September 5, 2022

Keep The Faith, No Matter What

Raise your hand if you every uttered the following phrase; "why me, what did i do".  If I don't see every hand up then you all are lying.  Who cannot sympathize with those who can't understand why they just had their 3rd miscarriage all the while watch and witnessing so many parents who had no desire to be having kid after kid?  How about the person having a great day, a raise at work and perhaps a promotion as well, going home and singing along with song after song they love, only to be hit in an intersection by someone in a hurry who thought they could make the yellow light.  The car in good shape, with only two payments left, left totaled.  Why me Lord, you ask, why me?  What did I do?  Don't I volunteer at church and my kids school?  Don't I give up to and beyond what I'm told to tithe to my church.  It's human nature, and not surprising to God, to ask why me? 

I was listened to a sermon on why bad things happen to good people.  It's one the biggest stumbling blocks of leading people to God.  Until you believe you just don't understand that this is a fallen world and bad things happen to the good and the bad.  The difference being those sealed by God, who have faith, can be assured that God will turn those bad things in life to his purposes and your benefit down the road.   If you have the strength to persevere, your faith can only grow, and you'll learn just how much you can depend on God and his promises.  Which is really what God ultimately wanted all long.  To depend on Him and not our understand, and the ways of this world.  The pastor who gave this sermon turned a very popular questing we all ask "why me?" in it's head by asking "why not you"?  

One of the best things about the Bible is that it doesn't hesitate you show the flaws and wrong doing of it' heroes.  That is what to lends to it's credibility and separates it from all the other world's religions.   Two examples of this are King David (murderer and adulterer) and Moses (murderer).  The Bible however sometimes doesn't point out those flaws of some of it's heroes.  Which doesn't mean they aren't sinners (as the scriptures say "all of fallen short of the glory of God" but all that is told to us the overwhelming good they did.  Examples of this to name a few are Mary, Joseph (son of Jacob), and Daniel.  The latter two are two of my favorite characters in the Bible who remained so faithful to God despite all the bad things they went thru and witnessed.  Here are two of my favorite sermons on these two to hopefully answer "why not me?".  

 

Joseph 

https://www.truthforlife.org/resources/sermon/making-the-most-of-it/

 

Daniel

http://skipheitzig.com/teaching_player.asp?ServiceID=3221&q=audio