Take Comfort

We Fall on Him

When God Leaves

“God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart.”  (2 Chron. 32:31)

God’s silence – His “absence” - has a way of bringing out what’s really in our hearts … pride, love of comfort or control or pleasure or possessions, idols, fears, doubts, greed, envy, hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness, hopelessness, etc. 

When He is silent or when it feels like He’s abandoned you, don’t despair.  He’s using that time to test you, to see what’s really in your heart and what you will do when you think He’s not really there. 

His silence forces us to decide if we will continue in faithful obedience or if we will rebel and do our own thing, if we will cling to Him or if we will despair and turn away, if we have faith because we need Him or if we have faith because we want the things He might give us. 

God doesn't "leave" us because He doesn't care.  He "leaves" us because His silence - His "absence" - is one of the biggest testers and refiners of our faith!  It shows us and Him who we really are and where we have placed our faith and what we really want!

Facing Your Enemies (2 Chronicles 20)

            A vast army was approaching God’s people to engage them in battle.

            “Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for Jerusalem.  The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord…”  (2 Chronicles 20:3-4)

            And then during prayer, Jehoshaphat reminded the people that God is the ruler of all, that power and might belong to Him.  He praised God for being the God that He is.  And then he made his request for God’s help, admitting they had no power of their own to fight this invading enemy. 

            “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (verse 12)

What Kind of Christian Are You? A Look at 12-ish Different Kinds of Christian

I find it very disheartening to read people’s opinions of Christians nowadays.  Society is coming down on them really hard, with such hateful force.  It almost makes me wonder what kind of Christian they are talking about. 

While they might not differentiate one Christian from another, I think there are various different kinds of Christians (and “Christians”).  And just for fun, I want to make a list of as many different kinds I can think of.  And I am putting it on this blog because it’s important for the world (and Christians) to understand what a genuine Christian is and isn’t. 

So here goes, in no particular order  (And these are not exclusive of each other.  There can be some overlap.  Nor is this an exhaustive or “official” list.) …

What are we doing to God's Word?

As Christians, should we really be apologizing for and softening the Gospel’s Truth when God intends it to be convicting?  Of course, we should be sharing the Gospel in a loving, gracious, gentle way, being respectful of other people’s right to disagree, but we shouldn’t be embarrassed by it and we shouldn’t change it to make the world feel more comfortable with their sin.

Which is better?

Trust

 

Really living

The Kind of Christian Satan Likes

I think the only thing Satan likes better than a non-Christian and a rebellious Christian is a comfortable Christian.

Comfort can be one of the greatest enemies of a deep, vibrant, powerful faith!   

Spiritual Loneliness

            As I have walked this journey of faith, I learned something that I never read in any book on faith: 

            The deeper you go in your walk with the Lord, the lonelier it can get. 

            The higher you climb on the mountain of faith, the less people you’ll find climbing with you. 

            First off, other people can’t go with you into the hardest parts of your journey - when you are struggling the most with your faith, with the hardest trials, with the deepest truths and doubts and fears.  Those struggles are between you and yourself and the Lord.

If only we'd listen more!

"Bring me pain, Lord, if it brings You glory!"

(Updated 10/6/19) 


I’ve always found the statements of “I want the Lord to do whatever He wants in my life to bring Him the most glory possible, even if it means bringing me pain” to be inspirational …

and a bit “off.”

When I was 21 (half my lifetime ago), I went to Papua New Guinea for a summer on a mission trip.  And I told my mom that I picked PNG over any other place because it was so remote and primitive.  I said that I wanted to have everything taken away to really challenge me, to grow my faith in new ways.  And I meant it.  I really did.  My heart was in the right place.

But my mom said something wise, something that stuck.  She said, “Don’t ask for that!  Never ask for that!  Because He could take away everything – your legs, your eyesight, your health, your home, etc.”

Wow!  So true.

As I thought about it, I realized that I didn’t really want God to do “whatever.”  I didn’t want Him to take away all my comforts, just the ones I could do without for a summer.  I didn’t want to be broken into pieces, just smooth off a couple rough edges.  I didn’t want to be tried like Job was; I just wanted a little adventure that would grow my faith in fun, exciting, safe ways.