Thoughts Reflections and Inspirations

If it depended on our own ability to live right in order to be saved from eternal damnation, none of us would ever have any hope. Titus 3:5 tells us, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:17 “…they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”

So by these scriptures, we see that eternal life and righteousness is a gift from God. What do you do when someone offers you a gift? The only way it will do you any good is if you receive it. Receive it then with thanksgiving. The truth then is, you become righteous or in right standing with God when you have been cleansed from your sin and receive by faith the righteousness of Jesus Christ. So what is our part? Confess our sins and He said He would forgive them. Receive as a gift from God the righteousness of Jesus Christ and with that eternal life. The blood of Jesus is what paid the bill for all this. The Good Shepherd paid for it all but so often we want to pay it again and again with our own efforts. When we take our eyes off of ourselves and place them on the Good Shepherd and all that He bought and paid for us and receive it with thanksgiving, we will find rest for our souls.

In my background and upbringing, we prefer to earn what we get. We don’t look for handouts or expect people to give us valuables without our payment or work for it. I believe generally that is a good perspective of how things work. We try to always do our part in life.

However, when it comes to God, so often we find ourselves in a great struggle. We consciously or subconsciously try to pay for everything we need from God. So, if I want salvation, I somehow need to pay for it. If I am in a trial, I look back on my life to see if I deserve God’s help and intervention. This is very discouraging, because if we are honest, we will find ourselves constantly falling short of what our performance should have been. Then any little bit of faith or hope that God may actually help us, grows wings real quick and flies away. How utterly helpless and hopeless we are in and of ourselves!

Now the good news is, the Good Shepherd knew this all along. This is why He offers us grace. His mercy, forgiveness, love, kindness, deliverance, power and every other good gift, too numerous to name, is all His grace. He knew we never deserved this and He knew we could never in our lifetime earn it. All we ever deserved was eternal damnation in hell. He knew this before we did. Yet, because of His great love for us, He freely offers us His grace. He is not honored when we think we have to earn it. He is honored when we freely receive it as a free gift.

Can you imagine the temptation Job would have had to become bitter? Many in such circumstances would have been tempted with suicide, especially when your wife encourages it.

We have a promise from the Good Shepherd that He never allows us to be tempted above what we are able to overcome (I Corinthians 10:13) and that He will always make a way for us whereby we don’t need to give in. Now it is also true that we cannot do this alone. We need the Good Shepherd to help us. He promised that he would help us through anything. Hebrews 13:5, 6 “for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

In the hour of trial or temptation, we must look for that help. We must also look for the way of escape that the Good Shepherd provides for us everytime. When our focus turns away from the trial and temptation and on to the escape and we turn our ear to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, deliverence will be found.

Grace, which is God’s love, favor and blessing which I never earned or deserved, is offered to us liberally, but He wants us to ask for it. He wants us to believe His promises. No, we never deserved it and never will. We cannot earn this grace of God because in ourselves we are not able to achieve and perform well enough to earn this favor. Just accept and receive it as a gift.

Why do bad things happen to good people? That just simply is not fair! How could a loving God allow such a tragedy? These are all questions people ask during unexpainable situations and especially tradegies.

God is not controlled by our definition of fairness. Rather, He is just and righteous and God is love. He is, also, all knowing, all seeing, and sees the whole picture. We see only a little bit of all that is involved in any given situation. God is not confined to man’s rules.

Consider Job in the Old Testament, perfect and upright, one that feared God, and eschewed evil. He had 10 children, thousands of sheep, cattle, camels, donkeys and was the greatest man of all the men of the east. By the report of Holy Scripture, Job was doing it all right. To make it short, Job lost it all in one day; children, livestock, and his riches.

Why did a very bad thing happen to a good man. Besides, his wife told him to curse God and die, his friends tried to convince him wrongly of sin. On top of all this, his body got covered with painful boils. In all this, scripture says Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly (Job 1:22).

At the time, Job did not know that there was a contest between God and Satan and he was the object of that contest. God said Job would be faithful to him under these circumstances. Satan said Job would not be faithful. The test proved God to be right. At the end of it, God restored Job with twice the riches he had before and also restored his family.

In these happenings of life that are unexplainable, we must realize that we are part of a bigger plan and often we know very little about it. If we walk with God through it without bitterness, we will eventually be the better for it.

God is sovereign and it is these times that prove our love and faithfulness to Him. Every part of life is a preparation for that which is to come. Perhaps one main purpose for this story of Job is so you and I can learn from it and be encouraged during our time of trial. The purpose for your trial may be to set an example for others when they go through a similiar situation. May we never charge God foolishly.

Why then, considering all these promises and how the Good Shepherd loves us, why then do bad things happen to good people? Especially people who appear to have a real relationship with the Lord. The answer is quite clear in the Word of God.

One day Jesus and his disciples saw a man that was blind from his birth (John 9). The disciples ask, “Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” Jesus then healed his eyes and the blind man saw for the first time. He was born blind so people could see the demonstration of God’s power working through Jesus.

Lazarus, of Bethany, got sick. Word was sent to Jesus so He would come quickly to heal him. Lazarus was a close friend to Jesus. However, when Jesus was told that Lazarus was sick, He chose to stay a couple more days before He went to them. Why did He do this since this makes no sense to the natural mind? Jesus said Lazarus’ sickness was for the glory of God. Lazarus died and was dead 4 days before Jesus showed up. As you know, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. This was one of the greatest demonstrations of His power in His ministry and brought much more glory to God then if He had healed Lazarus before he died (John 11). God’s ways are much higher then our ways.