Sorry this is so late. I have been trying hard all day to post it, and something just hasn't worked. I tried at the hotel. I tried at Senator Corn's office. But finally, here it is. I'll have tomorrow's up in the morning...I hope!
John 9:1-3
"Why God? How could you let this happen to me? Am I not good enough for you? Do you not love me? Are you even real? Well, if you are, you're not the kind of God I want. I don't need this."
I am convinced that none of us will ever fully grasp the soveriegn wisdom of God this side of heaven. Moreover, it will take an eternity to grasp it as our Lord continually and endlessly shares the riches of Himself with us in heaven.
There are many lost people who have blamed God for bad things in their life, perhaps because we taught them to. We preach that sinners are hell-bound and hopeless--which they are--but sometimes fail to give them the hope of new life. "If you continue in your sin, God will continue to teach you a lesson." Aren't sinners condemned already? Aren't they already enemies with God? Does God discipline His enemies or His children? I believe it's the latter.
The fact of the matter is that there are people all around us--lost people--who are living opportunities for God to display His works...his glory, his power, his redemption, his healing, his resurrection to new life.
Many times they come to us for answers. "Why would God allow this to happen?" Our answer is, "Well, because you need to be in church! You need to get your life right!" Maybe our answer should be, "Because God wants to do something so awesome in your life that you and everyone around you will know for sure that He is real." "It's not because you have done something real bad. It's not your parents fault that you have been subjected to this. It's God wanting to do something wild and crazy in your life."
Father, today I pray that you would forgive me for not spreading the hope of your life-changing works in the lives of condemned people like I should. Help me not to preach condemnation without the hope of your wild and crazy works that you want to accomplish in the dead lives of lost people. Lord, I ask today "that the works of God might be displayed" in my life.
