Category: Devotions

Where’s God When Bad Things Happen? (Part I)

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For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens, Job 28:24.

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything, 1 John 3:19-20.

And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account, Hebrews 4:13.

Have you ever asked the question, “Where is God when bad things happen?” If you have ever suffered, watched someone you love suffer, or seen suffering on the news you probably have asked that question.

When bad things happen, God is there. God knows all. God is everywhere. It does not make sense to our minds, but God knows all, sees all, and can be with all. You may ask, “Why doesn’t God prevent all the bad things that happen, if He can foresee them?” I hope to offer some insight from my own walk with God. I hope this blesses you. I hope this post helps unravel some of the question.

Evil exits in the world because of sin. Humans can choose to sin. God gave Adam a command.

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 2:15-17.

God gave Adam the ability to choose to disobey Him. Adam disobeyed the command. We can read about the impact of disobeying God in Genesis 3. Sin, evil, sickness, and death entered the world.

I’ve heard people state God is in control. It is true nothing happens outside His realm of knowledge, and He can do what He pleases. God, however, gave humans the ability to defy Him. We can sin. He does not force us to do life His way.

Since God won’t force us to do what’s right, and sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, we live with the consequences of living in a sinful world. People can choose to reject God, reject His will, perpetrate evil, and hurt themselves or others.The impact of living in a sinful world is sickness, death, suffering, evil, and a host of negative things.

Before you become depressed, let’s look some solutions.

Jesus:

The Father sent His Son to solve the problem of sin. Jesus paid the penalty for sin and gave us access to the Father. Any person who chooses to follow Christ has been given a new life, freedom from being enslaved to sin, and a promise of life with God after death. You can read more about what is given in a relationship with Jesus on my Bible study/devotional blog, http://morena242.wordpress.com. Not only does Jesus save us, the Holy Spirit comforts, heals, restores, and helps.

Prayer:

God responds to those who seek Him. Jesus tells us to pray and taught the disciples how to pray.

 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from the evil one.’ Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT).

I believe there are many tragedies that are prevented because someone was praying or someone prayed. I believe we would see far more evil in the world if no one ever prayed (asked God for help).

What if you are following Jesus, praying, and bad things still seem to happen? Welcome to the world not yet perfected by God’s Kingdom. What is God doing when bad things happen? Here is my idea. I believe He’s shouting in the ear of the abuser or person inflicting pain, “Stop…you don’t have to do this.” That person may not listen, they may reject God’s voice, or have no desire for God. God does not delight in suffering, sin, or pain. We will talk more next post about how God turns bad things into blessings.

Father, I pray for every person who reads this post to have a deeper revelation of Your heart. May they know You do not delight in pain, suffering, or bad things happening to people. Heal, restore, and bring hope for restoration. May they feel You near today and every day. In Jesus name, Amen. Love, Erin.

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The True Meaning of Christmas (A King was Born)

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The Birth of Jesus, Luke 2:1-20 (NIV)

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Christmas is a time of the year where most people focus on time with family, shopping for presents for friends and family, eating lots of good food, and parties. It’s a time of the year where people talk about elves, Santa Claus, Christmas tress, cookies, and holiday cheer. Though Jesus was not likely born in December if you go by the Jewish calendar, the intent of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of a King. The King of the Universe came down and humbled Himself. He entered into humanity to eventually save the world.

Jesus was not born in a 5 star hotel. He was not born to rich and wealthy parents. He was not born in the best of circumstances. He was born in a manger. I grew up on a farm, and I can tell you animals stink. A manger is a trough that animals eat from. The Savior of the world was born in a place where animals dwelt. He entered into a world filled with sin, darkness, and pain. He came to be the atoning sacrifice for the world’s sin.

I never want to forget that Christmas is supposed to be about celebrating His birth and life on earth. He left paradise for our sinful world. Not only did He leave paradise, He entered the world the way we enter the world. He was born. Jesus had to grow up just as we do. He did not show up as a fully grown adult. He learned to crawl, walk,  and be taught by His earthly parents. He experienced the same life issues we experience. He grew from a baby to an adult.

