HOW DO YOU SEE GOD?
"The LORD is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me?"
Psalm 118:6
Have you ever been to a carnival? It is a kid’s paradise filled with thrilling rides, tasty treats, fun games, and one-of-a-kind experiences. At a carnival, you will often find an attraction called The House of Mirrors. These mirrors are purposely distorted, creating odd, scary or humorous self-reflections. If you stand before the distorted mirror, you will see a vision of yourself that is far from reality.
With this is mind, let me ask you a very important question: How do you see God?
I believe many people see God through a distorted lens. They see sides of His character that are grossly out of balance and devastatingly false. Because they do not have a clear and correct picture of God, they struggle greatly relating to Him.
A BAD PICTURE
When I was in college, a friend of mine shared a verse of Scripture from Judges 2:15 that he believed was appropriate to his life, “Wherever they went, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil ....” Ugh! My friend had not adopted this as his life verse, but he did feel as if God was surely against him due to his continued failures and sins. Needless to say, he was not singing the “Hallelujah” chorus as he lived his Christian life. He was stuck in an emotional ditch because he saw God as One who was deeply displeased with him. Have you ever felt that way?
WHAT IS THE TRUTH?
Certainly, God can get angry with His people. The Book of Judges clearly reveals this fact. But, it is important to remember that the anger of God is kindled when His children deliberately and high-handedly disobey him, not when they struggle—perhaps unsuccessfully—to obey Him.
Psalm 118:6-7 are two of the greatest, most encouraging verses in the Old Testament:
"The LORD is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me? The LORD is for me among those who help me; therefore I shall look with satisfaction on those who hate me."
The psalmist makes it clear that God is not against us ... He is for us! He doesn’t look at us in disgust, He looks at us in love! Can we displease Him? Of course we can. Can He get angry with us? Yes. However, if we are honestly endeavoring to walk with Him and obey Him, He is pleased. Furthermore, He is actively working for our good. He is "among those who help me." Suffice it to say, that is a far cry from “wherever they went, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil."
Remember, the devil is a liar and the father of lies. He will even use Scripture to try and distort the true picture of a good, loving, and holy God. Don't fall for his tricks. Know the truth, and let the truth set you free. God is for His kids. He wants what is best for us and will help us as we trust in Him.
Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve,
From His Heart Ministries
Dr. Jeff Schreve believes that no matter how badly you may have messed up in life, God still loves you and has a wonderful plan just for you. From His Heart provides real truth, love and hope on over 700 radio stations each day, in 182 countries each week on TV, and is always available online. Pastor Jeff takes no income from this ministry. All donations go to furthering the broadcast outreach. As a listener/viewer supported ministry, we thank you for joining with us to help speak the truth in love to a lost and hurting world. Go to www.fromhisheart.org for more information.
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