EPHESIANS 6:13 - Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
1 KINGS 18 tells of the great contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, in which Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to call for fire from their god. The prophets of Baal were unable to do so, but when Elijah called on God to send fire , God responded pronto, and proved to all that He is God Almighty.
When God shows up in the above manner, our faith in Him in re kindled, and unbelieving ones turn their hearts towards Him. However Hebrews 11:32-40 brings out a contrast in how God operates: And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets,who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
The above passage initially talks about God's generals who made great exploits in His name, and then right afterwards we learn of others who through faith in God suffered unduly - were flogged, stoned to death, were sawed in two etc. WHERE WAS GOD??????
WHERE IS GOD?????????????????????????????????????????????
Sometimes, we are made to wonder where God is . The above martyrs who suffered, did suffer for believing in God. They had faith in God , and were equally commended for their faith in verse 39 of Hebrews 11. However, unlike Gideon et al , these ones did not receive the promises of God on Earth. Simply put, God did not show up in their case.
I always do enjoy reading about Shadrach., Meshach and Abednego in Daniel Chapter 3. These three young men were in trouble for disobeying King Nebuchadnezzar whilst obeying God. When confronted by the King , they answered in this manner - 16“King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Young Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego trusted in God and believed He would deliver them. Yet at the same time, they seemed to understand the WAYS OF GOD as well as the ACTS OF GOD. They knew that God's ways are definetely not man's ways, and that He could choose to show up or not, depending on His ultimate plans. To these young Hebrew men, their faith in God was not going to be based on what God could and would do for them. Their faith in God was steadfast and was not going to waver, come what may.
PRAISE GOD!!!!
What was the outcome of their faith? God did show up in the hot furnace and delivered them . They came out unscathed by the fire. The same fire which even killed those that escorted them to it. God is wonderful!
I wish I could say that God always shows up in this manner, but the Bible does not teach us so. There is the story of Lazarus who fell sick, and how Jesus delayed in going to see him, and alas he died. God appeared to have failed Lazarus. But in the end, Jesus raised a dead Lazarus from the dead, and indicated that his initial delay was intended for God's glory to be seen.
Also we know of how Jesus was chosen by God to die for a sinful world in order to save a fallen mankind. Jesus felt forsaken when on the cross - he actually cried out - Eloi Eloi lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Jesus actually felt forsaken by His father. But God had to do so for a greater plan of His to be accomplished. There are times in our lives that God may not show up when we expect Him to because of His ultimate plan to show His Glory. He may wait for the worst case scenario before He steps in, in order to receive more glory.
Sin separates man from God. In the book of Joshua chapter 7 , God again was no where to be found at a time Israel needed Him most. They were at war with Ai , and were defeated. Joshua the leader of Israel went before the Lord to question why He had let them down at such a crucial time. In the end, Achan's sin was detected as the cause of why God had turned His eyes away from Israel. God does not dwell where sin abounds. Therefore, our sin can cause God not to show up when we call, especially when we are not repentant.
Just as we read earlier in Hebrews 11, the martyrs believed God but did not receive the promise. And why was this so? The word of God puts it plainly in Hebrews 11 :39 - 40 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
In all things we must give thanks to God, for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus.
WHAT IS NEXT?
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