5/9/23
READER QUESTION:
What can a person do when they no longer feel like God is with them? When it seems that Satan is trying so so hard to get back into your life and you don't know which way to go. I try reading the Bible and it doesn't help.
SAMMY’S ANSWER:
Dear Beloved,
Your question brought to mind several things.
First off, I’m thinking of Job in the Old Testament. If anyone has ever felt abandoned by God, surely Job must have. Job lost just about everything dear to him. But God never really gave him reasons for why he suffered so many tragedies. Instead, God turned Job’s focus to Himself and His great power and sovereignty over everything.
It may sound strange to us, but God, in His infinite wisdom, knew this was exactly what Job needed. He needed to place absolute faith in the God of the universe.
Job was a wealthy man with a good, strong family. After he lost everything, Job still said, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” He knew everything good in his life had come from God. And at the end of all Job’s trials, we read that the Lord blessed the latter end of Job even more than the beginning.
I encourage you to go outside, turn your face toward the sunshine, close your eyes, breathe deep, and consider this: God, in all His greatness and wonder, chose to make YOU His most beloved creation. Out of all His grand Creation, YOU are what matters most to Him. Not the sun, moon, and stars. Not the vast oceans. Not the stunningly beautiful birds or flowers. Not the impressive mountain ranges or gorgeous waterfalls. Not any of the other strong, powerful, magnificent creatures He created. YOU are who He sent His Son to die for. YOU are His beloved.
We must not rely on our feelings; they turn every which way. We must place our faith in what God has promised us in His word:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?...For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Remember He said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
How do I get back on track, you ask? How do I find that closeness with God? We can find the answer in the book of James: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh unto God, and he will draw nigh unto you. (Note: You must make that step toward God, then He will meet you. God never forces Himself into our lives but goes where He is invited.)
As far as reading the Bible goes, I suggest getting ahold of a good old-fashioned King James, and approaching God’s Word like the psalmist who said, Open thou mine eyes, that I might behold wondrous things out of thy law.
You need only ask. Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For he that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
And finally, let me ask if you are saved. Do you know for sure that you are going to Heaven when you die? This is the most important question anyone will ever ask you.
I realize this question isn’t one that a typical Amish person would ask, because many of our folk believe it’s prideful to say so.
But the Bible lays it out differently.
In First John, we read these words: These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
It might just be me, but that verse sounds like John wanted folks to “know” they are saved.
And right there in that same verse it tells us how to have that assurance: by believing in the name of the Son of God. Now, if you go through and read the entire chapter, you will see what “these things” entails.
But salvation rests on the person of Jesus Christ and on Him alone. It requires simple faith and believing as a child. It is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us. He does all the work, or rather, He did all the work. This is one of the reasons Jesus said, “It is finished.” when he hung on the cross. Our “work” is to believe, as Jesus said in John 6:28-29 KJV. And Jesus says He will not cast out anyone who comes to Him. See John 6:37 KJV.
I pray this has been encouraging to you, Beloved.
For His glory,
Sammy
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