I keep going back to the title. Do I believe that He can . . .? Continuing on through Beth Moore’s study, it seems that believing that He can is more important than that He does what I think He should do. Maybe what is more important is what we are learning in the process . . . learning to know the Healer of our souls, rather than knowing healing of our body. The apostle Paul prayed for God to remove his thorn, and God told him that His grace is sufficient for him. God does what He does to bring glory to Himself . . . whether it be by showing His power through His healing or through His sufficiency. Both are miracles.John the Baptist, who lived his whole life to prepare for Jesus and baptized Him, ended up in prison. While there, he had his friends go to Jesus and ask Him if He truly is the One who was to come. Jesus said, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”
Exactly! Jesus was performing miracles for everyone but him. This was supposed to be a comfort? I’ve often wondered about that last sentence.
Another version goes like this, “Blessed are you if you are not offended with me.” One of Greeks translations for offend is ‘to cause a person to begin to distrust.’ Beth states that, “Few of us will escape a painful opportunity to be offended with Christ . . . Blessed are we when we could be offended and choose with every shred of tattered faith not to be.”
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, administrators under king Nebuchadnezzar, exercised this kind of faith when he had them hurled into the fire on account of not worshiping his image. They placed their faith in a God who could save them, but declared their faith in God even if He did not save them. In this case, God saw the greater good in a miraculous rescue before the eyes of an unbelieving nation. (Daniel 3)
In the hard things we face we have the privilege to ask of a God who loves us, knowing He is able, but trusting He is still good if we can't see what He is doing.
"Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." Matthew 11:6
10 comments:
Thank you Anneliese. I think of others who this week are clinging to their faith. I had never heard about John the baptist quite like this . ..and it sinks in deep.
Yes, HE can even if HE doesn't. Good to be reminded that even when HE doesn't answer the way we would like, He is still God and doesn't need to explain Himself. Thanks!
I am so glad God knows the beginning and the end, we only see a small portion right around us. And God does not have to explain himself to us. But when we go through tough times, it seems to me that it sure would make things easier if we knew why we need to go through another circumstance. But oh, so comforting to know that GOD IS IN CONTROL!!! Amen! Thanks Lisa for sharing.
This is beautiful...thank-you!
Annaliese, God has used you to speak much-needed comfort to me. I will go back and re-read your words. Thank you.
Anneliese, I loved this one today. I think that trust is one of the hardest things for me to learn. Trusting even though everything does not go my way....trusting even when the way is hard.....trusting even when I don't want to......trusting Him no matter where I think I should be. Thank you.
Thank you Anneliese, learning to know the Healer of my Soul...I like that. Beth's teachings have always touched me in spots of my life that need God's touch.
I like what Karin said...Sometimes it's hard to accept the unanswered stuff. I am one who likes prayers answered.
Believing God can..just that statement is comforting!
There is a line in a song that says.."Help me, Lord, to seek your face before I seek your hand." I believe many times, we have to TRUST His HEART when we can not SEE His HAND. Thanks for this post... a great reminder that He Is Sovereign!
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