We have such a great Savior. He came for love. He came out of His great love for humanity. He came in the most humble way. This Christmas may we think of gifts to give God for the birth of His Son. Christmas isn’t about us and what we can acquire for ourselves. It’s the most beautiful love story ever lived and told. Jesus is the reason for the season. What the world needed and still needs is God’s great love.

Thank you God that love came down and dwelt among us.

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Understanding God’s Heart

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If you’ve read the back cover of I Thought I Knew What Love Was, you will see God sparked my curiosity as a child. We see in the Old Testament that God often met with and spoke to people. I was especially intrigued by His relationship with Moses. Who wouldn’t want to be close friends with the Creator of the Universe. Jesus is the key to unlocking a personal relationship with the Father. In Jesus, under the new covenant, we are as close to God as we can be and as close as we want to be. At 7 years old I gave my life to the most incredible person who ever walked the earth, Jesus. A journey began to know Him.

My prayer was to see God face to face. God’s response to me, “I meet with you heart to heart.” I could not have explained this to you years ago. The details of what God spoke made no sense to me. Over the complicated course of grief, tragedies, betrayal, loss, unrequited love, forgiving the most painful hurts, and longing to love people who could not receive my love, I found God’s heart. I know there is more to Him than what I have experienced, and I will never claim to have Him all figured out. All I can tell you is that He is real, His heart is the beautiful place I have ever ventured in to, and He feels more than we give Him credit for. Here are some examples.

Unrequited Love: I thought I would start with the part of His heart that we fail to acknowledge at times. God is perfect in love. The Father demonstrated His love by sending His only Son. The Son demonstrated His love on the cross. There is no greater representation of love. However, God is in my estimate the most rejected Being in the world. He loves; He is rejected. He loves well, and people still reject Him. I never thought about the impact to God’s heart until I was placed in the position to love people who would never love me in return. You go out of your way to love and they don’t return your love or never acknowledge your love. They don’t value it, value you, nor are they grateful. On the other end your heart is breaking for the other person to know how valuable they are to you, how much they are loved, yet they don’t want your love.

I can tell you unrequited love hurts. It cuts deep into the core of your heart and it aches. No medicine cures it. No comfort heals it. You simply hope one day that person will realize they mean the world to you. Unlike God, I have been able to move on from relationships without the longing. God, however, loves deeper. His heart longs for those He loves. He pursues relentlessly. His love is stronger than any love I could feel. I can’t imagine if the longing I felt in my heart was amplified for billions of people. Knowing that a person will reject you does not change the pain you feel when they do.

The Blame Game: God is blamed for many of the bad things that happen in the world and often not praised for the good things that happen in the world. He is Sovereign. Nothing happens without Him knowing, and He can do anything He wishes. He, however, gave humans earth and certain freedoms out of love. We have chosen to defy Him and make a mockery of the world He gave us. When things go wrong, they are a result of the sin in the world. He allowed us to choose, and we made horrible choices. I never understood the blame game until I got a bit older. I’ve been placed in situations where people blame me for their problems. It’s my fault they aren’t enjoying life; it’s my fault they have a temper; it’s my fault they are unhappy; it’s my fault they have insecurities. I asked God why I always end up being the scapegoat for people. Why, when I am minding my own business, doing my best to love people, am I the person they end up blaming. Guess what? God gets blamed for things He played no part in or authored. I can tell you being blamed is not only irritating, it’s hurts your heart.

