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Strengthening our Faith, When God seems Distant

Our Highest Joy (Mustering Our Faith)

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Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10 NASB)

It doesn’t take a pandemic and a nation marred in disunity to render us faint at heart. Life can be discouraging even without that stuff.

 And when we get a full dose and need to pause to catch our breath, life keeps on coming at us. To remain courageous, we must muster our faith.

Muster – to assemble troops as for a battle, to gather, to summon, to rouse

On a regular basis, we have repeated opportunities to gather and summon our faith. Like workouts in the gym, rousing our trust, when things aren’t smooth, builds muscle memory and strengthens our faith.

How do we muster our faith when we feel weak and God seems distant? Following are a few musts.

We Must Remember God’s Sovereignty

God is always in control. His purposes can’t be thwarted. He’s able to work all things together for His greater purposes.[1] Even the very hard situations we face are no surprise to God. In His omnipotence, the sinful choices by men, the state of this fallen world and the schemes of the enemy can not change what God is doing.

Joseph told his brothers, “And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”[2]  

God used Jonah’s disobedience to illicit praise from the folks on the ship to Tarashish.[3]

The evil intent of the Jewish leaders to kill Jesus led to the salvation of all men.

God has entrusted us with each circumstance we’re in and desires us to trust Him and not our own understanding of our situations.[4]

We Must Orient Our Lives from God’s Greater Story

Paul tells believers that since we have been raised up with Christ, we’re to set our minds on things above, not on things of the earth.[5]

We need to see our lives from an eternal perspective, knowing God is at work for our greater good. He’s working all things for the purpose of conforming us into the image of Christ, not for us to experience a smooth ride.[6] It’s vital for us to understand this. If not, we can view God as a distant dictator, out to destroy our hopes and dreams.

We need to live now with the end in mind. Being more like Christ is what this life is about, not temporal happiness. For we died and our life is now hidden in Christ.[7]

We Must Realize Being with God is Our Highest Joy

The Bible has an overarching theme, woven into the fabric from Genesis to Revelation. Us being with God. We were created for fellowship with Him.

David, wrote that even in the shadow of death, he would not be afraid because He knew God was with him.[8] He also wrote that in God’s presence, joy is full.[9]

 After crying out to God concerning the unfairness of life, Asaph concluded that God’s nearness was his good, not his lot in life.[10]

From a Roman prison Paul repeatedly instructed us to be full of joy in the Lord. Not just when we feel like it, but at all times.[11]

We Must Remember God’s Love for us Never Fails

No matter how often we fall short in actions and faith, God’s love for us never fails, it’s everlasting.[12] His lovingkindness never ceases. His mercies are new every morning.[13]

 As believers, we are His children, a fact established before the world began.[14] Nothing can separate us from His great love.[15] His love for us can be described as deeper and wider and longer than an ocean and higher than the heavens. It surpasses our ability to comprehend.[16]

Prayer

Lord, we come to You now. You know the place we’re in. You’re not surprised by any of it. You’re with us and have allowed it for our greater good. Help us not to doubt Your ways. May we draw near to You and walk in utter dependence upon You. We were never to face these things alone. We depend upon Your strength in our weakness. Amen.

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”[17] The Apostle Paul

[1] Ephesians 1:9-12

[2] Genesis 50:20 (NASB)

[3] Jonah 1:14-16

[4] Proverbs 3:5-6

[5] Colossians 3:1-2

[6] Romans 8:28-29

[7] Colossians 3:3

[8] Psalm 23:4

[9] Psalm 16:11b

[10] Psalm 73, 73:28

[11] Philippians 3:1, 4:4

[12] Jeremiah 31:3

[13] Lamentations 3:22-23

[14] Ephesians 1:4-5

[15] Romans 8:35

[16] Ephesians 3:14-19

[17] 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Previous posts in the series – Our Highest Joy:

Unmasking the Lie

Dealing with sadness and disappointment

Eternal Thanksgiving

Fueled by the Joy of Jesus

God with Us

Fixing Our Hope

Remaining Cheerful

Not My Will

.Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Indwelling Christ, Our Union with Christ, The Nearness of God

Our Highest Joy (God With Us)

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Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us (Matthew 1:23 NASB)

As our unusual 2020 comes to a close, we pause to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Immanuel. God with us. The Creator of the universe brought near. But what does this really mean? And how does God being with us change who we are, our approach to life and our purpose?

But what is most important about God’s nearness is how His strength and Joy gives us the courage to face any battle we’re in. He’s an ever present help in times of trouble.

What Does “God With Us” Really Mean?

From Eternity

  • Jesus was with God in the beginning and the world was created through Him and for Him. [1] [2]
  • In Jesus all things hold together.[3]
  • Jesus is the first place in everything and God’s fulness dwells in Him [4]

What Christ Gave up for Us

  • And although He existed in the form of God, He emptied Himself taking the form a bond servant.[5]
  • He set aside His splendor to enter this world in human likeness as a baby in simple circumstances.[6]
  • Fueled by the Joy of our redemption, He endured the excruciating pain of the cross to provide us a path to God[7]

How it Becomes Personal

We can allow another Christmas to go by, singing the songs, exchanging the gifts, and eating the food. We can miss the life changing significance of Christ actually being with us in a personal way.

