Shaken Faith

Our reward will not be handed out while we are on earth, our reward will be the gift of a promise kept by God. A promise of an Eternal Life.  Let your trails and tribulations strengthen your Faith. Trust God. Believe in Him. Accept the Grace He instills inside of you.  ~ Jett

 

It is in those times in our journey when things seem to go wrong we start to question God and the reason he is putting us through times of despair.  We reach out to God for answers to the questions we are sure will provoke God to take a second look at the luck, or lack there of, that he has bestowed upon us. 

"I live by your laws and You bring this to me?"
"I help others who are in need and this is my reward?"
"I respect the rights of all human beings and You drop this bomb on me?"
"I pray to You day and night and this is what You do for me?"

Those and many more questions are asked, questioning God on why we are being put through such trials and tribulations when we feel we deserve better, or more, out of life.  If one is honest with one's self, when our self-pity gets the best of us, there is probably a lot of anger, frustration, and tears that come along with those times we question God's role in life.

It really does not matter how big or small you feel your current troubles are, what is important is that you understand we all go through hard times and if we didn't, what would we think our good times we experienced?  You do not have to be a God fearing Christian to go through hard times and me being a Christian I often wonder who those that do not have God in their lives blame.  It's human nature I believe, that when we are down on our good fortune we find someone else to blame.  That is never going away, we will always want answers to the questions we know there are simply no answers to.

The most asked questions we ask God very well may be "Why are You testing my faith by putting me through such hard times?"  My personal belief is that God does not test our faith.  He provides the tools we need to understand faith, and to have faith, and more than likely He watches us to see how we handle the faith we have in His promise of eternal life.  It is during those times that I feel God is asking us some questions.

"Is that the best you can do?"
"Is your faith so broken you need to blame Me when things do not go your way?"
"How can you fear Me, yet blame Me for your lack of faith?"

I truly believe that when we are struggling in our journey it is not God who tests our faith but we ourselves that are testing our own faith.  If God does play a role in our troubles at all, it is more probable that He is helping to build our faith.  He forces us to stop and get a grip on our fast paced lives, to have us revisit what is important to us, remind us what we have to be thankful for.  It is not God that brings us to these times of despair, it is God that comes to see us through them.  That statement is not meant to make you believe that things will turn out the way we would like them to.  That statement is a testament to your faith on how you will handle the outcome, good or bad.  It can go either way, the way we want it to go, or the way it is supposed to go.  Will the outcome be good and you will thank God or will the outcome be bad and you will blame God, asking 'why me'?

Bottom line is that God has a plan for all of us and that plan is to bring us to an eternal life with Him.  A life where when our last breath is taken, our breaths Beyond A Breath Of Life will be spent free of all sin, all worry, and our questions of 'why me' will be answered.  God walks with us as we journey through our lives on earth.  No matter what path we choose, he will follow us along those paths and provide us with the tools we need to be ready to meet Him one day when our road comes to an end.  There is no promise of perfection, no promise of an easy journey, no promise that never will we shed a tear or feel pain.  There is only the promise of eternal life when we reach Him.  That is not a promise to just Christians in life either, although as Christians we are provided the tools to prepare ourselves for the day He determines it is our time to go to Him. 

Life is full of struggles and disappointments.  No one life is valued in God's eyes as better than another.  When you look at others and how they live, or how they appear to have it better than you do when you know you yourself are a better person than they are, remind yourself that God allowed his Son to die on that cross for all of us, not just those that believe in Him and live His Word.  Each one of us will be allowed the time to sit in God's Park (purgatory) and reflect on how we lived our lives while on the planet He provided for us.  You may be in that park for a much shorter time than those you feel enjoyed a richer life on earth.  You may reach eternity long before some of those that have lived a life of riches and selfishness.  That is your reward for how you lived on earth.  That is what God promises us in our final moments of life.  The faith you leave with is as strong as you built it.  The hardships you endure are not meant to pass or fail the test of faith.  They are designed to enrich your life, slow you down to reflect on who you are and where you are headed.  The challenge you feel you are facing is one you put in front of yourself. The faith you feel is being tested is busting through bigger than you have imagined.  It is growing, and it is painful, but it is preparing you for the ultimate gift of life.  The life of God's promise to you for living eternally with Him in heaven. 

I have a couple friends who this past week have had new challenges set in front of them that more than likely have them questioning God and His role in their lives.  I ask that those who follow my blogs stop and say a prayer for their strength and faith that both are stronger than even in seeing them through their latest struggle in life.  That they may stay strong in their believe in not only God and His Word but also in the faith they have built inside of themselves.  That they remember God has not left them, but has stayed right beside them as they get through those dark feelings in their hearts, their minds, and their souls.  That they find inner peace and happiness in all they have been given, no matter who these next few weeks play out for them.

For Shannon and Dee:
Prayer in time of Illness

Lord Jesus, you came into the world
to heal our infirmities
and to endure our sufferings.
You went about healing all
and bringing comfort
to those in pain and need.
We come before you now
in this time of illness
asking that you may be the source
of our strength in body,
courage in spirit
and patience in pain.
May we join ourselves more closely
to you on the cross
and in your suffering
that through them
we may draw our patience and hope.
Assist us and restore us to health
so that united more closely
to your family, the Church,
we may give praise and honour to your name.

Amen.

 

Steve:
                                                   Prayer for Strength over Disappointments

My Father, I thank thee for life and its faculties. May I not be deceived by gratification and miss the permanent satisfactions. Make me brave that I may be courageous in affliction, and not be dismayed over humiliations and disappointments. May I be kept in harmony with thy will. Amen

 

Cindy:

                                                            Prayer for Strength and Sympathy

God of love, may I come quickly to thee, when I am in need of protection and sympathy. Guard me against sorrow that is drawn from the imagination. May I not allow grief to drag me into misery, but with strength and courage may I find happiness in thy daily will. Amen.

 

 

Brice:
                                                         Prayer for Strength and Forgiveness

My Father, I bless thee for thy patience and forbearance. I pray that thou wilt forgive me for all the sorrow that I have made from rebellion and despair, and with thy forgiveness may I receive patience and cheerful courage. Amen.