Seeking You Only When I Need You: God is love. Any time we seek Him; He is excited. He longs to be with His children. I have noticed though that God is sought after in times of difficulty. He is often ignored in the good times. We are more enamored with what He gave us than we are with Him. We talk about our families, friends, jobs, material possessions, accomplishments, and only seek Him when it’s a crisis or we need Him. I have people who I only hear from them in times of crisis or when they are bored. I am invisible until they are in need. More than hurting my heart, it’s a nuisance. When you are expected to drop what you are doing and be attentive and loving to someone who has no time for you otherwise. On your end it’s not a real relationship, on the other person’s end it’s the perfect relationship. They never have to invest anything, give anything, or love you. You are simply there to support them. As stated, God is far more loving than I am and if I were always allowing Him to love through me I would not be annoyed. He loves unconditionally. I often wonder, “Who loves God? Who truly loves Him for who He is and not what He can do for them?” Of course He knows who loves Him, and He continues to love even those who will never love Him. I am certain His heart aches for those who will continue to reject until the end.

I’ve written quite a bit for today. We will connect again soon. My prayer is that we continue to have a revelation of God’s heart. You are deeply loved, ~Erin.

God will always love you!

God will always love you!

What Does Love Look Like?

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Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,~John 15:13.

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us,~Romans 5:7-8.

The question that has been on my heart the past few years has been, What does love look like? The world has so many definitions of love. People say, “I love you,” quickly and easily, and the meaning behind those words is lost. God modeled love for us. The Father sent His one and only Son. Jesus came down, and gave His life as a ransom for all.

When I think of love, I see one nailed scarred hand on the left and another on the right. I see a crown of thorns. I see a body beaten beyond recognition. I see love on a rugged cross. Many people can see love there, at the foot of the cross, but it still feels or seems like blanket love. Many believe Christ died for all, so His love is not personal. Look at these verses.

What is the price of five sparrows–two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows,~Luke 12:6-7.

Every person who lives or who has ever lived has tremendous value to God. He knows everything there is to know about every person. Knowing our failures and imperfections, He still pursues us for a loving relationship. God knows how many tears you’ve cried, every memory you’ve ever had, every heartache, and the very structure of your DNA. No one invests that much time in knowing someone they don’t value or love. God’s love for you is tailored to you. It’s a love worth investing our time and energy. God is fascinating. Even though He knows what we will do or say before we do it, He still enjoys every moment with us.

When you don’t feel loved:

If you’ve read my book or testimony in previous posts, you will see my life with Jesus hasn’t been all skipping in the park with baskets of flowers. I have had seasons where I felt as though God was punishing me for something. God always loved me, but I allowed my circumstances to determine my feelings. Faith is the key to unlock the door. When we believe we are loved, we see the manifestation of love in our lives. Unbelief places these cracked glasses on us and we see the world in a manner that is distorted. The first step to receiving God’s love is to believe God loves us. Once we believe, the glasses of unbelief are replaced by a clear vision of faith.

Final Notes:

God has not prevented every bad thing from happening to me, but He has worked it for a greater good. He has given me more than what I’ve lost. He has given Himself. There is no greater gift than a relationship with Him. He saves, heals, delivers, and restores. So no matter what you’ve faced, Jesus is the solution. I encourage you to dive into the depths of His heart.

My prayer for you friends is that you know the height, the width, depth, breath, and expanse of God’s love. We will not be able to love others the way God loves us if we have yet to receive God’s love for us. What does love look like? It looks like God. It’s a love that is not dependent on the other person. It is a love that is generous and lavish in giving. It is a love that is sacrificial in nature. It is a love that places the well-being and needs of another above its own. God is LOVE!

God’s love for you will not end….tumblr image.

God Suffered (He Knows How You Feel)

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You are never alone. God is with you. Tumblr Image.

He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed, Isaiah 53:2-5.

Those verses are used to describe Jesus. Our Jesus who lived a sinless life was persecuted, despised, abused, rejected, and betrayed by one of His own Judas. Judas sold Jesus out for some silver. Do you ever stop to think that God knows how you feel? More than you can express in words, God sees and knows how you feel. Not only did Jesus suffer, He was tempted. See verses below.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin, ~Hebrews 4:15.

