So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. Â Â Â Genesis 3:23-24 (NLT)
Abram continued, “Look, You have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house will be my heir.â€
Now the word of the Lord came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body will be your heir.†He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.†Then He said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.†      Genesis 15:3-5 (HCSB)
Romans 8:28 is often quoted in the wake of some terrible event or season in my life. It is to remind me that God will take any evil or terrible happening and work it to His good for those who believe and trust in His purpose. I believe that … most days.
The Bible is certainly filled with terrible, evil events. Can you think of any person who put their trust in the LORD and coasted through slick as glass without any difficulties and doubts? Please email or comment me if you do.
Adam and Eve were banished out of the presence of God and so mankind would forever be with sin. But God did not allow the enemy to win but instead made a way to save and restore us through the perfection of His Son, Jesus. For thousands of years, God’s people waited for the promised Messiah. Unfortunately some are still waiting as they are blind to the gift of Jesus Christ. Thousands of years spent waiting and hoping.
Abram and Sarai had no children. This was a “big deal†then and to many people it is today. Abram and Sarai were promised by God that they would have a biological child of their own and that their Family Tree would look like the endless number of stars in the sky. But it didn’t happen in the next 12 months or even 12 years. It was decades until Isaac was born. He was conceived decades past the time that most people are able! Could you wait that long in faith? Or would you follow Sarai into a “Hagar Path†and help God along in His promise?
It is difficult to receive God’s answer to prayer as “Wait†and trust that He is going to come through with His best answer in His time. The pain, the uncertainty, the well-meaning and often mis-directed questions of others all chip away at my trust in Him. Hear me, my friends, when I tell you I have turned away from God and His “wait†idea with frustration and wrapped hopelessness around me like a cape. But I have also pressed in closer, got in His face, if you are looking for a ‘visual’, and I can tell you that Jesus can handle my finger shaking in His face. He let me talk myself into exhaustion and then held me while He quietly told me again how much He loves me. He didn’t give me false promises but emphasized again the truth of our relationship – He loved me before I loved Him and hasn’t changed His mind!
So if you have “trust issues†with God in the hard times, press in closer and don’t hold back in your discussions with Him. He wants to spend time talking. Look up words like “trust,†“suffering,†“despair,†and “doubt†in a concordance. See what God has said and then ask Him what He has to say to you.
I wish I could have found this song on YouTube or at least found who wrote the song. My friend, Leah Taylor, does a great job singing this on her album, Faithful Friend. [http://energiondirect.com/products-page/cd/faithful-friend-cd/]
Beyond the Tears
Chorus:
Beyond the tears, behind the truth
Before the healing flows and comfort comes to you,
Believe His heart because He died
Be still and know God loves you so – beyond the tears.
Your private pain consumes your every breath
Oh and secret fears they paralyze your faith.
But you are not alone in this fight,
Our Jesus is standing by your side.
Chorus
He hears and he heals; He loves you!
He cares, He feels, He loves you! Oh, yes, He loves you!
Beyond the tears, behind the truth
Before the healing flows and God’s comfort comes to you,
Believe His heart because He died
Be still and know God loves you so – beyond the tears.
(Repeat)
He loves you. God loves you. Beyond your tears.
