Mark Vestal Proud of nothing of myself. Freed by Christ who did it all!

The life you describe is why you DO need Him. We today are not promised earthly blessings while living with the exception of salvation from it. There is no 'following' requirement for you to be accepted by God. You only need to believe that God does love you and promises all spiritual blessings in heavenly places (Eph 1:3) for you in the end if you will simply have faith in Jesus Christ and the blood He shed on your behalf.

It may help to keep in mind who the current 'god of this world' actually is during your times of difficulty (2 Cor 4:4). Satan wants nothing more than for you to blame God the Father for the misery we may endure while alive on this planet. It is one of the ways he attacks our faith in Christ and the work that He completed for us on the cross.

Eph 6:10-18
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"

We have hope knowing that God will deliver us from this present evil world (Gal 1:4) some day through faith in Jesus Christ. The less we have now, the closer we are to God:

2 Cor 12:7-10
"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

August 14 2023 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Donna Williams

Dear Anonymous: It sounds like you are in a place of despair, which will inevitably make you feel hopeless. May I say that I can relate! We may be living in different parts of the world, and my circumstances are different than yours; however I know what it feels like to lose hope, and to feel like nothing will ever change!

We all have times of difficulty in our lives when it seems as if God is not answering our prayers, and doesn't seem to care, but He does! May I ask if you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? And if so, God wants you to trust Him! You have shared that you don't want to wait any longer, but that's exactly what you must continue to do. The Bible encourages us to: "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." Psalm 27:14. In other words, God will give us the strength that we need, so that we will not faint or give up! 

Are you spending time reading the Word of God? The Word of God will encourage you, strengthen your faith and renew your strength! The lack is in us and not in God; we want Him to do everything, while we do nothing!

We must have a personal relationship with Him in order to receive His promises! I have learned through my own personal experience with the Lord that my perspective of Him has been somewhat distorted, which has resulted in broken fellowship. I am working through my own struggles, so that my relationship with Him can be restored. May I encourage you to ask God to show you where the problem lies, so that you will be able to move forward, and know what changes that need to take place in your own heart and mind? 
I remember a time when I was doubting God's presence in my life, and the Holy Spirit said, "That's the problem." I had to admit that I was doubting, and I had to work through the problem so that I could trust and believe His promise that He would never leave me nor forsake me!

We always want God to change our situations, but the truth of the matter is God wants to change us! The ultimate purpose that God has for His children is that we be conformed into the image of Jesus! I pray that you will have an encounter with the Holy Spirit, and that you will begin to see things differently! It is wrong for us to want God to hurry up and do what we want Him to do, it doesn't work like that! We must patiently wait on Him to do what He has predetermined to do for us, in His own time and in His own way! There are so many lessons to learn in our walk with the Lord, but the key is to trust Him every step of the way! We cannot have a relationship with someone that we do not trust!

August 17 2023 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report