Good morning beautiful,
From the time that both Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, sin entered this world. We are victims of pain and suffering because of the curse that fell upon all humanity. Life is pain, regardless of who we are. The good news is that God promises to “never leave you nor forsake you” ( Deut. 31:8). So we know that even though we may experience hardships in this life, it is also an opportunity to draw closer to God so we don’t feel the weight of this world alone!
I think we can all agree that life is hard and sometimes seems unfair. You are not alone in your thoughts or feelings, but one thing that I will encourage you to do is to seek God through it all. Even though it may not seem like much now, I can assure you that beauty can be found in some of the most challenging times we face. We must be the ones to open ourselves up to the experience.
I was reading Psalms 591, and in paraphrasing, I love how David, in so many words, is telling God, “Lord, I need you because there are people who are out to get me, so I need for you to show them who you are and defend me!” but as you keep reading, it appears that through David’s cry for help, he becomes more serene. He ends with, “To you, my strength, I sing praises because God is my stronghold—my faithful God” (Psalms 59:17).2 The issues in David’s life didn’t disappear, but even in the darkest times, He could cry out to God and seek His will—there, he found beauty in the wait.
This world is failing, but it doesn’t mean that our souls must die with it. God wants to show you what his definition of love means. No one is perfect, and we have all made mistakes, but for you, God wants you to learn how to walk in your identity. No more riding the chaotic waves of life. God wants you, His daughter, whom He loves deeply, to grab hold of His hand so he can lead you in this season.
Sincerely,
Your Friend <3
A moment to reflect
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; lean not unto your understanding.”
Proverbs 3:5
God called us to trust in Him, and with that trust, we must believe that he can do what he will, wise to do what is best and good, according to his promise, to do what is best for us if we love him, and serve him.3 God is already privy to the problems in this world so he isn’t asking you to ignore what is going on but to refocus your eyes and place them on him.
God also tells us to “lean not unto our understanding,” meaning we can not rely on our thoughts alone. The apostle Paul explains it best when he says, “I die daily” ( 1 Corinthians 15:31). Paul was onto something because he knew that to survive, he could not rely on his flesh to lead him. Paul also teaches us that as we draw closer to God and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we must bring our body under “subjection” ( read 1 Cr. 9:27).
When you walk in Christ, you can not handle life’s situations like we did before knowing Christ. You must understand that Man is a threefold being: body, mind, and spirit– this is the order in which we walk through life when we are in our natural state (flesh). 4 This will look like someone who only focuses on themselves and searches for quick fixes.
When we become born again, we take on a new order and become spirit, mind, and body.5 So this is when we no longer react but seek our Father’s advice and open ourselves up to change and evolve through the process.
Our experiences, through our transformation, help us to realize how big of a God we serve. This world is failing, and our security cannot be rooted in a broken system, but if we advert our eyes, we can see the Holy Spirit evident in our lives. Choose today to rest in the mighty arms of God. There, you will find your peace and be able to Love God despite the chaos around you.
Daily Challenge
Natural man is composed of “body, mind, and spirit,” but in giving ourselves over to Christ, we are transformed, and we operate from “spirit, mind, and body.” In life’s circumstances, can you recall the difference of when you operated from “body” or “spirit”? What was it like for you?
If you are leading with your flesh, this is the time to place it before God so He can re-order your steps.
- Jimmy Swaggart Ministries. (2005). Psalms 59. In The expositor’s study Bible: Containing the old and new testaments, authorized king James Version. essay. ↩︎
- Jimmy Swaggart Ministries. (2005). Psalms 59. In The expositor’s study Bible: Containing the old and new testaments, authorized king James Version. essay. ↩︎
- Blue Letter Bible, ” Matthew Henry: Commentary on Proverbs 3,” accessed August 28, 2023, https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Pro/Pro_003.cfm (Italics in the original). ↩︎
- Blue Letter Bible, “Chuck Smith: Verse by verse study on 1 Corinthians 9-10 (c2000),” accessed August 28,2023, https:// http://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/smith_chuck/c2000_1Cr/1Cr_009.cfm (Italics in the original). ↩︎
- Blue Letter Bible, “Chuck Smith: Verse by verse study on 1 Corinthians 9-10 (c2000),” accessed August 28,2023, https:// http://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/smith_chuck/c2000_1Cr/1Cr_009.cfm (Italics in the original). ↩︎
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One reply on “How to Love God in a World that Fails”
Amen, thank you for this devotional it blessed me.