As I said in the previous blogpost (Part 1), I ended up expanding the point I was trying to make and it was getting long, so I decided to break it down. This is Part 2:


God provides to those who follow and trust in Him!


Learning to trust in God during hard times is one of those things that are easier said than done. I often hear Christians comforting each other saying "God will provide", "You just need to trust and God will see you through this"...I even say that to people when they in confidence tell me about a particular problem or struggle they have in their lives, but when I go through something...its a whole other story. It reminds me of the famous saying "practice what you preach".


Why do I have such a hard time doing that? It is easier said than done, and when hard times come, I find myself stressing out, worrying and feeling anxious and it is so pointless! This is what I have learned from Job and has stuck with me since I first read the book.

We find Job, after experiencing the horror of losing it all, he receives a visit from three friends: Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar that have come to "console him", but it actually looks more like they try to convince him to turn his back on God and blame Him for everything...even his "not very supportive wife" attempts to convince him to curse God (Job2:9-10), but as the end of verse 10 says "...in all this Job did not sin with his lips", meaning that he did not turn his back on God.


Job knew that what happened, was something out of his hands, it was just a trial he had to go in life, it was like the obstacle in an obstacle course. This reminds me of when I worked at Fort Lone Tree in 2006, one of the activities I ran was the "Obstacle Course". The Obstacles themselves weren't too hard (for an adult), but I would often see some of the campers struggle trying to get through them and it would always be an encouragement to see them trying their best to get through them to get to the finish line.


Just like the "O-course", life has obstacles we need to go through to get to the end, there are steps we need to take, sometimes the road is smooth and easy, and in others there is a tree you need to climb or something you need to jump through to get to the other side, and in every step, God is there.


Sometimes, I like to think about some of the trials I have been through, I remember my fear, doubt and frustrations and I remember how God has seen me through each one of them. So far, there hasn't been a trial that God hasn't seen me through. I have seen God work in might ways that for men, would seem impossible.


Job was a perfect example about what dependency on God should be like, even after losing it all, being tested by Satan, confronted by his "loved ones", he never gave up on God and in the end of the book (Job 42:10-17) we see how God provided and even multiplied all he had, gave him more children, grand kids...up to four generations, and blessed him with a long and fruitful life.


Whenever I think of the book of Job, I think of the song by Third Day "Tunnel". There is a "light at the end of this tunnel"...for those who put their full trust in the Lord. Even if things seem hard and it sounds like you will never get out of the situation, there is always an end to it, a solution for those who trust and follow God...which brings us to another point:


I find it sad when I hear of people who "give" their lives to the Lord, only because they want the benefits out of there, I think our "modern Christianity" has raised up a whole generation who just want the benefits and are not interesting in true Spiritual growth. People become members of churches because they offer free services or they can get something out of it and are not honest about their faith. 


GOD DOES NOT WANT FAKE FOLLOWERS! I can not stress this enough. Following Christ is not your ticket to a "worry-free" life, in fact it is the complete opposite, as one of my favorite verses says:

And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
(Luke 9:23)

Walking with Christ is not a thing for the good days only, it is an every day thing, it means a life of sacrificing the pleasures of the flesh and living a life worthy of Him. The Apostle Paul explains this struggle of his that I think many of us can relate to:

For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
(Romans 7:19-20)

At least I relate to Paul in these words, I find myself doing what I want to do rather than what God wants me to do. Taking up your cross means to do the opposite of what you want to do, give it up all and follow Him. Easier said that done...The Bible is very clear about this, it is found in many places in Scripture.

Trusting in God means knowing He has a plan, even if you feel like you have reached a "dead end", He always has a way out of the pit, and once you put your trust in Him, you can see the blessings He has in store for you, you are able to understand why He allowed certain things to happen. I can never get tired of Jeremiah 29:11 and I am marveled by knowing that God, the One who created everything, has a plan for ME! I mean, that totally blows my mind away.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
(Jeremiah 29:11)

I invite you to read and throughly study the Book of Job, it will challenge your dependence in God.