I try not to be cynical. However, the older I get – the more I look back on false teachings I’ve heard, false beliefs I’ve believed, and messages that were cleverly disguised as self-serving and self-promoting. These are all actual statements I’ve heard throughout my life at various times:

*If I give a certain amount of money to the church or a cause – I will be blessed. If I don’t – my finances are under God’s curse and then problems are going to begin.

*If I pray certain phrases and have enough faith – then what I pray for will happen the way I’ve prayed it.

*If prayer is unanswered – I’ve done something wrong, or my sin is blocking it, or I didn’t have enough faith.

*If life is hard and I’m facing challenges – I’m not living the abundant, blessed life God intended for me.

Maybe you can relate to these statements, and/or add more to this list in the comments?

Jesus warned us about being deceived (Matthew 24:4) The wonderful, common, and ordinary people, teachers, and preachers I respect use the same filter: What does the Bible say about ____________? And they don’t twist the scriptures to fit a certain point they are trying to get across.

The Bible shows dozens of examples from cover to cover of people doing exactly what God wanted – and still times were tough. People following God’s will and the challenges multiplied. People questioning God what was going on. This concept caught my attention when Paul made the comments below. Paul who wrote approximately 2/3 of New Testament. Paul who did multiple missionary journeys. Paul who started, supported, and and lost sleep over many churches:

“And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that JAIL and SUFFERING lie ahead.” (Acts 20: 22)

So . . . Paul was smack dab in the middle of God’s will. The Holy Spirit had given him direct messages. And it had nothing to do with avoiding and eliminating problems, financial outpouring, and all his prayers being answered how he envisioned or manifested them. Comfort, ease, and unending blessings were not in the mix. The message involved jail and suffering in city after city.

What? After all he’s done for God’s kingdom? He deserved a break!

Here are just a few other examples of this pattern from all over the Bible:

*Daniel innocently thrown in the lion’s den.

*Joseph betrayed by his brothers who left him for dead. He later is innocently thrown in prison.

*Job was “blameless – a man with complete integrity” and lost everything.

*John the Baptist was put in prison, and eventually was decapitated.

*Jesus was falsely accused, beaten, and then crucified.

Conclusion: We can be 1000% in the middle of God’s plan and will for us – and things can still be tough, questionable, and downright miserable. We can utter the perfect prayer and it doesn’t get answered our way. We can give large amounts financially and cars break down. Air conditioners give out and cost a lot to replace. Jobs are lost. Kids rebel in spite of excellent parenting. The list is truly endless.

We live in a transactional world – I do this and this happens. You do this for me and I’ll do this for you. We follow the rules and get rewarded. We stay in line, do the right things, and hopefully get promoted.

God doesn’t work this way. His grace is always with us when we are his children. It is by grace we are saved through faith and NOT our works (Ephesians 2:8).

Unfortunately, we don’t get to understand and have everything explained to us by God. His promises are that he is with us when we’re not feeling it, seeing it, or experiencing it. He’s with us through trauma, unanswered prayers, problems and hassles. Moses once told his people:

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you or abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31: 8)

Next time one of those challenges happen – what if the focus was shifted to: “I’m exactly where God wants me . . . ”

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

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