Skip to main content

If The Lord Had Not Been...

             If the Lord had not been on our side—   let Israel say--  if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us, they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away. Praise be to the Lord, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 124)


“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

 

          There are many verses I could quote that suggest that when one becomes a Christian, all one’s problems disappear. We get everything we ask for, and God sends His angels to protect us. So, if trials and danger come our way, that must be a sign that there’s something wrong with our Christianity—or with God.

          But Scripture never claims there will be no difficulties. Today’s passage doesn’t tell us that if God had not been on their side, bad stuff would have happened. It tells us that if He hadn’t been on their side, the worst possible thing would have happened: Israel would have been destroyed. This brings Job to mind and reinforces the idea that bad things don’t just happen to bad people. It doesn’t mean that God is angry with us when something bad happens.

          Even though we may know this, we’re still tempted to blame God or ourselves when things go wrong instead of praising Him when things go wrong because they haven’t gone as wrong as they could. And they don’t go as wrong as they could because God walks through them with us and protects us from the worst.

          That brings us back to why God allows and/or causes hard things in our lives. I don’t believe there’s one answer, even if we narrow it down to a specific instance. Sometimes, it’s to teach us something or correct an error in our lives. Sometimes, it’s to show us grace or to give us the means to give grace to others. Other times, it’s to build strength in us, or to reveal Himself to us. It might even be to introduce us to someone who might help us, or whom we might help. But whatever the reason, when we’re under attack, we need Him more than ever, and He will save us from the worst.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

Think About These Things

                 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) This passage is a major challenge for me. Like everyone else, I struggle to keep my thoughts from wandering off into the weeds, then wondering what possible benefits those weeds might have… Sigh. But as a writer, I have to delve at least a little into the ignoble, wrong, impure, unlovely, and debased. After all, there’s no story if everything’s just as it should be and everyone’s happy. As Christians, there are times when we need to deal with all the negatives, but that makes it even more important that we practice turning our minds by force of attention to what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It’s just too easy to get stuck in a swamp. With my...
1 comment
Read more

A Virgin?

           Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)           This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18)           But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”            “How will this be,” Mary asked the...
Post a Comment
Read more