Questions & Answers

When everyone else has turned away, can I still turn to God?

Yes! We can always turn to God. Unfortunately, there will be times in our lives when others let us down. In fact, we will let others down as well. Rejection and loneliness are realities that most of us will experience in our lifetimes. When it seems as if no one cares or understands, God does. He hears our prayers and knows our every thought. Psalm 139:16-18 (NLT) of the Bible says:

You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God!

They are innumerable!
I can't even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up in the morning,
you are still with me!

Amazing! God knew us all before we were born. His thoughts about you are precious and they outnumber the grains of sand on a vast seashore. He is with you always. God is the only one who will never leave you or forsake you no matter who else might. If you belong to Him, His love really is forever!

How can a holy God still love me after…

After… an abortion, an affair, a divorce, a lie, a secret that has haunted you for years. You fill in the blank. I know for me there were a large number of "afters" in my life, and God loved me anyway and is using my past pain and sin to minister to others. Was it hard and painful to bring my sin out into the light? You bet it was! But it's been worth every tear! God's precious Word says to us in Hebrews 13:5 (NIV):

God has said,
Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.
So we can say with confidence, The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?

In Colossians 1:13-14 (NIV) it tells us:

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought
us into the kingdom of the Son (Jesus) he loves, in whom
we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin.

Let us rest assured; if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are free! Our sins have been forgiven and have been redeemed. We are new creations, ladies, pure and without blemish in His sight.

Why me? I'm tired of pretending that I'm OK.

Stop pretending! It's OK, really. Cry out to God, let him hear about your every concern, frustration, and fear. Life in Christ is wonderful and we have an eternity in Heaven to look forward to. But, sometimes life is difficult - plain and simple. Illness, death, heartache, suffering…. and numerous hardships assault us as we walk on this planet. But, even when our world is falling apart it is still possible to find contentment in Christ. I'm not talking about pretending to be happy, nor do I claim to have this area conquered, but I do have hope. Paul was imprisoned, beaten, and suffered beyond what many of us can possibly imagine. However, he was able to write these words to give us hope today, centuries later: Philippians 4: 11-12

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content
whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need,
and I know what it is to have plenty.
I have learned the secret of being content in any and every
situation, whether well fed or hungry,
whether living in plenty or in want.
I can do everything through him (Jesus Christ)
Who gives me strength.

As hard as it may be to believe, in this moment, God can and will meet all of our needs. It may not be the way we expect, but He will. I know we will all have a number of questions to ask Him when we get to Heaven someday, I have a strange suspicion that then, and only then will we truly understand why things happened the way they did. But, remember it's ok to cry, laugh, yell, scream, and talk to God about it all while you're here! As you read earlier, he will not leave you no matter what. Unlike other fallible human beings God can handle even your darkest emotions, and still love you without wavering.

Is this all there is God?

I hate to admit that there have been times (yes more then once!) where I have cried out to God, while my kids were screaming, my house was a mess, I felt sick…. is this all there is, Lord? Sometimes sooner than others, I find myself answering my own question. What if it was? I have shelter, two healthy children, food, clothing, and most importantly hope for a better future. I lived a life I wouldn't wish on anyone and God has freed me from things that could have, and maybe should have, destroyed me completely. He doesn't owe me anything. But the good news is He continues to bless us and care for us. His plans are not for harm but for hope and a future. In Jeremiah 29:11 God promises us:

For I know the plans I have for you,
Declares the Lord,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future."

God doesn't break his promises. Cling to His Word for it is your life preserver, the awesome God of the Universe is pulling you towards a future in Him. You just have to hang on and not let go. But…if you do let go, He will reach for you again….and again, and again, and again, and again…

What about the joy that is available in Christ…I'm still waiting!

It can be very confusing to us if we measure joy by the world's standards. What exactly is joy? A good marriage, well behaved children, a home, no mortgage, a career….? The truth is that none of these "things" or "circumstance" can ever fill that place of need, deep in our hearts. Only Jesus can. We live in a world that says do this, or take that and you'll be happy! How many times have we bought the new dress, only to be unhappy later by the credit card bill? Referring back to our example with Paul, it is in Christ we can be content and experience joy regardless of the world around us. It's our hope and trust in Him that frees us to experience joy. Joy as defined by God, not as the world says it should be. Romans 5 / The Message translation describes godly joy and hope as follows:

There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary-we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

I love the description that we "can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit."

The truth remains, if we take one small step and prayer at a time…God will provide
immeasurably more than we could ever ask for or imagine.