Stay out of the Cookie Jar if you want to lose weight.
We go through things in this life and there is always questions we ask most of the time. "Why would God allow this to happen to me?" Next is a question that many of us have. How can we better recognize the hand of God moving in our lives? These are a couple of great questions in which I have came across many times in my own life.
Of course, a lot of times if not most of the time we don't see God at work in our life. I dare say, if you belong to God you can look back and see the road He brought you down many times over the years and hey, I'm still here and you are still here so, there must be a purpose.
Bible says in Romans 8: 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
This may seem like a easy way out of answering one of life's toughest questions. But, let me go on to say that God has many purposes for our life. It's not just all about ourselves. God may allow some things in our life for someone else, family members, friends, sometimes it might even be for a stranger.
God also uses sickness to bring us to the point in our life to where we need discipline to produce righteousness or to sanctify us. In Psalm 119 We see that the writer realized this because he said in verse 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.
The author of Psalm 119 was looking at suffering from God's perspective. It was good for him to be afflicted. It was faithfulness that caused God to afflict him. The affliction was so that he could learn God's way and obey His Word.
Speaking for myself, sickness has caused me to be more patient and trust the Lord more. God also uses sickness I believe to teach us things about ourselves that we didn't know. Appreciate life more, to look to God in prayer for comfort and healing. We may never know why but, we should ask. James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gi-veth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
I believe sickness doesn't always have it reasons other than we are fallen beings, we are subject to sickness because of our nature and Satan likes to get a punch in once in awhile also. Some sickness is simply a result of the natural course of things in this world. But, no matter what the case may be our Lord is still in control of every situation.
We saw in James 1:5 that we should seek Gods wisdom for answers to our trials in sickness, sorrow, pain and suffering. Now I want us to look at what James says in James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
I want you to notice what James is saying. God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. God came to this earth as Jesus Christ, God in the flesh and was never tempted of sin because, He had no sin. He could not sin because, there was no sin in Him. If He had been tempted, then our salvation would be in question.
James goes on to say ,neither tempteth he any man. In other words God does not use sin for our benefit like some might think. He does not use sin to discipline, correct, sanctify, cleanse us. Verse 14 sums it up. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. We sin because it is natural for us to do. We sin and blame it on someone else. It's nothing new. Adam said, it was the woman, the woman said it was the serpent. The fact is, that we are drawn away of our own lust.
We live in a time when eating right and keeping the weight down is a big challenge but, we set the Cookie Jar out in the open and what happens? We are drawn away by our own lust. We blame it on everything from the baker to the maker when in fact ... We are drawn away by our own lust. Love in Christ Jesus, Ronnie Miller www.themillersbiblestudy.com
