I stop understanding how difficult situations are supposed to be good for me. I stop trying to see it, because it doesn't make sense.
Next stage is either a theatrical collision with God in prayer, or drifting even further into passive condition, thinking "why bother?".
For some time I was happy with my choices to have those dramatic inserts where I pour out my anger and frustration to God who can "take anything" (-and He can!!). But consider this:
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.
Ex 14:15
The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face?
Joshua 7:10
The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”
1 Sam 16:1
There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
1 Kings 19:9, 11
Answer me then, if you can; stand up and argue your case before me.
Job 33:5
God doesn't seem too impressed with drama.
We get caught up in David's psalms like Ps 13; we keep asking the question How long?, "patiently" awaiting the reasonable answers, but it never crosses our minds that we're asking the wrong questions. Insisting on answers does not equal seeking God.
David prayed in very different circumstances but he understood God's will. He did his best to save his son, and when the boy died anyway, he moved on with his life - loving God and the boy's mother. (2 Sam 12:13-24)
David never recieved an answer why a God that is full of grace and love would take away an innocent child (although his father had already repented). He gave his all to the only God, and had peace that cannot be explained.
There is time for everything, even sadness. We don't have to understand God's actions, or His peace. But we can be in intimate communion with Him and have His peace. All we have to do is give up the need to understand.
- When you seek God, what is it that you seek?
- Do you give him human terms on which He is to reveal Himself, or does he have the same divine freedom in your heart, as you do in his?
- What does seeking God mean for your present situation?
3 comments:
This is awesome Silvija, I love those scriptures because they make realise what part am I supposed to be playing a particular situation, instead of lying face down on the ground...
This is really challenging- sometimes, often, I don't get an answer to the question of 'why?' It's hard for me to accept not knowing, not understanding, and possibly never reaching understanding innocents suffering. I can get whiplash from how quickly I can go between the extremes you mentioned. What really has been helping me recently is learning to trust God's goodness and character. It allows me to wonder, to grieve, but frees me from my tendency to curse God when situations seem hopeless. God sees us!
Post a Comment