Christ is always in full display in the beauties of the world around us, but “God with us” can become personal:

Recognize the gap

Without Christ we are do not have an intimate relationship with God, without hope in the world, destined to be apart from Him for eternity.[8] [9] [10]

Stop trying to live a good enough life

Eternal life can’t be earned. We don’t make it to heaven by our good works outweighing our wrongs. God’s economy doesn’t work that way.[11]

Believe God

Believing means trusting in Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf, committing your life to His care and relying upon Him for every concern.  

Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. (John 5:24 NASB)

What Changes When “Being With God” Becomes Personal  

Who We Are Changes Forever

  • We become loved children of God But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name (John 1:12 NASB)
  • God lives in us Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will follow My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23 NASB)
  • We are complete, fully accomplished and filled to the brim in Christ For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete (Colossians 2:9-10a NASB)

 Our Approach to Life Changes

  • We Decrease and He Increases[12] For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3 NASB)
  •  We live by faith not by sight, trusting in God’s greater story [13] [14]  Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB)
  •  We live in abiding dependence upon God’s Holy Spirit within us [15]  I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me (Galatians 2:20 NASB)

 Our Goals and Purposes are New

  •  Our top goal is now to Delight in God’s great worth, not worldly happiness.  One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple (Psalms 27:4 NASB)
  • God Himself is now our greatest reward not things of the earth. After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward” (Genesis 15:1 NIV)
  •  Our higher Daily purpose becomes loving others not just getting things done. This is My commandment that you love one another, just as I have loved you (John 15:12 NASB)

Prayer

Lord, You are with me right now. Thank You for leading me to slow down and ponder what Immanuel really means. You set aside so much to be with me and to die for me. Please help me fully appreciate what Your nearness means to every moment of my life. I’m yours. I pray I will delight in You throughout the day, knowing that You alone are my great reward. In Your strength, may I love others as You’ve loved me.

In everything I’ve faced and will face, You’ve been my Strength, my Joy and my Courage. May I lean into You throughout life’s journey.

Amen.

[1] John 1:1-3

[2] Colossians 1:16

[3] Colossians 1:17

[4] Colossians 1:18-19

[5] Philippians 2:6-8

[6] Philippians 2:6-8

[7] Hebrews 12:2

[8] Romans 3:23

[9] Isaiah 59:2

[10] Ephesians 2:12

[11] Ephesians 2:4-10

[12] John 3:30

[13] 2nd Corinthians 5:7

[14] Colossians 3:1-2

[15] John 15:4-5

Previous posts in the series – Our Highest Joy:

Unmasking the Lie

Dealing with sadness and disappointment

Eternal Thanksgiving

Fueled by the Joy of Jesus

.Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Surrender and Dependence, Union with Christ

Seeing Weaknesses as Invitations to God

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Weakness is not popular. In fact, if you do an internet search on common weaknesses, you find pages of ways to spin the classic interview question, “What are your weakness?” I understand. Until recently, I’ve been exuberant in my efforts to hide my weaknesses or to overcome them by excessive striving. Exhausting.

But this is changing. I’m learning weaknesses are actually beneficial. Two extraordinary truths are moving from mere facts to experiential realties. One detaches weaknesses from having anything to do with my worth. The other flips weakness upside down, completely reversing the outcome.

Christ is Our Identity

As believers in Jesus Christ, our lives have been hidden in Him.[1] Because Jesus has redeemed us with His life, we’re clothed in His righteousness.[2] When God sees us, He sees Christ. Spiritually, we’ve been raised up in Christ and are seated with Him in heavenly places.[3]

Being in Christ, God values us as His Beloved Son. This trumps all human opinions about us, even our own. Though we strive to forge out our identity by what we do and how we think we’re perceived, God’s thoughts about us define who we are. Since Christ doesn’t change, our identity is sealed.

Weakness never defines who I am.

In Christ, Weakness = Power

The Apostle Paul had a weakness. He called it his “thorn in the flesh.”[4] We don’t know exactly what it was, but it tormented him so much that he pleaded with the Lord to take it away.

The Lord’s answer, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NASB)

Power perfected in weakness sounds strange. But to the extent we think we’re strong, we won’t depend on the Lord. Our work is wasted. Detached from the Source of True Life, we may be exalted, but He is not.

Embracing our weakness and drawing on God’s strength fills us with His resurrection power. As Christ is formed in us, God gets he glory. We must decrease, while Christ increases.[5]

Paul put it this way, Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9b-10 NASB)

Our weaknesses highlight our need to abide in Christ, our inner Source of Life and Strength.

Lord, I’m sorry for how I’ve tried to cover up and overcome my weaknesses without You. Weakness leads me to You. Thank You that my weaknesses have no effect on my worth because You value me. The most important thing about me is being loved by You. I want to embrace my weaknesses and stop trying to fix things on my own. You never intended to make a better version of me. I died and my life is hidden in You. When I know I’m weak, in You I am strong. Teach me to yield always to Your life within. Be glorified in me.  Amen.

 

[1] Colossians 3:3

[2] 2nd Corinthians 5:21

[3] Ephesians 2:6

[4] 2nd Corinthians 12:7

[5] John 3:30

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains