|
Written by Rhea Dooley
|
|
Monday, 08 March 2010 11:08 |
Last week in our study we discussed the testing that David went through the first time he tried to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem.
He was over zealous didn't do his homework and didn't pray when it came to the precise way to bring God's Spirit to His dwelling place in Jerusalem. I can so relate to David here. I get so over zealous or just too impatient and go do things the way I want...granted I mean well, But I do not pray or do my homework, and things just don't go as I had planned them. No wonder, I didn't bring God into the equation. Now when David went ahead and tried to bring the Ark up his way, all with good intention, a life was snuffed out. Uzzah was killed for touching the Ark while trying to steady it on the Ox pulled cart. [With this in mind...please remember that with the Old Testament when you did something and it wasn't a "God Way" He went as far as to take your life. But that was the old covenant, we are now under the new covenant that says we are covered by the Blood of the Lamb with the crucifixion of Christ. That covering allows for mistakes to be made on our part. I'll explain this more in depth another day.]
Now that I have that out of the way we'll go on. David was very angry at God. He was so angry with God but yet afraid of what God did. He was angry that God would allow such a thing to happen.
Ok, stop..now how many of us have thought that way or felt that way? How many of us have been so angry that God would allow something to happen to us or to someone else? I know I have. I haven't understood His ways. Why would God allow something to happen, that's so bad...He's a good God, why would a good God allow such bad things to happen to His children?!
To be completely honest with you...I still don't understand. I've come to realize that my understanding isn't relevant to the big picture. I've gone through many things in my life, both good and bad. But I've learned from every bad thing that's happened in my life. Have I enjoyed them...NO WAY!! But I know that with every bad thing, comes a new awareness and a new understanding about myself in God. A closeness that I didn't have before. (I don't want to say that He allows bad things to happen so we become closer to Him, but sometimes I do believe that He allows things to happen in our lives to get our attention.) I try to look at my times of trouble as times of privilege and teaching.
James says in James 1:2-4 "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." [the Message]
When it comes down to it, if we would just open our minds and think outside the box, we'd realize that when we go through things in our lives, God's trusts us. (That's sort of my moto) You don't have to like what you're going through but what an excitement to know that God trusts you!! He knows you so well, He knows that through this, His child will give Him the glory. He trusts you to trust Him. There are times I wish God didn't trust me so much. I'm sure you have those thoughts as well.
Now just because that is my moto doesn't me I pass with flying colors. I fail more than I care to admit. You see with all trials and devastation we can either glorify God or resent God and all He stands for. Most of the time I try to glorify God but other times I fail and resent Him or I'm afraid of Him. I wonder how many of you would say that when you go through times of testing thay you were being punished. And I tell you that...sometimes that thought will creep in my mind for an instant. Beth Moore was so right when she said "God can never do Himself right and do His children wrong. God's glory and goodness are inseperable." You see God is so so good and only wants what's best for us.
Now, that doesn't mean that with sin consequence doesn't come. It does...with sin sometimes hurt, pain, guilt and devastation will be there. But you must remember that we did those things to ourselves when we sinned. God didn't bring those consequences upon us. We did. [that is another topic that I'll leave for another day.]
I want to just encourage you today...God so loves you!! No matter what type of testing you may be going through today, this week, this month, this year, He loves you and longs that you go beyond yourself to trust in Him, because He trusts you to trust Him!! |
