The Will Of God...

Why do bad things happen to good people? As a missionary, that is a common question I get asked. My simple answer, because He loves us enough to teach us.
During my life, I have discovered not only how much God loves me, but how important His plan is for me. God is the author of our lives. At times it may seem like we are running the show, but really, it is all Him. He has given us all that we have, everything from our bodies, to our possessions to life itself. There is nothing we have that does not belong to our Father in Heaven. Thus, there is pretty much nothing that we can give back to Him. Nothing except our will. Our will and the agency behind will are the only factors in life that we control.
As we go through life, our will is tested and tried. This life is not always easy, nor was it meant to be. It is a time of testing and trying. Our weaknesses are magnified and enlarged. We are often pushed to our very limits. Depression, anxiety, anger, resentment, disappointment and frustration are often present. This testing can often lead us to question the motives of God, and even if He is actually there.
The Will of the Lord
President Hugh B. Brown, formerly a member of the Twelve and a counselor in the First Presidency, provided a personal experience. He told of purchasing a rundown farm in Canada many years ago. As he went about cleaning up and repairing his property, he came across a currant bush that had grown over six feet (1.8 m) high and was yielding no berries, so he pruned it back drastically, leaving only small stumps. Then he saw a drop like a tear on the top of each of these little stumps, as if the currant bush were crying, and thought he heard it say:
“How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. … And now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me. … How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.”
President Brown replied, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.’”
My personal philosophy is "Be Humble, or Be Humbled". God loves us enough to teach us lessons for eternity. He gives us the blueprint of how we should live, and then lets us start building. Quite often, we don't quite follow this blueprint. So, God knocks us back down and shows us how to do it properly. This love takes us from sons of man, to sons of God.
The Will of Us
Our will is the only thing that we can give to God. We are faced with many trials and hardships in our lives. Many are difficult to overcome, some we may not overcome until the next life. But as we turn our will toward the Lord, He will help us.
When life seems hard, remember the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane. Bearing the sins and transgressions of the world, He performed the mighty ordinance of the Atonement. That event not only changed the world, but changed eternity. Jesus Christ invites all of us to "Come, follow me".To follow Him and be perfected.
"Comeunto me, allyethatlabourand are heavy laden, and I will give yourest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." - Matt 11:28-30

As we turn our will to God, and trust in Him, we are lifted beyond our weakness. Those things that hold us back in life can be taken away. All things are possible to them that believe. I testify of a loving God who wants us to succeed. He does not want to see us fail, and will do whatever it takes to help us as long as we are willing to follow Him. No trial in this life will last forever if we trust in the Lord. My favorite poem, "The Race. By Dee Groberg" has a line in it that we can all apply to our lives.
"For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all. And all we have to do to win, is Rise each time you fall..."
I know that God lives and loves you. I know that He loves you because He loves me. His Son Jesus Christ lives. He stands at the door and knocks; it is up to us to open it. As we turn our hearts and will to the Lord, we are opening that door to eternal life.
Nothing in this life is too hard for God to fix.
 
Romans chapter 5,

3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
 
Tribulations never produces character for the Charter of a man gets him though the tribulation.

Tribulations "Works" Patience. It does not build patience, but puts it to the test and tries it.

Patience through things builds experience. Like David who said God gave into my hand the lion and bear, who is this giant who has no covenant with God. Experience tells us (Provided we did not fail in faith or the patience part becoming weary) that God always comes through.

Which through experience is Hope in the Lord. Hope that is never made ashamed, meaning that God never failed anyone at any time.

Why do bad things happen to good people? As a missionary, that is a common question I get asked. My simple answer, because He loves us enough to teach us.

As we go through life, our will is tested and tried. This life is not always easy, nor was it meant to be. It is a time of testing and trying. Our weaknesses are magnified and enlarged. We are often pushed to our very limits. Depression, anxiety, anger, resentment, disappointment and frustration are often present.
My personal philosophy is "Be Humble, or Be Humbled". God loves us enough to teach us lessons for eternity. He gives us the blueprint of how we should live, and then lets us start building. Quite often, we don't quite follow this blueprint. So, God knocks us back down and shows us how to do it properly. This love takes us from sons of man, to sons of God.

Bad things do not happen to just good people, for who is good? For even Jesus said, "Why call me good?" Bad things happen to everyone bad or good.

God does not use Bad things to teach us. God does not use the tools of hell on his own children. We are told Scripture is profitable for reproof and Doctrine and he gave some Apostles, Prophets, Evangelist, pastors and teachers until we all come to the knowledge of Christ.

Nothing ever mentioned about using "Bad" Things to teach us anything. The Word is more than powerful enough.

God would do nothing to cause Depression, anxiety, anger, resentment, disappointment and frustration.


Jas 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
Depression, Anxiety, anger, resentment............................ All all qualities of no Joy, no Joy, no faith and that person is in trouble anyway.

God does not Humble Us, or "Smack" us down!

There is only 1 scripture that suggest this. We don't build doctrines on one scripture! Peter warned us about that.

Deut 8:16 God tried to humble them to prepare them to take the promise land and keep it. There was no sickness, shoes did not wear out and they were well taken care of. This is only one scripture out of the rest though.

None were humbled, all died anyway but Joshua, Calab and the Children.

2Ch_7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Mat_18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Jas_4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

God can only teach humility to those that will serve and obey him. That is something we choose, not something God forces on us. If God could force that on us or make us humble then all of Israel would have seen the promised land.

A person that humbles themselves can hear instruction and learn humility from the Lord, such as Paul's case which Paul only wanted what God wanted. (2Cor 12:21)

When things go Bad!!!

First thing is not to be like Job and wonder why or blame God like Job did. God is faithful to reveal anything to us that we have not been perfect minded about. We call out to get help from the Lord and trust in him. No weapon formed against us can prosper, and Jesus told us nothing by any means shall hurt you. So just relax............. get in the word and get meditating on scriptures.

When I was told of my sons terminal cancer...... (Became terminal in just 8 days of not responding to treatment) I was serving God and doing what I knew to do.

That means.................. the flood comes to the unsaved and saved alike.

Just like the flood, what position your in spiritually will determine if your house gets knocked over or still standing.

God has nothing to do with the flood, or had anything to do with my sons cancer. I knew who was responsible and I addressed that rat. No way was a devil getting away with killing my son. Not gonna happen.

The first day I got the Doctor report I went right to the devil and told him he had no right, He was out of line and to let go my son right away.
I never asked God to heal my son because it's already written......"By my stripes ye are healed, I'll perfect that which concerns you, and I had about 20 other things God already said. It's bad taste to ask for something already given. It's also unbelief.

Patience:

8 days my son got worse and worse. On the 8th day I got the call saying he would not live through the night, they could not stop the cancer as it was a rare from of T-cell.

We don't receive Evil reports and now was not the time to be moved.

My experience is that God never fails anyone that trust in Him, and what he did once, He will do again.

As we gain in experience we don't get moved at all. Just like David who had no doubt that Goliath would be an easy target considering God handed David the Lion and bear.

Scripture only.

Blessings.
 
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