The Bible tells us Jesus was not physically appealing. He would not have made it into our People’s Most Beautiful issue. Have you allowed the world to make you feel less than desirable due to media images? True beauty is found in a person’s heart. If the world says you are not beautiful, it said the same of Jesus. You are beautiful because God defines beauty and worth.

The Bible tells us that Jesus suffered. He not only suffered on the day of His crucifixion. He suffered by being rejected by His own people. He was hated without cause. When people found out He could heal the sick they followed Him, He had to escape to be alone with the Father. The disciples frequently doubted Him, fell asleep on Him on the most important night of His life, the night before the cross. He was falsely accused. Peter denied Him three times. Jesus did not enjoy the joys of having His own family. He had to leave His earthly parents and friends at the age of 33. Jesus knows the depths of pain and suffering. On the cross He felt the pain for all sin. That is a pain we can’t begin to fathom. Our God suffered for us.

So, whatever you face this week dear friends know that God understands. There is nothing we face that God is not familiar with or can’t empathize with. He is the God who knows the depths of suffering.

May God bless you with peace, comfort, love, and joy this week. Praying for you!

Love,

Erin

Your Real Enemy

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The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full,~Jesus. John 10:10

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

In every story there is a hero and a villain. Our hero is Jesus Christ who took on all the sins of the world. He came to free us. He came to give us life abundantly. He came so that we could have life eternal. Sometimes in life people forget about who the villain in the story is. I dare not give him any glory as he is a defeated foe, but he is still very real. His first name was Lucifer.

Lucifer was an archangel. He was beautiful. He was quite an amazing creation. However, his heart grew proud and he decided he wanted to worshiped instead of worshiping God who created him. See verses below.

“How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’ Isaiah 14:12-14.

He was thrown out of heaven and all the angels who rebelled with him. They were sent to earth. We can see his first desire was to be worshiped above God. He comes to steal worship from God. He longs for people to worship anything other than God. He hates God.

What are his main objectives?-To steal, to kill, and destroy. He is filled with hatred for all people. He cannot love, there is no love in him. He has the exact opposite nature of God. God is love. The devil is filled with hate. God forgives, heals, restores, brings truth, and brings life. The devil longs to bring death, doubt, division, deception, fighting, quarreling, strife, and death. He is not equal to God in any way. He is not all powerful, all knowing, omnipresent, and he cannot read people’s minds. Enormously big God; itty, bitty devil.

He comes to steal the word of God from people.

Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Mark 4:15.

He comes to steal joy and afflict with pain, sickness, disease, and death. See the story of Job (Job 1).

He comes to tempt people to sin. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord,~Romans 6:23.

See the story of Adam and Eve.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1

He even tempted Jesus.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’’ Matt 4:4-7.

He comes to lie and murder.

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies, John 8:44.
He comes to convince us that people are our enemies instead of him.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms, Ephesians 6:12.
He comes to bring your sins up against you leading to guilt, shame, and condemnation. He is the accuser of the brethren.
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God, ~Revelation 12:10.
Essentially our real enemy is mostly unseen. He attacks us through people. He seduces us through media and by the use of people. He whispers lies to cause us to doubt God’s goodness, love, provision, and he comes to steal from us. He’s crafty, often subtle or other times bold. He does not love anyone or anything. He is a cruel, controlling, task master. He loves it when people blame God for things he’s doing. He loves to see people sick, hurt, dying, fighting, or being destroyed. The good news is, Jesus defeated him on the cross. Without the cross there would have been no hope for mankind to escape death. Jesus died and was resurrected bringing life, hope, healing, and restoration to all who believe in Him.
Satan (the devil) is not equal to God, and he is doomed to hell for eternity. He is beneath God’s foot. He cannot do anything he wants. He has limited power and will never be more powerful than God. He must bow to the name of Jesus which is above all names. There’s no need to fear he devil. The devil gains access to our lives through sin. Jesus paid for all sins. Scripture says, Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you, ~James 4:7.
So live loved friends. God is not your enemy. People are not your real enemy. May we know who our real enemy is and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Jesus is our hero and He already triumphed over the enemy. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross, ~Colossians 2:15.

