What’s a question you wrestle with—one for which you would love to receive an answer from God?
What’s a question you wrestle with—one for which you would love to receive an answer from God?
What’s a question you wrestle with—one for which you would love to receive an answer from God?
seeking777always on October 27, 2014 at 10:44 am
Here is a question that I have often been asked in my ministry…
I know that God always answers prayers, he says yes, no or wait just a little longer.
So, Why does it seem like he always answers our prayers with the 3rd one and then make us wait for what seems like forever and a day to get the answer we are looking for?
I will post the way I answer this question later in the week.
Tom Felten on October 27, 2014 at 11:33 am
Good question, seeking777. I’m sure many of us wrestle with this one. As I think of waiting, I’m reminded of how many times patience is lifted up as a godly virtue in Scripture. One way God helps us grow toward maturity in faith is through learning to be patient. Seeking777, I look forward to your answer later this week!
seren000 on October 27, 2014 at 11:49 am
I guess if we’re waiting for something we learn to trust and we exercise our faith.
My question would be ‘Why do children seem to suffer the most in this world?’ I know this is a fallen world and suffering entered the world when our first parents sinned but children do seem to get the brunt of the worst of it.
seeking777always on October 28, 2014 at 1:41 am
Thats is a good question indeed. I had to think about that one for a while.
I have worked with a lot of children in my life, I’m still quite young but I’ve seen way to many children sufferin
seeking777always on October 28, 2014 at 2:11 am
I have worked with a lot of children in my life, I’m still quite young but I’ve seen way to many children suffering. It’s not an easy sight and my heart breaks more and more with each one I encounter.
Here is my answer to your question seren000…
In scripture, we see Jesus plainly state “let the children come to me because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” Matthew 19:14.
I tend to think that children see the world with wonder, imagination, and beauty. Since they have not experienced the world’s sinfulness as we have, their view of the world has not been damaged as ours has.
Jesus teaches us to come to him with childlike faith because a child has lost sight of that wonder, that imagination or that beauty. It’s sort of like a child believing in Superheroes or Santa Clause, a child will never really meet Superman or Santa Clause, but they will still believe in them. That same concept applies to us as adults as well, we may never see 1 million dollars but we believe it is there.
I share all that to say, maybe since children are so much more innocent then we are as adults Satan tends to pick on them a little bit more. The things that children can believe in are astronomical and unending.
Personally I believe this child like belief gives God a huge advantage in sinfulness of the world around us.
1 Corinthians 13:11-12 says, “…we thought as a child…now we see only a reflection as in a mirror…”
My mother always told me (and this may be what I’m thinking about in these moments) “Son, the world is the devils playground; he sees something or someone that could possibly take a piece of that playground away from him and Pounces!! on them as fast as he can, he does this because he knows that if he can get us that young, then that playground will always be his.”
This is what I think about, when I see suffering children, I see such a wonderful innocent view that Satan just wants to pounce on. It doesn’t really make me feel any better, but it does make me want to jump into that playground and give Satan a taste of his own medicine. After a while though, I remember that God is already down in the sand protecting that child and all that he has created them to be.
Hope that long post helps answer your question :-)…
et77 on October 29, 2014 at 10:15 pm
-Waiting for a parcel you know will reach you is exciting.
-Waiting for an unknown result can be anxious and frustrated as the result might come out not what you wished for.
*But if you submit and commit them to the Lord, trust that your WAIT is worth it as you know our Heavenly Father will provide the best for you!
Submit your worries to your Father in Heaven because He knows your worries and He will give your heart peace and open a way for you.
seeking777always on November 13, 2014 at 2:00 pm
My Apologies for not getting to this sooner. My wife just gave birth to our second child so it took me a while to get back on track.
So…. here is how I’ve answered this question when it has been asked…
Sometimes God tells us we need to wait for a while because he has a very special way he wants to give us what ever we have asked. The reason it seems like it takes forever to get what we’ve asked for is because sometimes the final details are so wonderful that it just takes a little bit longer than we expect. When the answer finally does come to the wait will be worth it.
What do you guys think?
gary1schelvan on October 29, 2014 at 2:41 am
Hello all brothers & sisters In Christ,
I think that my question kinda dovetails that of serenOO, about suffering. Mine is connected to the suffering caused by the forces of darkness & evil that are so prevalent in the Middle East, with Syria, Iraq and Israel. I know that Jesus commands us to love our enemies, but how do you love an enemy as evil/hateful/destructive as ISIS or Hamas? It is hard to do, when the first natural human instinct/reaction is to put a world of hurt on them, to punish them for their horrible crimes.
Tom Felten on October 29, 2014 at 10:00 am
Good question, gary1schelvan. Evil has been around since the serpent reared his ugly head in the Garden of Eden. When it surfaces, we are repulsed, threatened, and angered. May God give us His wisdom in dealing with enemies who so callously destroy human life. He alone possesses the wisdom we need!
gary1schelvan on October 29, 2014 at 10:14 am
Yes Tom I would whole heartedly agree that God alone does have the Wisdom to deal with such dark forces as those in play. But given the nature of the evil, how totally against everything good & decent they are, so harmful & destructive to so many truly innocent human lives, is it wrong to strike back hard and decisively against them? I know in my heart what Jesus is saying about loving your enemy, we need to pray for them consistently, but we must also stop them with every means at our disposal. In this case it means to kill them militarily.
jessie1 on November 3, 2014 at 8:22 am
I believe that the question that weighs heaviest on my mind is: I know we must love our enemies, but are we required to actually like them and be in their presence? I have a relative with whom I have major disagreements about the true path of Christianity. While I love and pray for this person and would help them if they were in trouble, I do not prefer to associate with therm as I find their beliefs in some cases to be poisonous. They attend a church that seems to be more concerned with earthly things, and less concerned with thins Spiritual. I attend a Church that is very Evangelical, so ministry is extremely important. When this relative speaks of their Church, the majority of the conversation deals with in-fighting between parishioners and financial concerns. I am aware of the necessity of secular responsibilities in the Church, but in my case what I hear from this relative borders on obsession. I just find these discussions with my relative are not conducive to the Path I have chosen in my Christian life.
seeking777always on November 13, 2014 at 2:04 pm
jessie1….
I would ask you the following question with regard to your comment.
How did Jesus react to his enemies?
He didn’t necessarily force himself to spent time with his enemies he simply told them what he felt and left it in their hands. I believe that he also spent a lot of time praying for them as well.