I believe God is looking for a people who will really love Him. For a people who, in good and bad times, will look to Him first, still trust Him, still praise Him and keep their hearts open to Him.
Bad things happening does not mean those things were forced by God's hands. Hey, if He had it His way, the earth would be like it is in Heaven. He made life perfect. We (starting with Adam & Eve), through choosing to trust, love and obey other people, things, and ourselves - idols - more than Him caused all the ruckus that there is in the world --from the smallest white lie to greatest tragedy.
The root of every problem began with our hearts turning away from God, from rebellion towards God, from the lie that we can be better gods and rulers of our own lives than He can. We were never meant to rule our own lives without His direct input, guidance, direction and PRESENCE! But we so often do, and look where that's gotten us (as a world).
Yet even still, God wants to get as much Heaven and blessing into our lives as possible! What did the model prayer Jesus gave the disciples say? For us to declare and pull upon God - "Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven (1)." It is God's will for things to "go well with us (2)" and for us to be blessed. For us to have joy. "Love one another as I have loved you so that your joy may be full (3)."
"Keep your mind on me and I will keep you in perfect peace (4)."
"Delight yourself in me and I will give you the desires of your heart (5)."
We have to realize that everything that happens is not His will. Children being killed is not his will. People getting raped is not His will. Robbery, drug addictions, loneliness, etc., etc., etc., is not His will. But those things do happen...because of the nature of Sin (Satan) not because of the nature of God (Love, Peace, Joy, Truth).
God wants us to know that He really, really loves us. He wants us to want Him deeply, whole heartedly, intimately like He wants us. Let's open our hearts and say "Lord I want to love you like you love & want me. I want your will for my life and all that is good. Teach me, guide me, correct me, mold me. Help me to withstand the tests and trials in my life knowing that you love me and are with me even when I feel alone. Help me to love you enough to continue to praise and lift up your name even when I do not feel good or even feel like praying. In the midst of all things, help me to know that you are good always - that your love and goodness never change."
The choice is yours. Will you divorce God when things are not going well, or press into Him even deeper and seek to know Him more intimately knowing that your heart is safe with Him? Will you press through? Fight through? Not give up? After all, real love...is patient...bears/endures all things....hopes all things....believes all things...never fails/never ends. God is looking for a people who will really love Him!
*Scripture references (in quotes) are paraphrases.
1. Matthew 6:9-10
*Scripture references (in quotes) are paraphrases.
1. Matthew 6:9-10
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