God=Love. You are deeply loved.

The Perfect Father’s Discipline

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The Perfect Father’s Discipline

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clipart

Written by Erin Lamb, all rights reserved.

God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love, ~Psalm 145:8.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is
patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to
repentance, ~2 Peter 3:9.

Dear friends, nothing raises more arguments than the subject of how God disciplines His children. Some cling to the Old Testament examples of God striking people dead while others believe that God is okay with whatever we do. Let’s allow the pendulum to swing to truth and dissect a perfect parent’s discipline.

1. The Perfect Father protects. God is holy (has no fault; He is perfection) .God hates sin. Why? Sin is falling short of His standard. He is spotless, and sin is pollution. Sin also separates us (His children) from the best life possible. Sin is like cancer, it multiplies and destroys its host. Think of it this way, we keep poisons away from children. We tell them no when they try to get to them. We do these things out of love. We know more than they know that what they are after leads to death. The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, ~Romans 6:23. Adam and Eve didn’t die physically when they sinned but they did die a spiritual death. We too suffer when we choose our way above God’s way. He is always right. So…

The Perfect Father points His children away from things that will harm them, especially sin. He doesn’t say no because He hates us or wants to spoil the party. He knows that sin will lead to our destruction. God is love, life, peace, hope, and joy.

2. God disciplines primarily through words, not killing people. If you pick up a Bible and read it, you will notice God spoke to people either directly or through someone else to warn them of their behavior. He asks questions. Why did you do this? If He was out to kill every person who didn’t do what He said, then we would all be in trouble. Adam was the first sinner. He directly disobeyed God. Adam lived.  Abraham lied on several occasions and he lived. He became a great father of faith. David committed adultery and had someone killed to have their wife. David lived and was called a man after God’s own heart. God never condones bad behavior. He does however give us a chance to repent (change our ways), and He is generous with forgiveness. See 2 Peter 3:9.

4. God knows our hearts and weaknesses. Some of us do the wrong thing and have no idea we are falling short. There are some of us who willingly do the wrong thing. God knows whether we understand or we don’t understand. For example a parent would have a different response to a 2-year-old who destroys something in the house and a teenager. Either way, God is patient with us. If He weren’t, I certainly would not be typing to you.

5. God is not out to get you. There are so many people who have an unhealthy fear of God. It is true that we reverence Him as God. However, He is not sitting in the heavens looking down for someone to pick on. He is not cruel or blood-thirsty. God is love. More than anything He wants a relationship with His children, to protect them from harm, and to bless His offspring. Jesus came not to destroy the world, but to save it so we could all be reconciled to the Father (John 3:17).

6. The Perfect Father gives freedom. God gives us many chances to choose the right path before He allows us to be turned over to our own desires. He pursues our best interests right up until the point we say, “I don’t need or want you.” I have seen people self-destruct not because of what God was doing, but because of their own poor choices.  Even still, if they turn around and want Him, He runs with arms wide open (think..prodigal son story-Luke 15:11-25)

Lastly, just like the photo in this post, God is looking at you with the eyes of love. He is saying, “This is my child and I want nothing more than to be in this moment with you. I am so glad I made you.”  God is a loving, patient, and caring Father. My prayer is any ideas of Him you have that contradict that truth are uprooted. He does not want to harm you, but to give you an amazing life. You are deeply loved.

Encountering the Perfect Father in a Dark World

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“I have told you these things so that in Me you would have peace. In the world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world,” ~Jesus. John 16:33.

Written by Erin Lamb, all rights reserved.

