I Deserve It!

Have you ever gone through a hard time and asked yourself "Why is God doing this to me?" I have. Lots of times. Or here's a thought that I never like to admit I've had, "God, I'm doing so much for You! So why are You doing this to me?" After all when we serve God then He's supposed to reward us, right? Wrong.

God doesn't work that way. He's not a vending machine. We don't use our service to Him as quarters that we put in to a machine then select buttons to get the perfect spouse, or that great new home, or even the right job, good health or money to pay the bills out of the machine. 

But what about all those verses that say God will provide, and God will bless us. Are you saying those aren't true? Of course not! However, do you remember the other verses? The ones that talk about God's will? And His timing? Or here's one, that little verse in the middle of the Lord's prayer, Matthew 6:10- ".... your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

That's a really hard concept to follow through with. When life gets tough, when things don't go the way I want. When a friend unexpectedly contracts cancer and they're far too young to deal with such a tragedy. When a loved one makes decisions that will ruin their life and no one's words or even prayers seem to be turning them back to the right path. When you're trying to do what God wants and things just keep going wrong. The car breaks down, the bill comes due, the kids get sick, the credit card is maxed out. How do you respond then?

Have you ever seen a little kid throw a tantrum? They stomp their foot and cry, or maybe throw themselves on the ground and flail around while screaming at the top of their lungs. But fast forward to their teenage years. Sometimes they yell but teens are experts at the silent treatment. They get angry and they just glare at you but they won't say a word. Too often this is my reaction. Instead of giving God my honest emotions I just get angry and stop talking to Him altogether.

I get so sick of saying "Let Your will be done." So I stop saying anything. Not an idea I would recommend. After all, how am I going to hear Him answer and speak comfort in my darkest days if I'm not listening?

So what do you do? When the bills are piling up? When the car won't start? When you get laid off and you can't provide for your family? Where do you turn then?

Let me suggest two places. The first is the book of Job. The ultimate book of trials, tribulations and standing pure before God despite being stripped of absolutely everything imaginable. 

The second is the book of Psalms. Here you'll read about men like King David who gave every emotion he had to God, the good, the bad, the ugly and the even worse. He laid it all out there on the table! And God called him a man after His own heart.

Life is hard, it's not going to get easier but there's two things you need to know. One- God is good all the time. Two- We don't deserve the things that we think we do. God will provide, He will take care of us but not always in the way we think He should. 

If you want to read a fantastic, real life example of this then pick up the book called "When God Doesn't Fix It" by the renowned singer, songwriter and worship leader Laura Story. Her story and the trials that God took her and her family through will give you a fresh perspective about trials, service to the Lord and His will not ours being done.