may be because I’m getting older, but I’ve never seen a time that so many people are having problems and issues.  Death, disease, financial strain, health problems, family problems, relationship problems work stress. More than likely you are currently going through one or more of these right now.

So, why does God allow us to go through these things?!  Well, I’m glad you asked!  Because here is the good news. Romans 8:28 (one of my favorites!) 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.  What does this mean? It means that all things (everything that we go through, good and bad) work together for good (the end result will be good) to them that love God (His children). What you are going through right now might not seem too good.  But, I promise because God’s word promises, that He is working it out for your good!  (That is if you love God, if not then we need to have another type of discussion!)

We also have to remember is that God knows all.  We as humans like to think that we have all the answers and we know.  God gave me this analogy years ago that I like to use.  Think about ants.  They are busy, busy hard working building their ant hill.  And you love ants so much (I know you don’t really but just bear with me)!  You see that there is a lawnmower heading their direction and it is going to kill them and their anthill.  So, you dig up their ant hill. You’ve destroyed their home, but they will live and rebuild.  They still don’t understand that you just saved them from the lawnmower heading their way.  Isn’t that how we are with God?  He sees all and knows all.  He sees the disaster heading in our direction.  And sometimes what seems like a bad thing to us, is actually God digging up our ant hill to save us from ourselves.

Sometimes we have to look for the blessings in situations that seem bad to us.  We may not be able to see it now, but we can look back at past situations and see where God was working it all out.

And sometimes we just have to trust God.  No matter what, we know that He has promised that He is working it all out for our good.  In the meantime we can pray and ask God to give us peace in the midst of our storms while we are trusting Him to work it out!

Use that time to draw closer to Him. Read His word and talk to Him. You may actually realize that this storm is what you needed to draw closer to Him.

Lastly, we don’t like to think about this but it may be that we have brought this on ourselves.  Ask God to show you why this is happening and what can you do to fix the situation?  It’s a hard pill to swallow and I’ve had to swallow my share of hard pills!  But, God is merciful and gracious and He only punishes us in order to help us to do better and to be better! (If you have children, you totally understand this!)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10 

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12