Skip to main content

This is the perfect season for my faith to be tested by God.

I was emailing a friend this morning updating him on my job search.  After I gave him an update, I wrote this line, “This is the perfect season for my faith to be tested by God.”  I stopped and pondered what I had just written and it shocked me a bit.  First, I asked myself, is it theologically correct?  Second, I was taken back that if I recognize that this is the perfect season, will I live up to the challenge?

My Hebrew professor, John Sailhamer, has a fairly recent book out called, “The Meaning of the Pentateuch: Revelation, Composition and Interpretation”.  I have just started it but his 600+ pages are built on the foundation of understanding the big idea of the Pentateuch, which he says is “the importance of living by faith” (p. 22).  A common theme (if not the over-arching theme) found throughout both the Old and New Testaments.  I have also been listening to lots of Piper and the theme has been joyous/happy/content/satisfied in God.  As Piper always says, "God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him."
 
John 6:35 says, “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger; and whoever believes in my shall never thirst.’” The all satisfying God calls me (us) to believe, to have faith that He will satisfy.  You will never hunger, you will never thirst!  Those are incredible promises to the one who comes to the Bread of Life and believes...especially during a time when everything points to a time of great hunger and thirst. 

How will I spend this season?  Moping, complaining, worrying?  Or will I rest in hands of the Most High God who loves me (Ps. 57:2), promises that things are working for my good (Rom. 8:28), promises to clothe me, feed me, provide shelter (Matt. 6:33), tells me not to be anxious about anything (Phil. 4:6-7).

It is an easy thing to be in God’s corner when life is going good, it is another matter entirely to be satisfied in God when you are without work, when you only have enough money to last a few more weeks and when you have no signs of relief.  Will I trust God’s Word or will I let the circumstances around me dictate my attitude toward God?  I desperately want to trust God through this season of my life.  I want to be like Job when after all is said and done (before God restores his fortune) he says “I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you.” Job 42:5 At the very toughest time in my life (which I think is now), I want to be so satisfied in God that He gets all the glory and that I would be able to help others that are yet to go through what I am experiencing...or about to experience.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Spiritual Influencers

According to the Nashville Film Institute’s website ( www.nfi.edu ) top influencers can earn anywhere from $40,000 a year with a modest following to celebrity influences that can earn over a million dollars per post .  They yield a persuasive power over their followers to redirect focus and entice the follower to buy or believe in whatever they are promoting.  Most of us have some realm of influence.  It may be family, friends, co-workers, social media, church, sports, online, etc.  As we emerge from the COVID Cocoon, we need to be “spiritual influencers”.  Imagine how many of us have suffered loss during COVID.  Do you know how many people are battling depression?  How many are struggling to pay their sky-rocketing rent?  There is real pain, real suffering and a serious lack of HOPE all around.  People are desperate for hope, help and genuine love.  They are ready to buy into anything that an influencer will peddle.  Envision a hos...
Post a Comment
Read more

If I Could Turn Back Time for 13 Seconds

     In the Star Trek parody Galaxy Quest , they had a device called the Omega-13 that could turn back time for 13 seconds.  What good is 13 seconds you ask?  It’s enough time to change one mistake.  As you might guess, they had a chance to use it and redeem a life altering oversight.          I often wish that my future self could come back and talk to my present self.   Imagine the mistakes I could avoid.   How often do we say to ourselves, “I wish I hadn’t done that” or “I wish I had done…”   Lately I have been trying to work out in the mornings.   It sounds great the night before, but when that alarm goes off, I only have about 3 seconds to thrust my feet over the side of the bed before I tell Alexa to wake me up in an hour.        Since the Omega-13 device only lives in Hollywood, it seems to me I need to make the right decisions at the right time.  Here’s a couple of things...
Post a Comment
Read more

We Should All Smile Like That

  I just finished watching a YouTube video featuring an aged Peter Frampton and Eric Clapton.  Frampton and Clapton were playing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".  I couldn't get over the joy on Frampton's face as he was playing.  He loved what he was doing.  He loved playing with Eric Clapton.  He loved making the audience "gently weep".  And he loved everything about it. He was taking in every second and appreciating for what it was, a once in a lifetime moment to play with Eric Clapton.  It was a perfect blending and appreciation for each other and their impact to the world of music.  I didn't sense any egos, just radiant joy.  It was impossible to not smile as you watched Peter play, even Clapton smiled (a rare moment).  Peter's joy was infectious.  As I watched his contagious joy doing what he loves, I wondered if I still exude joy for my passions? What are you passionate about?  What brings you joy?  Pursue those ...
Post a Comment
Read more