It is often thought that God ‘helps those who help themselves’ and wants us all to be ‘happy clappy’ all the time. The reality is though that He sees what we are going through, and cares!
In fact, the most famous sermon Jesus ever preached started with words that encourage all of us, especially those who are crushed or broken or low or down or depressed, that He is there for us.
As a loving Father, He wants to bless you, He longs to reveal His love to you. He is there, patiently waiting for you to respond. Waiting for you to allow Him in to your life. Waiting for you to realise that you need Him.
Do you realise you need God? I remember the time that I first (finally) accepted that I could no go on - I allowed my mind to accept the possibility that there just might be a ‘god’. I had always held a strong belief that there was no god and if there was he / it was a mongrel for allowing me to go through certain things.
I mean, what sort of god would allow suffering?
Chances are, if you think this, you have likely experienced or seen pain and suffering that just doesn’t make sense.
For me though, now, looking back, I am very thankful that I suffered so much. I would not go back and alleviate any of it. That’s right, even though the long run of events led me to hating life so much I wanted it to end, I am now happy about it.
It was terrible, but I was forced to accept the fact that I needed ‘god’. A God I had insisted did not exist, a God I thought was vindictive, a God I hated and a God I had deliberately worked against.
When shocked at His existence, my initial reaction was of fear - fear that He would be as bad as I thought. But it turns out He was nearly the exact opposite of what I thought. In every way.
Far from being distant and angry and vindictive and hateful - He was full of love. SO much love that He allowed His Son to die instead of me! He loved me despite all my incredible hatred and bad ways against Him.
If you are adamant you don’t need God & blame God for all the pain you see / have felt, no one will ever be able to change your mind. But He can. Just give Him the chance.
The reality is, you need God. Upon your death, you will face Him - stained by every sin you have thought or committed. His anger just as powerful as His love. His standard is perfection. His sentencing is severe. His judgment is final. No suspended sentences, No Parole. If you have rejected His Son - your fate is certain.
But you need God before that - you just don’t realise it... Your very body is held together, is sustained by Him. We think it is the laws of science, we think it is the food we eat or the lifestyle we follow. But it is God. He holds the universe together.
Your brain, your heart, your lungs, your liver, your kidney - all of it held together by Him. At any point, He can allow or cause any part to cease functioning correctly. But He doesn’t. Instead He protects and loves and blesses. But only for a time.
My prayer today is that you would reach that point where you finally relent and realise that you need God.
Lord, have your way & make Yourself known. Open my mind to the scope, power and security of your love.
God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Matthew 5:3 (NLT)
