Job is the classic example of bad circumstances and wondering what God is up to. His life was a mess, family died, health and wealth were gone and Job knew knowing from God’s perspective (Job 1:2-6, 2:1-7).
Job’s friends thought they knew God’s perspective and said Job needed to confess his sin. Had we not read the first two chapters of Job, we would conclude that God was being mean and cruel.
Have you ever been through an experience of confusing circumstances and in your prayers accused God of things that you know are not really true? My stories where the birth of my son (in the NICU for a week) and my leaving the mission field (in my previous post).
It is at these times that we question God’s love and wisdom. We tell God that he has deceived us, following him in what we thought was his will, only to experience his silence. The first thing we must do is to ask God to help us see things from his perspective. We must look back at our circumstances with the heart of God.
Here are things to keep in mind:
- Settle in your own mind that God will never demonstrate anything but absolute love, the cross is that evidence.
- Don’t try to understand what God is like from the MIDDLE of the circumstances.
- Ask God to show you the situation from HIS perspective.
- Wait on the Holy Spirit and use the Bible to help you understand your circumstances.
- Adjust your life to God and what you SEE him doing in your circumstances.
- Do all he tells you to do.
- Experience God working in and through you to accomplish his purposes.
Jesus watched the circumstances to know where the Father wanted to involve him in his work. So, to understand your circumstances, God’s perspective is vital.