So
many times I hear teachings, prayers or prayer requests that blame God for a
problem. If God is “doing” something to you then we should not be praying for
God to take it away. We do not serve a
dualistic God and assigning him the attributes of Satan really irritates me. I
love God and I see his attributes as total opposite of those Satan presents. I
know I do not need to defend God or run interference but when someone talks
badly about one of my friends I have to control all those old impulses. God is not only my Lord, my Father, my
Redeemer, my Savior and He is also, yes—my Friend.
None
of this is to say we do not go through things—we do; but the point I am trying
to make is we go through. Through is the key here.
For
everything the Lord is doing in our lives, the enemy is either counterfeiting
or he is coming to steal, kill and destroy. I hear things like, “God is testing
me” or “God is allowing blank to
happen to me.” It makes me wonder what the person really thinks about God.
I
know I sound critical but I am not being critical as much as I am confused. I
hear these things and then in the next breath that same person will say something
like, “Please pray for blank to
change.”
If
you really believe God is doing blank I
cannot pray—and neither should you. It
would be akin to soulish or witchcraft prayers. I am not going there and hope
you are not either. If you are “learning” something then ask God what it is and
go on. He is not going to hide something from you. Especially if He wants you
to change something. When He wants me to change something He tells me. Maybe
you are different.
“If
you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him and he will gladly tell
you.” James 1:5
I
recently heard a pastor tell a congregation that a natural disaster was God way
of getting the country’s attention. I was so hurt for the people who were
listening to this. His audience had family and relatives in this country. I
alternated between anger and anguish. I could not imagine how God was feeling. |
| I wonder what they are learning? |
Another
pastor I know told a friend she had cancer so God could teach her something.
Really? My friend was mature enough to say, “Not my God. That is not God.”
We all go through things. God warned us. He even told us how it all got started, when
Satan was cast out of Heaven. Jesus gave us example after example of how to
defeat him. Paul explained about warfare.
 |
| So trusting.... |
“We
know that we are children of God, and
that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” 1 John 5:19
Again, we go through things. We have a lot of circumstances that the enemy would use
to trip us. BUT it is not God tripping us.
Can
you imagine having a little 18 month old child look to you, lovingly, excited
to walk, trusting you to help them learn? Then about the time they get the hang
of it you trip them? Just so they will “learn” something? No, you would not.
That is abusive. God is not an abusive parent.
“If you, then, though you are evil, know
how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will
your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew
7:11
“Every
good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change
like shifting shadows.” James 1:17
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is
common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you
are able to bear it.” I Corinthians 10:13
Trust the one who loves you.
Pray
for those you see IN a tough circumstance.
Pray that they will see the “way of
escape”.
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