How's Life Treating You?

Have you ever been in a place in life where you just don't think that God knows what He is doing and so you take it upon yourself to take care of things?  Or you might know someone that is trying to control their own path, doubting that God is as good as He says He is?  Abram and Sarai (in the book of Genesis) at times really trusted God, but then they got to a place where they felt like time was running out.  They doubted God.  (gasp) They disobeyed.  You know the story?  Sarai tells her servant, Hagar, to make love with Abram so that they could have a child.  God had promised them a child but it just was not happening in the time they wanted it to happen.  This is where it gets beautiful:  God was STILL gracious to Sarah and Abraham.  She did become pregnant and birth the baby that God had promised, Isaac.  God STILL loved Abraham and Sarah.  He STILL used them for His glory in spite of themselves and their sin. 

Are you carrying a weight of guilt around?  Or maybe someone you know is living with guilt because of something they did or something they simply think about?  Surely God is disappointed in me, and why would He want to have anything to do with me!?  Think about Peter in the gospels of the New Testament.  He was Christ's disciple for three years and truly loved Him.  He served with Christ, ate with Christ, witnessed miracles that Christ performed.....after all that, he denied knowing Christ THREE times in one night, and of all nights, the night Christ died.  What kind of guilt did Peter feel that night?  (gasp) Peter disobeyed.  This is where it gets beautiful:  Christ is raised from the dead and shows up while Peter is fishing.  God STILL loved Peter.  And He STILL used Peter in spite of himself and his imperfections.

Has life been a roller coaster ride of ups and downs?  Some days you cant praise Him enough, some days you are crying out for His mercy, or some days you hold on to the truth but with white knuckles and gritted teeth?  Think about David in the Psalms.  You can just sense through the words what the emotions must have been like.  In Psalm 69 it starts off, "God, save me.  My troubles are like a flood.  I'm up to my neck in them."  Where as, in Psalm 148 it starts off, "Praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord from the heavens.  Praise him in the heavens above....Praise Him, sun and moon.  Praise Him all you shining stars."  Beauty?  In spite of  David's failings, God STILL loved him.  God STILL used David.  He preserved David and protected him.  God does not promise a perfect life here on earth, but He does promise to always be there.

Do you know someone that has rejected the one true God?  Or maybe your the one rejecting?  You question hope, faith and trust.  Their was a King that threw Daniel in a den of lions because of the God that Daniel served.  The King rejected God AND Daniel.  This is where it gets beautiful:  God STILL saved the King.  God STILL loved the King.  The King saw the miracle of God (shutting the mouths of the lions) and fell to his knees!  This all happened in spite of the King's sins and rejection.

I think of these stories this morning because there are helpful to me.  They give me hope and strength.  They give me a view of God that is mysterious, tender, and a God without limits.  They help me view ALL people with hope.  The stories help me to meet those people where they are on their journey.  It may be ugly, (gasp) there may be disobedience on the journey, it may be confusing at times and it may be a long rode.  But God is good and perfect and creative and loves ALL people and picks ALL sorts of people to bring Him glory!