The photo above was taken the day my friend David died. David was the type of person you wanted to know. David was the first person to show up when someone needed help, and he was willing to sacrifice his life for others. He radiated God’s love. He loved, served, and helped so many. He gave his life working on the restoration of Haiti. He was murdered this February while serving orphans in Haiti. In the midst of building an orphanage He was robbed and shot. His death tore my heart in many places.  I wept and wept. Why do I share this with you? We live in a world that is filled with pain, suffering, wrongful death, sickness, disease, hatred, abuse, abandonment, and sorrow. In the midst of it all you may wonder how someone can say that God is good. How can we say God is love? If He is so good and loving, then why is our world filled with so much darkness.

It all started with one man, Adam. God made man in His image. He placed man on earth and said, “This is your dominion, rule and reign,” Genesis 1. Adam had everything he needed. God gave him beautiful landscape, all the food he could eat, a lovely wife, and complete communion with Him. He also gave Adam the ability to choose for himself what he wanted to do. Fast forward. Eve is deceived by the crafty serpent and Adam sinned. This is where death, destruction, sickness, and darkness entered our world, Genesis 3. Not only that, Adam surrendered authority and dominion to the devil. If you believe in God, you must believe in the devil. Evil exists and he propagates it. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy, John 10:10. He hates people. He hates love. He loves it when people blame God for his activities. He sows hatred, division, strife, death, and evil in our world.

Did God leave us helpless? Absolutely not. Jesus came, lived a perfect life, and died on a cross to restore us to right relationship with God and take back the authority Adam gave to evil. Jesus fixed the problem, we don’t always see the evidence of His work. He took back authority and dominion for those who believe in Him. Jesus provides hope and healing for those who lean on Him, and He cheated our worst enemy, death. Those who believe in Him will inherit everlasting life, John 3: 16. He handed over the authority He took back to every believer. He paid for it all. Jesus is the solution.

So, why doesn’t God rid the world of all evil? Loaded question. I will give you my understanding, but recommend you ask Him yourself. I believe that love involves freedom. God gives us the freedom to choose Him. If He was the only option, then there would be no choice. I believe God is already victorious and though our world looks dark, He continues to work through His children to bring peace, love, joy, healing, and heaven to earth. I believe and know He will make all the wrongs right. I believe that if we trust God we will see that the end of the story is better than any of the suffering we have witnessed. I believe that God is good and though He is blamed for evil, nothing in His nature is evil. I have seen Him turn tragedy into triumph, victims into victors, and the worst of situations into something beautiful. We (humans) still have the ability to choose evil. God won’t force us to love. So, when you fill a planet with people who can choose evil, there will be evil.

How do I deal? Good question. Prayer is powerful. Since God gave people dominion on this planet, He moves when we pray and ask for help. I hate to admit it but until heaven, there will be evil in the world. I’ve found no greater solution than prayer. I pray. You pray. We pray, and we ask God for help.

Final thoughts. I’m not a person typing to you who hasn’t suffered. One day maybe I will share my story in its entirety. I know what it’s like to endure physical and great emotional pain. I have had more than one near death experience. I have seen God do amazing things because someone prayed. I have seen Him heal the sick, bring life to dead situations, and so much more….You are loved my friends. No matter what you have faced in life or will face, God LOVES you! He is your best advocate. Praying you are blessed this week, beyond measure.

This Too Shall Pass

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This Too Shall Pass

Erin Lamb, all rights reserved.

Have you ever been through a rough storm? In the natural you wonder when the lightening will cease, when the winds will stop blowing, and when the thunder will end? In our lives we wonder, when will the person we are praying for encounter Jesus, when will each day not seem like it saps energy and joy, when will the storms pass over? Maybe you have been in your storm for a week, maybe a month, maybe a year, maybe years, maybe a decade or decades. The word God spoke to my heart today was, “This too shall pass.” No matter the storm, it will one day end.

I am encouraged by people who lived through wars and the Great Depression. They truly understood the storms of life. Or those who lived through segregation, not being able to vote, and were treated like animals instead of human beings. I admire those who did not lose faith during the Holocaust, those that survived and still believed in a loving God.  I look back to those who suffered and say, “This too shall pass.” My heart is encouraged that no matter what it looks like today, tomorrow is a new day.

