LOOKING FOR TROUBLE!
"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chron. 16:9, N.I.V.
He was out on the streets at night looking for trouble. At the least provocation he started a fight. Even his friends were wary of him, not knowing what might set him off. They constantly tried to appease him by praising him and telling him how much they liked him. In reality, they were terrified of him and would have avoided him if they hadn't needed his protection against other bullies.
As you read the above description, did you find even a faint similarity to your walk with God? Do you see Him, as it were, walking the streets both day and night, looking for trouble? And when He finds it, do you see Him chastising and belittling those involved into a fearful submission? Do you praise God, hoping to appease Him? Do you really like God?--or do you fear Him and wish you could avoid Him? If only you didn't need His protection from Satan!
Let's talk about it! Yes, God is out "looking for trouble"! But His reasons are far different than we might have previously thought. Our text for today says, "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." His purpose is to heal, to strengthen and uplift, even when the trouble He finds is in you more than in the circumstances around you. Being fully committed to God does not mean that we no longer are prone to inner trouble. It means that we are totally committed to finding answers to all the inner conflicts we face as damaged human beings. And we know that He is the answer!
We need never be fearful of having trouble in our outward lives or in our very souls. To have really serious questions about church doctrines does not have to mean that we are ready to throw away our commitment to God. To discover an awful weakness in ourselves does not have to equal a lack of dedication to Christ. We do not need to experience a hot feeling in the pit of our stomachs as we realize that God sees the truth about us. We can know that He's ready to strengthen us--to deal directly with the issues at hand so that we can get on with life. That's just how He is!
"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chron. 16:9, N.I.V.
He was out on the streets at night looking for trouble. At the least provocation he started a fight. Even his friends were wary of him, not knowing what might set him off. They constantly tried to appease him by praising him and telling him how much they liked him. In reality, they were terrified of him and would have avoided him if they hadn't needed his protection against other bullies.
As you read the above description, did you find even a faint similarity to your walk with God? Do you see Him, as it were, walking the streets both day and night, looking for trouble? And when He finds it, do you see Him chastising and belittling those involved into a fearful submission? Do you praise God, hoping to appease Him? Do you really like God?--or do you fear Him and wish you could avoid Him? If only you didn't need His protection from Satan!
Let's talk about it! Yes, God is out "looking for trouble"! But His reasons are far different than we might have previously thought. Our text for today says, "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." His purpose is to heal, to strengthen and uplift, even when the trouble He finds is in you more than in the circumstances around you. Being fully committed to God does not mean that we no longer are prone to inner trouble. It means that we are totally committed to finding answers to all the inner conflicts we face as damaged human beings. And we know that He is the answer!
We need never be fearful of having trouble in our outward lives or in our very souls. To have really serious questions about church doctrines does not have to mean that we are ready to throw away our commitment to God. To discover an awful weakness in ourselves does not have to equal a lack of dedication to Christ. We do not need to experience a hot feeling in the pit of our stomachs as we realize that God sees the truth about us. We can know that He's ready to strengthen us--to deal directly with the issues at hand so that we can get on with life. That's just how He is!
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