Will God actually provide for all the needs of the believers? Aren't there stories of believers who starved to death? Aren't there stories of believers who were destitute all their lives? Of course there were. So, why do we keep telling ourselves that God will supply all our needs?
Our needs are not what we think they are. Our needs are what God says they are. This means that all things are in His control. He knows all things. He knows what is best.
It is hard for me to understand when God allows someone to starve whether or not he or she is a believer. It seems that God should always rush in and save the day. God does not do so much of the time.
Actually it is more than merely hard for me to understand. It is impossible for me to understand. I have a sense of right and wrong that would destroy God's creation. God knows what is best.
Some times God does not rescue us because we are able to serve Him with a testimony of faith through hard times. We continue to praise Him when others are looking for hope. Our hope is not found in this world nor in the things this world can provide. We look beyond our present condition to our home in heaven. This attitude becomes a witness for those around us. God is glorified by our witness. He rewards us not merely in eternity but throughout eternity.
God takes people out of this world for a reason. He may take a devout believer home to heaven through cancer. The family knows that God could heal but He chooses not to heal. He could meet the need but the loss of the loved one may bring the family together. It may help mature the children. It may keep the lost loved one from doing something that would have hurt his witness. It may have prevented an accident that this lost loved one would have caused. We cannot know why God does this but we must believe that He is an all knowing, powerful and loving God. He does what He does for a reason.
Why does God allow tyrants to deny people their needs? Why does He allow killers to murder innocent people? Why does He allow earthquakes and tornadoes to destroy everything that some people have? All of this will remain a mystery to us. Our faith of believing He is good is challenged when we think we have a better solution than God. He allows people to sin. He has allowed me to do so. He allows the world to take its natural course.
Do you remember the magic eye pictures that once were published in the newspapers? You would bring the picture up close your eyes and slowly move it away. Another picture would appear. I think of this when I see God's acts. Many times I don't understand what He is doing until much later. I look backward and see God's working even when I was going through a hard time. I slowly begin to see another picture. We may not understand why bad things happen to God's people until we are in eternity.
Having said all that, most of the time God does supply our needs just as we need them. He does supply our food and shelter. He does supply the people we need around us. He does bring healing into the world. He does act in loving ways that we understand.
Part of faith is continuing to worship Him without fully understanding what He is doing. We simply do not have the capacity for that understanding. Faith says, "I know who God is. He is my Father who loves me. He will always do what I need. I may not understand. That makes no difference." When I think He is not treating me right I need to go back to the statements: I know who God is. He is the Father who loves me. He will always do what I need.
1 comment:
Thank you very much for your post.
I always knew what you said was true but after reading your post I truly understand it now.
Sometimes we need to hear things more than once. Have a Blessed Day...Chuck
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