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I had a moment of revelation this morning while I was listening to one of Griffsers songs! Sometimes you can sing away to a song and totally disconnect from the words - but I found myself this morning in my car having a light bulb switch on moment.I've listened to this song 'Refuge' a lot recently and I totally love it. There are some songs that ring out great truths about God and this for me is one of them.
The refrain declares 'unchanging God, There is no shadow of turning with you' - another phrase from another hymn that I've sang a million times.
But I started to really meditate on that particular phrase this morning - and that simple truth that God is unchanging, to the point that he doesn't move or waiver on what he thinks - he remains the same. There literally is no movement in his shadow - he's the same.
I guess I've read a lot recently and it really has me concerned that there are some people who really believe that on one hand God is good, God is love, God is for us etc etc, yet on the other hand He's handing crap cards out to people in the form of sickness, poverty, and anything else negative in life.
I sometimes think that the majority of Christians/Churches have done a pretty poor job of teaching on suffering. There is no denying it - we do live in a fallen world, a world in which Satan is roaming about, where he is doing all he can to deceive and fool everyone. I think the biggest deception ever is this misconception that our good God can quite happily let bad things happen.
God's heart is 100% breaking when he looks at this suffering world. It's not what he planned at all!! Our God is not handing out sickness one day and healing the next, he's not providing for us one day and then taking it all back the next.
Bad things do happen, yet most Christians are quite happy to point the finger at God with not a second thought at accusing our real enemy.
Either God is good or He is not!!!
He does not put bad things into our lives to teach us a lesson or help us depend on him.
That is really bad parenting - and as a mum who isn't perfect in comparison to Him, I would never even dream of mistreating my kids to help them learn - that is sick.
God has the amazing ability to turn our struggles in this life around to His good purposes.
The Church needs to start answering those difficult questions that people have, instead of always turning horrible situations into a "well it was part of God's plan, He knows best, He is in control".
It breaks my heart when I talk to people who have walked through difficulties and they genuinely think God put that in their life to teach them something.
I totally believe that God is a good God, who doesn't change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever and His purpose has been the same since the beginning of time - to be in relationship with us and lavish us in His goodness and love.
It is Satan, the deceiver and Father of lies who is robbing us of this truth - God is For us!!
And this is the song that inspired this post!! A personal favourite these days, this guy is one to watch
REFUGE (Ryan Griffith - Griffsers lol)
God is our refuge and our strength
An ever present help
Therefore I shall not fear
Though the earth gives way
and mountains fall
though it's waters rise
and my world may shake
Our God is the shelter in the storm
Our God is the one who won't let go
Our God he remains the same
Yesterday Today Forever
He will never change
God of great wisdom and of love
My times are in your hands
You're the hope on which I stand
Though the earth gives way
and mountains fall
though it's waters rise
and my world may shake
Unchanging God
There is no shadow of turning with you
3 comments:
Very topical at the mo Jill. Maybe you've heard JP's latest!
I find myself battling/swinging/falling and trying to find some sort of balance between all the neg stuff that has happened in my life and all the lessons I have learned because of it. I too find it hard to conceive of a loving God putting me (and those I love!) thru rough stuff yet I know my faith would be all the weaker if I had sailied thru life with no problems, difficulties or loss.
I am so thankful God is FOR us not against us, that He is a God of goodness not badness or even blandness..........but I find that it's His love that holds me in those storms that Gryf references and it's His strength that keeps me going when it feels like the earrth is giving way and the mountains are falling. Did God make those moutains to fall or earth to give way? Er I don't honestly know for sure so I just keep praising Him for keeping me and pray for those who are finding it hard to hold on!
I love your blogs Jill...they make me ponder!!..........and I want to heart more Gryf stuff so let us know where it can be found :0)
Say hi to the big man........miss him so much, really do.
excellent thoughts on this blog Jill, very intriguing.
I do believe that God can send us trials, but Paul writes that the Lord will never try you more than you can bear, and with his power we can bear a lot.
It is of course the book of Job where God doesn't punish Job himself, but he does deliberately ALLOW satan to attempt to break him, so God is able to sit back when he feels we can cope, is he not? And that was not to be cruel, but to prove to satan that Man could be as strong as Job if he had faith in God.
Suffering is definitely the biggest stumbling block to faith though, and recently David Farrell did a mini-series that included an evening on it at Crescent, it was amazing!
Suffering or not, our God is good, God is true, God is just and God is unchanging. I love it!
Keep up the excellent blogging doll, I will check back soon to read more!
Jk
I love this post Jill! I've read it several times and so agree with what you have written. God is a good God. The song has been a real strength to me - especially lately when my world was shaken up. When we've done all, we're told to 'stand' - stand firm on the rock of Jesus and watch our warrior take over. Great blog!
Nichola x
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