When bad things happen (3)

It's important to make sure that we are viewing God biblically.

In our consumer-oriented society, some of us have come to feel that God owes us something. We have become experts at focusing on our rights. We see God as Someone who is supposed to guarantee that we be healthy, wealthy, and wise.

But maybe it's time to remember that God is much more interested in our spiritual health than He is in our material wealth. He’s not a Santa in the sky. He’s not a heavenly grandfather. He’s not a super-duper vending machine that when you push all the right buttons and put in the right change, He gives you what you want.

Then, when bad things happen, you begin to lose your faith in this charicature of a god we have made for ourselves. You can begin to doubt God because you aren’t viewing Him biblically as He has revealed Himself.

Here are three facts about God that we must fight to believe “in spite of” difficult circumstances. It's easy to doubt these truths when life gets hard. If we can hang onto these things, we are on the right path in terms of viewing God biblically.

God is good...

"Surely God is good to Israel, To those who are pure in heart!" (Psalm 73:1, NASB).

God is wise...

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!" (Romans 11:33, NASB).

God is powerful...

"For nothing will be impossible with God" (Luke 1:37, NASB).

We must keep our theology straight, especially when we feel like we are being dealt a bad hand from God.

When I used to drop my son, Ryan, off at school, I would pray a prayer that I learned from my friend in FCA, Al Schierbaum. “God, I praise You for Your heart. I know You will act in perfect goodness to me and to Ryan today. I praise You for Your head. I know You are wise in what You allow to come our way. I praise You for Your help. I know You will show Yourself strong in our behalf today.”

No matter what happens - no matter how tough life gets - I'm hoping that we can see God, not as a Santa in the sky who gives me all my "gimmes," but as good, wise, and powerful for what He gives and for what He withholds.

When bad things happen to me, let's seek to get grace to view God biblically.