Hurt or Trust You Choose…
Recently I had a conversation with a young lady about God; she stated that she found it hard to trust Him. For a moment, I was that young woman with many unanswered questions about how a loving God could have allowed bad things to happen in my life. I saw her pain and her longing for a connection with God. I felt like I did not answer her, so I said to her, I know why you do not trust God. It is because you feel as if He has let you down. And now you are trying to reconcile how a loving God could let you down, and it is a struggle. At that moment, we got interrupted and, I did not have much time. I finished our brief conversation by saying, just tell Him how you feel. One, He already knows, and two, He can handle it where you cannot. The conversation was over, and the busyness of the office resumed. I could not stop thinking that I should have said something else, wondering if I planted a seed, hoping that she would come to know God intimately. As I was doing my daily reading, I ran across a passage in Isaiah 31: 1-2, The Amplified version “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they look not to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek and consult the Lord! And yet He is wise and brings calamity and does not retract His words; He will arise against the house (the whole race) of evildoers and against the helpers of those who work iniquity.” This may be an unusual passage, but it depicts a time when Judah was at war, and instead of turning to God and trusting Him, they turn to Egypt, other men with chariots. I want to draw your attention to a line in verse two where it states, “and does not retract His words” God’s words are true no matter what our circumstances are. Romans 12:19 states, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God’s wrath (and His judicial righteousness); for it is written (in Scripture), “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” As tempting as it is for us human beings with finite minds to question the hurt, pain, and troubles we have been through, it may even seem hard to accept that a loving God would allow it. Remember (freewill) we all have it, and ultimately it is up to us to choose. In John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have (perfect) peace. In the world, you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous (be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy); I have overcome the world. (My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.) & Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in and boast of chariots and some of horses, but we will trust in and boast of the name of the Lord our God.” If you are having trouble reconciling the love God Has for you, remember this, our God does not keep secrets. He is the truth, the light, and the way, He tells us that we will encounter hard times in this world, but He is clear that He has overcome the world. None of us will be left unharmed by trouble in this world, but we do have a choice-to-choose God through the only way, His son Jesus Christ. Just tell Him how you feel this conversation with God could ultimately change your life and who you trust.
Remember, God loves you, and so do I.