My human instinct in the “hard” situations of life is often to want to get out of it. Run away. Quit even. But I have learned that it is better to face the hard thing, to move through it, to keep going! I have discovered that when I rely on God to strengthen me and I move through the situation then I get stronger, better, have more character on the other side.

God loves us!

God wants good things for us!

God is for us!

We must know this, believe this, and let it sink deep into our souls so when the hard things happen, when the unexpected things happen, when the thing we didn’t want to happen happens, we are grounded in His Truth.

Too often it seems like we think if we love God and follow His “rules” then things will go well for us. Too often we think God wouldn’t let so and so die or God wouldn’t let me get sick or divorced or my child do that or if God was real and loved me this “bad” thing wouldn’t have happened.

I have discovered that is not how God works.

If things go “bad” it does not change who God is or how He loves me.

The Bible tells us, “In this world we will have trouble.” Trouble in the form of illness, health issues, financial struggles, relational struggles, conflict, loss, grief, challenges, things not going as planned, etc.

God is good and faithful and loves us through ALL OF IT!

And if we allow Him, He uses all the things in our life to teach us about Himself! To draw us unto Him! To teach us about His love for us and how to love others well.

We can be transformed in/through the struggle – just like I’m sure you’ve all heard the example of the caterpillar as it struggles to break free from its cocoon and become a beautiful butterfly, it is the struggle to break free that strengthens the butterfly’s wings so it can fly.

The struggles of life develop our character and build our strength and transform us into beautiful people who exemplify Christ if we allow them to.

Yesterday in the devotional You are the Beloved by Henri Nouwen, he said, “I know that true joy comes from letting God love me the way God wants, whether it is through illness or health, failure or success, poverty or wealth, rejection or praise. It is hard for me to say, ‘I shall gratefully accept everything, Lord, that pleases you. Let your will be done.’”

I recently read Rob Bell’s book, Everything is Spiritual. Near the end he tells a story of talking to a lady during a Q&A before a show. She tells him, “that her husband recently committed suicide and she’s struggling with how a person can believe there is any ultimate goodness in the world when something like that happens. She asks about suffering and God and loss and believing and not believing and how to keep going after what she’s been through.”

Rob does a beautiful thing with words and describing wanting to be with her where she is not just being the answer man.

Then he says, “I asked her is she’s grieving two deaths. Her husband. And her God. She nods. They both died. Yes, she says, That’s what happened.”

“Because that’s often what happens. We have a whole world constructed and then we experience a trauma in which we lose way more than we first realized. I ask her if the God who doesn’t let husbands kill themselves died when her husband died. Yes, she says.”

Rob goes on to say, “I tell her about my own experience of God dying. How Jesus on the cross saying, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Is the day God becomes an atheist. I tell her what I’ve learned about how some gods have to die. They help for a while, they give structure and meaning and some order. Until they don’t.”

More beautiful words from Rob explaining the scene and conversation.

He talks about how in the beginning, in Genesis, the Spirit hovered over the waters of the unknown and then the Spirit enters those waters and out of them creates something new. Something vast and expansive and beautiful and diverse.

He goes on to say, “We know those waters. Loss and pain and grief and wounds and not knowing what to do or where to go or how to deal with the agony of life. We know those waters. There’s Spirit in there, hovering, waiting to bring something new out of it.”

Even more beautiful words. Then he concludes this section by saying, “Can something new be created out of even this? That’s the question lurking there in all our dark waters, that’s the invitation that never stops coming our way, to see the whole of it, to grow bigger, to expand along with the universe. To learn all over again that our bodies can include even this.

This moment, this pain, this loss, this fear, this encounter – is Spirit hovering over even these water? That annoying neighbor, chronic pain, toxic relative, debt, the threat of physical violence, petty coworkers, children who continually break your heart, a lover who just left, another school shooting… Can something new be created out of even this?

Yes. Spirit’s in all of it. In everything. In all those dark waters, hovering.”

(Excerpts from Everything is Spiritual by Rob Bell pages 267-278)

This story.

I just kept thinking about the idea that, her God died.

Years ago, I would have been scared to admit that a version of my God died but the more I have thought about it, I can totally relate. Five or six years ago my version of God that I had held onto for years and had believed in most of my life died.

I had a very limited view of God. Of what God could do. Of how God should be. I wanted to discover God and let go of all my limiting beliefs.

I didn’t stop believing in God. I had questions and doubts. A series of events in my life totally rocked my world and how I saw things. I believed in God and knew there had to be a better Way. I sought and discovered God. A God of Love and Hope and Peace in ALL situations.

Not a genie in a bottle god who gives me what I want when I say the right thing or only gives three wishes, so I better get them right. Not a vending machine god where I deposit good works in and get what I want from the machine in return. Not a Ruler god in the sky who smites the bad and rewards the good. Not a heavenly father god who is judging my every move, decision, word, choice, who thinks I am not good enough, who wonders why can’t she do better, or how has she not learned, or who regrets making me. Not a god who doesn’t let bad things happen to good people. Not a god I am trying to please in hopes of making it to heaven when I die. Not a god who is keeping record of my wrongs. Not a god who blessed some people and cursed others. Not a god who just let things happen. Not a god who if he did something good for someone else it limited my chances of getting something good too.

NO. All these ideas of God died.

As I sought and prayed and cried out and read and studied and sat quietly in His Presence, I discovered and was open to receive, believe, and claim as my own God’s love for me. No matter what. I came to believe and receive and claim, I am enough just as I am. I discovered and claim God’s delight in me because He created me. I came to realize that I’m already at the party. I decided to live in acceptance of His goodness and grace and mercy. I decided to live from an abundance mindset trusting in His provision. I decided to rest in the Truth that my worth and value are in Him! Not dependent on what others think or say.

I decided to claim His Truth as my own as His beloved child. I came to realize I am with Him, and He is with me and decided to live that way. I discovered the power of the Holy Spirit helping me whenever I ask, always available because He lives in me.

I discovered that as I rest in God’s love for me, He strengthens me, gives me His peace, provides generously and what is needed, heals, restores, and so much more as long as I remain open to receive whatever that may look like as I spend time with Him. I practice releasing my expectations and come to accept whatever He gives.

God changes my perspective as I spend time with Him. He helps me to manage my mind by taking my thoughts captive and renewing my mind on His Truth.

I am discovering freedom in Him and life to the full. It’s a wonderful miracle and mystery.

And God wants to do the same thing for you!

Whatever “hard” thing you are facing or in whatever joy you are celebrating remember to prioritize staying rooted, grounded, centered in God’s Truth! There is wonder and awe and freedom here!

I heard Dr. Caroline Leaf say one time, “Implant the Word. Build the substance. Expand your capacity. Activate the miracle.” As we read, study, implant God Word in our lives, we build the substance our firm foundation and He expands our capacity to love and serve and work and be which activates His miracles in our lives! Yes, and amen!!

Keep seeking Him! Keep practicing! And practicing and practicing! Keep talking with Him and listening for Him! Read His Word! Claim His Truth and Love over your life! Give Him praise and offer Him thanks! And as you consistently stay connected to Him you will be being made new! And find yourself living in a new Way! Amen.