“You know, don’t you, that I’m the One who emptied your pantries and cleaned out your cupboards, who left you hungry and standing in bread lines? But you never got hungry for Me. You continued to ignore Me.”
Amos 4:6 – The Message
I was reading Amos the other day and came across this passage. God is speaking through Amos to Israel, His chosen people. It is obvious that He has been trying to get their attention, however, they continue to ignore Him. While I read these words, I felt a deep conviction within my soul.
How many times has the Lord been trying to get my attention through circumstances in my life? See… the problem is my pride. I truly believe that I can handle everything that comes my way… on my own. It is hard for me to admit that I need Him on a daily basis.
If you think about it… when “bad” things happen to you… the first person we think is abandoning us is God. However, what if the reason for these difficult situations is that the Lord is really trying to draw us back to complete reliance and dependence on Him? This would absolutely change the way we handle circumstances that seem hard.
Moreover, on a personal note, I tend to find myself caught in a never-ending cycle. I will come across difficult times and (like I mentioned) I will think God is withdrawing from my life. Then I will try to handle these incidents on my own… thinking that God doesn’t want me to draw near to Him anyways. Inevitably, I will draw back to the Lord and things will seem great for a while… then the cycle starts all over again.
However, when I read this passage I felt the Spirit speaking directly to my soul. What if God was the director or initiator of these issues in my life? This idea completely changed the way I view difficulties. When they arise, I must turn and find refuge and strength in the Lord not in my own abilities.
Don’t misunderstand what I am saying. I am not contending that ALL your bad circumstances are caused by God to get your attention, although it might be a possibility. Either way, my point is that in all our difficult times (caused by God or not) turning to the Lord for strength and perseverance should be our primary response.
So the next time it feels like the Lord is pulling away…. Intentionally draw near to Him with everything you have.
I would love to hear your stories of how God caused difficult circumstances in your life to grasp your attention… the comment section is wide open… take advantage of it…
3 comments:
The picture you used doesn't really communicate your point. You see, Chris Sharma doesn't have difficulties. He can clmib anything. He puts Spiderman to shame and reminds the average climber that he or she will be forever inadiquate.
You should put a picture of me climbing at the top of this post
haha... i see your point. Send me a picture of you climbing and I will add it to the blog... so all can get the proper perspective.
That's a goodone.
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