February is the month associated with love, hearts, and flowers. I was contemplating my relationship with God, my family, and my friends. I was thinking about those who are alone and yet surrounded with people who love them.
I am becoming aware that there are many healthy and of sound mind lovers of God who don’t really understand His love for them. I have been going through some big challenges these past years. At one point I realized how angry at God I was for not answering my prayers as I expected. I was alone in my living room praising and worshipping Him when I fell to my knees crying out to Him in anger yelling, “I trusted you! I trusted you that you wouldn’t allow that to happen! I even prayed!!” I was so distraught and sobbing at His feet. I was so angry and I felt betrayed by Him and His word.
I was sharing this encounter with a person, who is not from VOT or California, so don’t try to figure it out. Haha. This person has been serving God her whole life and not less than 50-60 years. She immediately became scared for me and said, “You can’t talk to God like that and you better not stay mad at Him”. There was an actual fear that I was real with my emotions and had this conversation with God. Religion does this to a person. I am in a relationship. In a healthy relationship you are able to be real with each other and in this instance, God.
After a while when I was having my fit with God, He gently came over me and showed me His heart in the situation. You see, He doesn’t want for others to hurt others and He doesn’t want offenders to be offenders. He showed me His heart for the victim and His heart for the offender. Now, if I wasn’t sobbing enough already! God reminded me that He gave man free will. His heart’s desire is for us to choose His ways. His ways are higher than our ways. God is a God of integrity and He does not change. He cannot stop someone choosing to violate His statutes. He can lead, guide, protect, and provide His covering, but He will not overtake our will. There is nothing we can do that is “bad enough” for God to stop loving us.
Romans 8:38-39: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us fro the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NIV
I love God with my whole heart and soul. He is my everything! I get to be real with Him. We argue, I obey, He fulfills His promises. Relationships are a 2-way street. I chose to partner with God many years ago and He’s never let me down. As you commit to building your relationship with God, you come to understand Him more. You begin to think like Him, you become more like Him.
Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thought than your thoughts.” NIV
We approach prayer and basically all things, from our perspective. The word of the Lord for this season is perspective. We need to begin to pray to see and hear God’s perspective. We often react and pray according to what we want and how we expect the answer should come. God has a higher perspective as He sees all and knows all. It is important for us to move to a higher level of faith. When we see His perspective and pray accordingly, we will see bigger victories. Sometimes in situations we see what is in front of us and want to claim the victory as we see it. God sees the more. I’d rather have the more. How about you? I’d rather let God provide the answer. I’d rather trust that He has our better interest at heart and that He is guiding our way.
God loves you so much more than you can comprehend. He will never leave you. He will always come when you call. Be assured that what is spoken in Romans 8 is for YOU.
Be blessed and know that you are never alone and you are loved.
P. Michele Grade
