Anyone who believes in God has been asked these questions.

Most if not all believers, if they are willing to admit it to themselves, have asked some of these questions.

Not only are there some difficult things to understand in the Bible, but there are things God does today that are difficult to explain.

Why does God allow babies and children to suffer with terminal illnesses?

Why does the bible not explicitly forbid slavery?

Why does God allow abusive parents to have children, while others who would be loving, nurturing parents to go childless?

Why does God allow some people to be healed but other people, some we would even call ‘good’ people, to not be healed?

Luke 4:27 (NKJV)

²⁷ And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

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There are countless questions that atheists and some believers ask concerning God, either arrogantly or anxiously waiting for answers.

God gave us the example through the Psalms that He will allow us to question Him in humility, as long as we continue to trust Him…

Psalm 13:1-2 (NKJV)

How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
² How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

³ Consider and hear me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes,
Lest I sleep the sleep of death;
⁴ Lest my enemy say,
“I have prevailed against him”;
Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

⁵ But I have trusted in Your mercy;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
⁶ I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

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If you’re like me, sometimes you feel pressured to give a quick and definite answer to ‘defend’ God. Sometimes you want a definite answer to satisfy yourself. 

But the truth is that some things we simply don’t know.

That means sometimes the best answer is…

I DON’T KNOW!

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Even those who depend on science to shape their beliefs have to admit that with all of our advances in science and medicine, there is still more that’s unknown than is known.

Scientists still have to sometimes say…

I DON’T KNOW!

Doctors have to sometimes admit…

I DON’T KNOW!

There are times that after a deadly diagnoses that the illness sometimes disappears and the physician has to admit…

I DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!

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So, no one should really scoff when a believer says they simply don’t know.

The fact is, there is great peace in admitting that even though you don’t know…you still trust God. He has told us that there are things that will be beyond are human minds, and even science helps prove that. There is much in science well beyond the reach of scientific knowledge.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV)

⁸ “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
⁹ “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Don’t deny yourself the blessing and peace of simply saying…”I DON’T KNOW!”

Psalm 131:1 (NKJV)

Lord, my heart is not ^[a]haughty,
Nor my eyes ^[b]lofty.
Neither do I ^[c]concern myself with great matters,
Nor with things too ^[d]profound for me.

Admitting that you don’t know doesn’t confirm God isn’t God, it just confirms that we are human.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

It’s okay to want things done the way you think to be correct. It’s okay to be particular…to be a perfectionist…it’s okay to be detailed.

It’s okay to provide constructive criticism, but it’s not okay to be petty or hypocritical.

It’s not okay to hold people to a higher standard that you hold yourself.

It’s okay to try to maintain control in your life, but not everyone else’s.

Remember how Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23. Read the entire chapter for context, but check out this verse…

Matthew 23:4 (NKJV)

For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

Jesus rebuked them for being ‘nitpicky’ and overly critical hypocrites. They were obsessive about criticizing others and expressing their expectations while not holding themselves to the same standard.

People are much more willing to hear what we have to say if we aren’t nitpicky over every little detail in regard to them. We can get to the point to where people won’t even listen to us when we are right.

People not only will avoid your good advice. They will avoid you.

People will view you as obnoxious, nasty, and overly opinionated…even those closest to you.

The term for this obsession, derived from Freudian psychoanalysis, is referred to as anal-retentiveness, or simply ‘anal’.

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Don’t be so ‘anal’ that you become an a**

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Remember what the Apostle Paul said…

Romans 12:18 (NKJV)

If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

People who love one another don’t always see eye to eye. There are times that those closest to you won’t agree with you, what you are doing, the way you think, you decisions or your ambitions, goals and vision.

There may even be seasons when those who are in your inner-circle will seem to turn against you. Their comments and actions may be out-right mean, vicious, and humiliating. They may make you feel totally alone. Sometimes it’s you who makes someone closest to you feel you are turning on them.

What do we do when this happens? Look at what David did before he became king…

1 Samuel 30:1-6 (NKJV)

Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, ² and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. ³ So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. ⁴ Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. ⁵ And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. ⁶ Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was ^[a]grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

David’s men, who had proven to be loyal to him, were so distraught over their families being kidnapped that they talked among themselves about killing him. As you know this happened to Moses more than once.

David was understandably very distressed and felt totally alone. Questioning himself… Blaming himself… Disturbed about the welfare of his family as well.

But what did he do?

“BUT DAVID STRENGTHENED HIMSELF IN THE LORD GOD.”

After comforting himself and inquiring of God, David and his men went has rescued their families and not one person was lost.

Even though those closest to us may not want to stone us to death, they can resist us and say and do things that hurt us to our very souls. What do we do when that happens?

Here are a few suggestions…

1. ENCOURAGE YOURSELF IN THE WORD OF GOD…

This account of King David is only one of many in the Bible of when those who were chosen by God received resistance from those closest to them. Read the Bible with fresh eyes noticing how many times the children of Israel turned on Moses in the wilderness. Notice how instead of comforting him, Job’s wife told him to curse God and die. Notice how David’s wife despised him for his public act of praise over he return of the Ark of the Covenant. Take note of the fact the Yeshua’s (Jesus) half brothers did not believe in Him before He went to the cross, and sarcastically berated Him…

John 7:4-5 (NKJV)

⁴ For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” ⁵ For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

2. BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF ABOUT IN TRUTH THEY MAY HAVE SAID ABOUT YOU…

Even though it hurt, sometimes some of what your ‘rebellious’ loved ones says may be true. God may be using them to give you some painful truth about yourself that you may have not recognized or accepted. God may be using them to help you make necessary changes to fulfill His purpose for your life. Sometimes God uses those close to us to show us His ‘tough love;.

3. PRAY AND ASK GOD TO FORGIVE THEM FOR ANY THING THEY SAID OR DID TO HURT YOU…

Sometimes your loved one’s can say and do some things in their ‘flesh’ and in their anger that you can allow to become a wall in your relationships. They can say and do some things so painful that you can begin to hold grudges. You must ask God to forgive them for their harsh comments and actions even if they haven’t yes asked for forgiveness. Remember, God forgives us based on how we forgive those who have sinned against us. And, as stated above, God could’ve been using them to hold us accountable. YOU CAN FORGIVE ANYTHING…TODAY! #FORGIVENESS

HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT AN APOLOGY ( 8 TIPS)…

4. ADJUST YOUR THINKING, ATTITUDE, VISION, GOALS, PATH, STRATEGY, TACTICS BASED ON WHAT YOU LEARNED…

After consulting God’s word and considering what those close to you said or did, be honest with yourself and make the necessary adjustments. Does your attitude need changing? Are there changes you need to make in how you think or do things? Have you been listening to God and praying before you act, or going out on your own? Have you prioritizing your will or someone else’s will over God’s will? Learn and grow through the painful experience.

5. MAKE SURE YOU AREN’T THE ANTAGONIST IN SOMEONE’S LIFE…

Remember when Jesus told Peter, “Get behind me Satan?” (Matthew 16:23). Peter meant no harm, but at that time the enemy was using him against Jesus. One of the enemy’s favorite strategies is using loved ones against one another. Make sure that the enemy isn’t using you against someone close to you in your life.

WHEN THE DEVIL USES US AGAINST OUR LOVED ONES…

There will always be ‘dark’ seasons in our relationships. But when those seasons arise, we have the responsibility to be the LIGHT. It isn’t always easy, but it is possible.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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