Lessons for the Tough Stuff

In John 5:39 Jesus said “You search the scripture to find life; they speak of me.” I have tried to consider this in all my study of the word of God for the past year or so. Coupled with 2Tim 3 I know it will provide me with understand and knowledge of how God relates to man, a challenge to belief I have that is incorrect (including those that come out in a variety of human action) and instruction for living life as it was intended by my creator. It has changed the way I relate to the Bible. I used to think there were scriptures that could not fit these criteria. But when I stop and ask, God fills in the part I've missed over decades of study.

Sometimes my study is initiated by my personal preference or interest. Other times it is truly initiated by God through the Holy Spirit. Monday's study of Psalm 77 was such a time. Let me clarify that I think both are valid and God speaks greatly to my heart, need and living through both. That said, I will share some of what God gave me in Psalm 77. It's never been my favorite Psalm and had God not prompted me strongly, I probably would not have dwelt on it. Yet he had so much that applies to where I am, how I pray and what it means to overcome. Yes, overcoming has become a sort of theme these days. But I'm seeing that overcoming may not mean exactly what I used to think it did.

“I sought the Lord. All night I stretched out untiring hands; my soul refused to be comforted”.

Sometimes when we are in distress, the human side of us does not accept God's presence in the situation. That can be because I think I should do something to fix it or because I am ashamed that I am in distress, because I feel like I've caused it, or because I think I should trust God more fully.

In reality, I claim too much power over my life. God is sovereign. He doesn't bring all of the illness and stress into my life, but he is sovereign, he is powerful and he is aware.

The psalmist states "I remembered you, oh God and I groaned." He says he mused on it and his Spirit grew faint. He says that God kept him awake and he couldn't even talk about it. Perhaps that was because he was finally admitting he didn't understand what the core problem was and so didn't know what the solution really was. The human spirit will fight for control until it is worn out trying to make our best guess happen either by coercing God or manipulating circumstance. There comes a point where I begin to really look for God whether or not he offers an immediate solution to my problem. He always does, but sometimes I need to get over that. Sometimes I need to just look for God and put my love for him in the right position.

When we truly love him he will begin working in amazing ways and because we are close to him we can see the truth and not the enemy's lie. Satan works to get us off course and then comes back as our accuser to bring guilt that keeps us from running back to God and so set us further off course. But he is the author of lies, a liar from the beginning.

We try to solve our own problems in our minds. We cry for help from a human perspective because the problem has canceled our God perspective. Our Spirits get worn out. And then it is that our thoughts turn to the love and power of God that we have known in the past. We remember the fellowship we had with him.

In self owned guilt the psalmist cried out in his frustration: " Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he, in his anger, withheld his compassion?" In essence he is asking if God has ceased to be God.

But he knows better “To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the most high. I will remember the deeds of the Lord. I will remember the miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and I will consider your mighty accomplishments.”

Sometimes I must separate myself from the problem and recognize God for who he is and for what he has done in my life and the lives of others I know. It makes me feel that I am abandoning the imperative problem in my life, and yet it is the Spirit drawing me out where I can truly see. The problems that seem to be are seldom the true problem in my heart. Perhaps one day I will know that most of my assumed problems are a blink in God's eye, though they seem a matter of life and death. I must ask “Does he not know? Has his grace stopped being grace? Can his promise fail at all? Has he forgotten me in this trial?” And this brings me back to who God is: his power and his unchanging character.

When we begin to see God in his holiness, we know that nothing else is as great as our God. We see that he can perform miracles. He can display his power among people. We remember that he has shown us his power and redeemed us in the past. We confirm his power and willingness to save.

The Psalmist begins to affirm and praise his God.

The water saw you and they writhed; the depths convulsed.

The clouds poured down water; the skies resounded with thunder.

Your arrows as lightning flashed back and forth; your thunder was heard during the tornado. Your lightning lit up the world.

The Earth trembled and quaked. Your path led through the sea. Your way led through the mighty water, though your footprints were not seen. You led us as a flock through all of this.

Before long I find myself "Telling the 'storm' how big my God is."

It would have been nice if the psalmist had told us the rest of this story. It would have been interesting to see what God did to solve the problem the psalmist was experiencing. But we don't really need that, do we? When we get our hearts and minds in perspective with who God really is in our lives, we see the hand of God at work. In truth we know God's love is there to take us through the storm or to stop the storm. He, not the storm becomes the focus.

Your footprints led through the waters: the problem, the difficulty, the hindrance, the scary part, though we could not see them.

Doctrine: God is always there. He has not lost his interest, his character or his power.

Correction: We must learn to acknowledge, honor, and trust what we cannot see.

Instruction: Reject Satan's attempts to keep us from reaching for our Father when we are in trouble -whether of our own making or not. When overwhelming problems arise, realize God is not overwhelmed. Focus on him and his faithfulness and trust his ability to be God in this situation.

Then ask -always ask.