Deuteronomy 34:4 (NET) - Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it, but you will not cross over there."
One of the things that acts as a roadblock to those who do not believe in God ironically is something even believers struggle with.
Fairness.
I once tried to share my faith with a man who admitted that he was an atheist.
"How can there be a God that would allow children to suffer and die?", he asked.
There is no easy answer to such a question.
Even Christians struggle with questions like this.
Problems arise when we try to apply our human concept of fairness to God.
Whenever I think of fairness in this context I think of Moses.
Moses, considered a great prophet, did many things for God.
He went to Egypt and confronted Pharaoh.
He was an instrument that God used to free His chosen people from the bondage of slavery.
He then led this rebellious people in the wilderness and even interceded on their behalf.
Yet he disobeyed God.
How?
In Numbers 20 we read that the people were in need of water.
God tells Moses to assemble the people and speak to a rock and that water would come out of it.
Moses did not follow God’s directive.
In his frustration with the people, he chose to react rather than act.
Numbers 20:11 (NET) - Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff. And water came out abundantly. So the community drank, and their beasts drank too.
For this, Moses was forbidden by God to enter the Promised Land.
What would our reply be if we found ourselves in the place of Moses?
I would venture to say that I would be something like, "That’s not fair!"
Sound familiar?
If you have children it does.
A parent has the responsibility to raise a child and sometimes has to impose limits on the child.
Many times, the child’s response is, "That’s not fair!"
When it comes to our relationship with God, we all too often try to impose our human concept of fairness on God.
When we do, we lose sight of the fact that God has a plan.
That plan is perfect. Just as God is perfect.
Frankly speaking, I am glad that God does not conform to my concept of fairness.
John 3:16 (NET) - For this is the way God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life.
Yet, He willingly died for imperfect and sinful people.
He died for us.
That certainly does not conform to our concept of fairness, does it?
When our view of fairness fails us, faith must take over.
It does not matter that we do not understand the facets of God’s plan.
What matters is that we have the faith to believe that God is perfect, that His plan is perfect and that He understands that perfect plan perfectly.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/
One of the things that acts as a roadblock to those who do not believe in God ironically is something even believers struggle with.
Fairness.
I once tried to share my faith with a man who admitted that he was an atheist.
"How can there be a God that would allow children to suffer and die?", he asked.
There is no easy answer to such a question.
Even Christians struggle with questions like this.
Problems arise when we try to apply our human concept of fairness to God.
Whenever I think of fairness in this context I think of Moses.
Moses, considered a great prophet, did many things for God.
He went to Egypt and confronted Pharaoh.
He was an instrument that God used to free His chosen people from the bondage of slavery.
He then led this rebellious people in the wilderness and even interceded on their behalf.
Yet he disobeyed God.
How?
In Numbers 20 we read that the people were in need of water.
God tells Moses to assemble the people and speak to a rock and that water would come out of it.
Moses did not follow God’s directive.
In his frustration with the people, he chose to react rather than act.
Numbers 20:11 (NET) - Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff. And water came out abundantly. So the community drank, and their beasts drank too.
For this, Moses was forbidden by God to enter the Promised Land.
What would our reply be if we found ourselves in the place of Moses?
I would venture to say that I would be something like, "That’s not fair!"
Sound familiar?
If you have children it does.
A parent has the responsibility to raise a child and sometimes has to impose limits on the child.
Many times, the child’s response is, "That’s not fair!"
When it comes to our relationship with God, we all too often try to impose our human concept of fairness on God.
When we do, we lose sight of the fact that God has a plan.
That plan is perfect. Just as God is perfect.
Frankly speaking, I am glad that God does not conform to my concept of fairness.
John 3:16 (NET) - For this is the way God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life.
Yet, He willingly died for imperfect and sinful people.
He died for us.
That certainly does not conform to our concept of fairness, does it?
When our view of fairness fails us, faith must take over.
It does not matter that we do not understand the facets of God’s plan.
What matters is that we have the faith to believe that God is perfect, that His plan is perfect and that He understands that perfect plan perfectly.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/
0 comments :
Post a Comment