CRCF””9/20/09
ME
I”™ll never forget how I felt when we found out that Robin”™s cancer was back. It was sort of a deflated feeling, both emotionally and physically””just an empty, confused feeling. I was full of questions, angry questions, for God. I literally cried out to God inside, “WHY!? What are You doing?” And, at points, I quit asking God anything, figuring that if He would let this happen to Robin, He probably wouldn”™t want to hear my questions anyway. We were already in a financial crisis due to the declining real estate market””I hadn”™t had any income to speak of for several months, and I was on the line financially for a small subdivision””all of which were the result of my own decisions, by the way.
I was spiritually confused and struggling to keep believing God was good.
WE
Have you recently faced something that made you, at least inwardly, ask how God could still be good, and, consequently, worth trusting?
We often question God”™s goodness when life is hard, don”™t we?
The Bible describes how our hearts work:
Proverbs 19:3
“A man”™s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord.”
Jeremiah 17:9
“The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?”
If we just let nature take it”™s course when we face trials, our own hearts will always lie to us and leave us spiritually sick!
Trials are Tricky!
James 1:16-18
GOD
God proved His goodness forever in Jesus!
James 1:16-17 (The Message)
“So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven . . . There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle.”
NLT
“So don”™t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.”
There are two constants in life: 1) Life always brings change; 2) God”™s unchanging character.
James 1:18 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
“By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures.”
God proved His goodness forever in Jesus!
Romans 8:28-39 (NLT)
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won”™t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one””for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one””for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God”™s right hand, pleading for us.
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ”™s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God”™s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow””not even the powers of hell can separate us from God”™s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below””indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
“Nothing, nothing that befalls us in this life – no matter how difficult or painful – is to be viewed as a dark shadow cast by some fickle god of constantly shifting character. All that God brings our way in his providence is a good and perfect gift from a wise Father who loves us with an unchanging and everlasting love, as he pursues his singular purpose of accomplishing the salvation and perfection of his children.” (Lee Irons)
God proved His goodness forever in Jesus!
YOU
So, how should this change the way you live?
The next time life is hard””which could be right now or next week””choose to think differently about the whole scene. Choose to think about your circumstances in light of the truth of Who God is.
Trust God”™s goodness when life is hard by remembering God”™s grace to you and me in Jesus.
Matthew 7:11 (NLT)
“If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him?”
If you and I will remember that God proved His goodness forever in Jesus, then we won”™t be tricked into thinking God is against us in hard times. And, in turn, we won”™t be unfaithful to God in hard times because of our clouded thinking.
WE
Think about all of this practically with me for a minute:
What if you and I trusted God”™s goodness when life is hard by remembering God”™s grace to us in Jesus?
The folks we work with, the kids we go to school with, our neighbors””they”™d all see us handling our problems VERY differently, with a kind of peace that only God can give. And then, who knows””we just might have the opportunity to mention to them that God proved His goodness forever in Jesus! And as we talk to them about Him””who knows?””maybe they could also trust Jesus as their Savior. If that happened even once, suddenly our trials/hardships/difficulties take on a meaning beyond ourselves! Suddenly, our trials become eternal in their impact!
That is exactly what God has in mind for our trials. Someone may not start a relationship with Jesus every time we face a trial. But you can bank on this””in addition to what God will teach you””someone who does not have a personal relationship with God WILL be watching and will learn something from your trial!
“A little boy went grocery shopping with his mother. They were in the checkout line and the grocer asked the mother if he could offer her son some candy. The mother agreed. As the grocer held out the jar, encouraging the boy to reach in, the little boy shook his head. The man stretched the jar out a little further and told the boy he could take as much as he would like. The boy continued to say no. With a confused look on his face, the grocer gave one last effort. The boy finally said, ”˜I want you to give it to me.”™ The grocer happily took some candy out of the container and handed it to the boy who quickly offered his thanks. When he and his mother were in the car and on their way, she curiously asked, ”˜Why wouldn”™t you take the candy? Why did you tell him to give the candy to you?”™ Her son replied, ”˜Because, Momma, his hands were bigger than mine.”™ Smart boy . . . If God”™s children would simply let Him be God, they would soon discover that His hands are bigger then their own.”
(Tony Evans”™ Book of Illustrations, 131)
Celebration of the Lord”™s Supper
Every Sunday as we come to this table we are reminded of God”™s unquestionable goodness in Jesus. God gave His own Son to die in our place, even while we were still rebels who weren”™t even looking for peace with God. This meal, enjoyed by the trust of a child, helps keep us grounded in what is ultimately and eternally true and real””God”™s love for us in Jesus, which is the pinnacle display of His goodness!
Come to the table!