This is related to a previous post in which I was looking at this phrase, or command really, from two ways. (The previous post I am referring to is the side note from the Hayden Dream-New Year's Day 2016). The first way is we have to trust in God WITHOUT seeing everything with our own eyes. I was also looking at it as trusting God DESPITE the things we have seen with our own eyes.
Here's something else to think about: "Though you slay me, I will trust in you." Job 13:15. Slay means to kill in a violent way. My kid was killed. That's just like or worse than someone killing me. No, it's worse than killing me.
Who killed you? Did you kill yourself since the accident was your fault? Did the driver of the truck kill you? Did Satan kill you? Did God kill you? Did sin kill you? Did God allow Satan to kill you?
God allowed your death. God allowed your birth. Our times are in His hands and no one can be born or die without God allowing it, right? (Of course, in my finite mind, I cannot understand how suicide and murder fit into this belief). Can anyone leave this earth without God having a hand in it? I have been told no.
Here is the definition of allow: "admit (an event or activity) as legal or acceptable; give the necessary time or opportunity for." One translation that comes to my mind is "make possible." Ironically (but not at the same time) in Sunday School class, the first few weeks of this quarter's lesson was the story of Job which I can't help thinking of anyway in relation to the word "allow" when I know that God allowed Satan to do all of those things to Job. Satan couldn't do them without God's, for lack of a better word, "ok." The reason why God allowed all of those horrible things to be done to Job is to test Job's faith. Satan insisted that the only reason why Job loved God is because all he had received from God's hand was good. Satan said that if God gave bad things to Job, that Job would curse him. Not to give the devil any credit, but a valid argument. God chose to test this theory on Job. God knew how it would turn out. He had to show Satan though. God didn't owe Satan an explanation of anything. Satan wasn't going to be converted through this demonstration. It was recorded for our benefit though in His Word so we could learn that whatever comes from the hand of God does not determine how much He loves or doesn't love. It's unrelated. God loves us. That is a truth. He loves us even if we don't love Him. Not only did He create us in the first place, He gave us His Only Son to die in our place to save us from our sins. He did this even though He knew people wouldn't care or be saved. But He gave us all the opportunity. What a mighty and loving God we serve!
I'm not sure where I am headed with this post since it's been a few days, but the "slay" verse prompted me to re-watch a music video that was sent to us on Facebook by Becky Monty which is called "Though you slay me" I believe. The song is good, but part-way through the song there is some powerful preaching about all kinds of things, but something that stood out was when they were saying,when your kid dies,...it is not meaningless! It is working an eternal weight of glory! (The video had the words at the bottom of the screen which was helpful). I am not even touching on how powerful these words were on the video because the preacher is almost screaming them and the music is playing in the background. I can't watch it without tears streaming down my face. Anyway, I know that God used your death for a purpose. He used your life for a purpose too. Like he uses all of ours if we let Him or sometimes if we don't let Him. To re-quote something from ChadTough, "Everything is always, always about God." Praise His Holy Name!
Addendum: I finished this up but remembered where I was going with this. I want to keep it under the same post because it's more thoughts on the "Walk by faith, not by sight" title. The things that are seen are temporal-you in the hospital, you in the box, you in the cemetery. To the world that looks like the end. To most people, it looks like the end. But we have the promises of God that tells us that He is coming back for the living and the dead, and the dead in Christ shall rise first! He also says that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, another thing we cannot see right now. You (which is not your body) are in the presence of the Lord right now and have been since August 20, 2015 when you left this earth. (That is why I still feel you-like you're not that far away and that you're not really gone-praise God for that!) We can't see it, but we know it because we believe that it is so and the Bible tells us that. The things we can't see are the things that are permanent and true and going to happen. That is where faith comes in. I am going to look up the definition of faith-be right back.
Ok-I'm back. Definition of faith (I like #2 better): 1. complete trust or confidence in someone or something 2. strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension (had to look that up too-understanding or grasp) rather than proof.
The earth says, you have no pulse, you have no brain activity, you are dead. That is the earthly proof to pronounce you dead. That your body or shell or tent is no longer alive. You and we are more than that. We are our soul and spirit and that is what lives on, with plans to be reunited with our bodies on the day the Lord returns for His own. Faith believes in God based on spiritual understanding rather than proof. 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18 says: "For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
Referring back to that song above, this millisecond of pain will pale in comparison to an eternal weight of glory. Even if I live and miss you for 40-50 years, (I so don't want to live that much longer!) what is that compared to how long eternity is? A millisecond! Nothing! Unfortunately I can't see that now and it hurts SO BAD-even a millisecond without you is too long! But that is what God decided. I have to trust Him and love Him even more than I love you, which is hard to fathom. Not that He is unworthy to love, but I can't imagine loving anyone more than you and Hope and Carter! He knows what is best for us. You have the best right now. Safe from this world and its cares, dangers and suffering. You are absolutely fine. What more could a parent ask for their child? I'm just selfish because I want to be with you again too. You are here, but just in a different way. It won't be long, sweet boy, before we are together again. I can't wait for that day! Love you so much!
Related verse on my daily verse calendar for 1/8/2016: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." -Hebrews 11:1
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