Where's God in My Struggle?

Where’s the last place you experienced Jesus? 

Carol and I are watching The Chosen, which is a series of the life of Jesus.  Last night we watched episode 7 where the Woman who has experienced one tragedy and disappointment after another comes to the well to get water.  To her surprise, Jesus is waiting to not only bring healing and help, but the hope of eternal life in Him.

Complicated and difficult situations can bring such stress and anxiety, which has the potential of stealing our sanity.  It’s possible that we know Faith can reconnect us to the power of change, but the present pain is usually so great we reach for some immediate escape.  

I’m captured by the words of the Angel at the tomb after Jesus’ resurrection.  The obvious loss of their normal drives these women back to the place where they left Jesus!  The Angel asks, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?”  I wonder how many times difficulty forces us to run back to the place where we left Jesus?

The truth tells us, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God,” but can seem so distant, slow and not relevant in a crisis.  If you’re like me, you get up early from a restless night of trying to sleep, and spend time in Scripture.  The Holy Spirit in those times always faithfully delivers direction, stability and revelation.  Have you noticed that this place becomes a waiting room?  The cool thing is God turns it into a preparation room.  Faith prepares us to keep on asking, seeking and knocking.  In it we discover for ourselves what the Angel spoke to the women at the tomb, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He’s not here!”

God is taking you to a New Place!

Opportunity within Crisis

I’ve tried to imagine what Paul was thinking or going through as far as spiritual access and success in his life when he cried out, “Oh That I might know Him in the power of His resurrection!”  

We talk about Jesus’ dying, the tomb and rising.  But I wonder why Jesus’ prayer to Father was that we would know Him and become One with them?  Picture the disciples running to the tomb because they heard Jesus is risen.  When they arrive, an Angel is waiting to ask them the key question; “Why are you seeking the living among the dead?  

With all of the crisis surrounding us, people presently are needing hope and miracles.  I wonder how often we might be seeking answers and provision from a Living God in dead places?  Are we stuck in a sanitized dead place where our faith is needing a resurrection?

Eph. 2 says, We were born children of disobedience and existed as children of wrath..... but God Rich in Grace and Mercy, even though we were dead in our sins, raised us up and made us Alive in Jesus to sit with Him in heavenly places!  That’s amazing and should confront any area that we find ourselves stuck.  In other words, our position and condition has changed in Jesus!  So, why would we ever seek Jesus in a dead place, or not see within a crisis an opportunity for a miracle?

Eph. 3 says the power and wisdom of heavenly places have been made known to the principalities and powers of this world through us.  The truth is, we are risen, raised up and seated together with Jesus to do mighty things here and now!  This must be what Paul was talking about in living in the power of resurrection.  We are daily walking and living to exercise the power of the Holy Spirit to the crisis and traumas of our culture.  

Possibly we get stuck in our own minds.  Think about this.  We never need to ever again be stuck at the grave of logic and reason!  Our address has changed!  Jesus has moved us from the Grave stage to the Grace stage.  

Many times I must admit that I’ve gone to the grave of logic and reason seeking a real living answer only to feel the darkness of death, loneliness, discouragement, fear and doubt. 

Our prayer must be, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  Our Life by faith transforms a crisis into a heavenly place.   Living out the reality that Father sent the Holy Spirit to take us where the supernatural becomes common place.

Ever get mail forwarded from an old address?  We don’t live there anymore!  We live on earth to turn crisis into heavenly places!!

Seek His face today and bless Him for taking you from the Grave to Grace! 

You stand before God as if you were Jesus, because He stood before God as if He were You!  Charles Spurgeon