Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: LEAVE (11/16/23)
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TITLE: Where Were/Are You, Lord | Previous Challenge Entry
By Doug Laird
11/21/23 -
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Yet at times, in the midst of our pain, frustration, and disappointment, many of us have found ourselves crying out, “Where were/are You, Lord?”
Although a patient and sympathetic silence is a common experience when we dare question the faithfulness (2), actions, or inactions on the part of the Almighty, the rejoinder from God the Father could be, “The same place that I was when My Son was betrayed, beaten, scourged, spat upon, crucified, crushed, and forsaken for your benefit.
My Son was a good boy (3), an grew up to be a fine young man (4). He cared for His widowed mother, making arrangements for her continued logistical care (5) in the midst of His intense suffering and immanent death.
He was accused and convicted of sin and crimes that He did not commit.
He deserved none of the adversity that He willingly took upon Himself.
Yet, for the love (6) that I have for Fallen Man), I “desired to crush Him causing Him grief (Isa. 53: 10a NASB2020),” ultimately making atonement and providing the means for an eternal relationship with you and Me.”
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It is easy to have faith when things are going our way, but not so when our faith is put to the test (7). It takes strong faith to believe that God causes ALL things (including the seemingly bad) to work together for good (8).
Both blessings and adversity come directly or indirectly from the hands of God (9).
Whatever adversity God does not send, He allows to take place, in order to accomplish a divine objective.
Tragedy and disappointment are a part of the human experience, here in the devil’s world (10).
Not only are Christians subjected to the same hardships as their unbelieving counterparts, they are in line to suffer even more so when they take a godly stand in an ungodly world.
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Born again Church Age believers, having the assurance that God will never leave or forsake them, does not immune them from the pain and suffering associated with the general human experience here on planet Earth.
As previously noted, our walk with God opens the door to a form of trials and tribulations (11) that is foreign to our unbelieving counterparts.
As of the moment they are born again, the individual bodies of all born again Church Age believers become the permanent temple and dwelling place of God, during their time here on Earth.
Believers may not always “feel” His presence, especially when out of fellowship with God.
Many things can impact the way we feel, opening the door to satanic influence.
But God is still there, regardless of the way we feel.
God is with the born again believer in the midst of his or her mountaintop experiences, and is there in our deepest and darkest valleys.
I have had many mountaintop and dark valley experiences.
When God allows adversity and heartache to impact us, His presence is there to get us through.
Even when the adversity generates a life-threatening or life taking scenario, He is there to get the believer through or to take him or her home.
Should the event be God’s means of setting the stage to take us home, we can leave this planet knowing that the God of the widow and orphans (12) will still be there for them.
One of the reasons He sends or allows trouble to come our way is to remind us of our dependency on Him.
As long as we feel that we have everyone and everything we need, and that we are in control, we can easily slip into a Rev. 3: 17 frame of mind.
“Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything,” and you do not know that you are (spiritually) wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked (Rev. 3: 17 NASB2020 parenthesis mine).”
Developing a 24/7 consciousness of the indwelling presence and interactions of God, will go along way in generating and preserving the peace that surpasses all understanding (13) when we find ourselves in the deep valleys of life and or facing our earthly departure.
God never leaves a born again believer, but sin and independence can numb our awareness of His presence and interaction, working behind the scenes.
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(1) 1Cor. 3: 16 (2) 2Tim. 2: 13 (3) Luke 2: 51 (4) Luke 2: 52 (5) John 19: 26, 27 (6) John 3: 16 (7) Heb. 11: 36-40 (8) Romans 8: 28 (9) Job 2: 10 (10) Luke 4: 6 (11) John 16: 33 (12) Psalms 68: 5 (13) Phil. 4: 7
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And encouraging.
I wish I would remember 24/7 that He is living within.
He is very tolerant.