Are you facing sickness, this too shall pass…

Are you facing depression, despair, or discouragement, this too shall pass…

Are you facing relational problems or even loneliness, this too shall pass…

Are you facing what seems like a steep mountain to climb, this too shall pass…

Are you wondering how you will make ends meet, this too shall pass…

The words I wrote to you, are the words God speaks to me. God will not leave you where you are. God will always make a way. I can’t always see it when the winds are crashing against the shore, but I hear my Savior crying out, “I still walk on the water. I command the winds and waves to obey. This too shall pass.”

In the storms of life, cry out to Jesus. He loves you more than you can imagine. He is the peace in the storms. He heals, He restores, He gives joy, and He is a comforter.

My dear friends, the sun will come out again. The Son is shining on you right now! He never stops shining. May the peace of God rule in your hearts. More than being able, God is willing to do exceedingly and abundantly above all we could ask or imagine. He’s the God who loves us.

Encountering the Master Gardener

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What I’ve Learned about God Through Gardening

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clipart

Erin Lamb, all rights reserved.

God is in all things, all we have to do is look closely. I have found some applicable life lessons in my time spent tending to a garden or plants. So, come with me on the journey to encountering God in the garden.

We reap what we sow-meaning what we plant is what comes to the surface. A gardener would be horrified if they found what they planted in the ground is not what they have at harvest time. They planted tomatoes, but somehow grew corn.

Often in life I think we are shocked to see negative things breaking through the surface of our lives. We scratch our heads and say,”Where did this come from?” We neglect to ask ourselves what seeds are planted in our minds and hearts. Out of the mouth the heart speaks (Matthew 12:34b). If the seeds planted in our hearts are seeds of un-forgiveness, unbelief, hatred, selfishness, jealousy, envy, strife, or lust-that is what will break forth.  Where do the seeds originate from? Seeds are planted in our minds and make their way to our hearts; that is where each seed, either good or bad is planted. What we allow to sink in and take root is what will blossom in our lives. It’s to our benefit to take every thought captive and make it obedient to God’s word (2 Cor. 10:5).

We reap more than we sow. Seeds yield more than the small seed planted. If we invest in what is good, there are great things that will spring forth, more than what was sown.

Plants need light, water, and pruning. So do we. God is light. Everything good, He encompasses. He is the source of life.  Plants left inside turn themselves to grow towards the light. The plants need the light to grow and thrive. Without the light, the plants will wither and die. We need God to grow and thrive. Some plants (like ivy) will climb over any obstacle to get its light source. How would our lives be different if nothing stopped us from seeking the light?

Another important part of plant development involves watering. I left a plant with a friend while in Australia and we she returned it, the leaves were withered and limp. It was still alive, but looked a bit sick. Once the plant was watered it perked up. I liken my sick plant to the spiritual condition of the human soul. If the love of God is not being poured in, if truth is not saturating the soul, it begins to dry up. Water is crucial to life. We can’t wait for church services to meet with God or have our hearts filled by Him. It is a daily drawing near to Him. He is standing there with His water pitcher saying “Here is more love, more truth, more hope, more revelation, and more encouragement. Now grow, thrive!”

The last point is the beauty of pruning, weeding, and attentive care. If you have a garden you are aware that weeds will try to crowd out your beloved plants. They will attempt to rob the soil of nutrients and have the potential to kill your crop or flowers. Our weeds may be described as discouragement, deception, unbelief, or fear. Those things must be quickly uprooted before they crowd out faith, hope, and love. Gardeners care for what they have planted. They have invested in what they have sown.

God is the master gardener, and He is invested in you. He loves you. God wants you to grow and thrive, and not just for His own personal satisfaction.  He also wants to bless everyone around you. My greatest satisfaction as a gardener is being able to give away the fruit of my labor. God loves you infinitely more than I love my plants. He has so much invested in you. Praying you not only grow, but thrive.