Simple Truths

Hey sorry for taking over the blog. I might create my own for personal reasons. I don't mean to take over the blog or discourage people from posting xD

Some simple truths that God is revealing to me. Do I really believe this?

Anyway, to setup I was reading Game Plan! http://gameplanmanga.com/

1) "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Rom 8:28
Do I really believe in what the Bible says? Jeremiah 29:11 says, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Do I believe this? I often finding myself wishing I had this or that. Or that things would go my way. Do I believe that God works all things for good? Do I believe that God has plans for me? Plans better than I can orchestrate myself. Why am I so stuck on getting things to go my way? Sometimes I think God is out to get me, or make my life harder just for fun. But this goes against what God is. God is loving and sovereign. His plans are the best, not to harm us. What goes on in my life right now is for the best.

If you haven't read about the story of Joseph you should read it Genesis 37-50. I love this story, basically some really messed up things happen to Joseph but everything ends up working out in the end. At the end Joseph tells his brothers who sold him into slavery, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:12. When I look at my circumstances in my life, a lot of times I can't help but want more things. I wish this thing would go that way. Or that circumstances would be different. Woe is me right?

But if God really loves me and has a plan for me. In fact He has the BEST plan for me. I know everything will work out in the end. And things don't just work out, but He will bless me, because I'm His son. Things will work out for the BEST. Josh McDowell talks about in his sermon "Maximum Dating" (it's pretty not legit I wouldn't recommend it) that after a breakup with his girlfriend of many years he was literally weeping and cursing God. But he comes upon the realization that if God leads him to breakup, that means the woman that God has in store for him to be his wife is even more amazing than his current girlfriend! Haha, this is actually quite comforting knowing that as relationships grow sour or things don't go my way, I can't wait to see what even more amazing things God has in store for me!

If I really believe that God's plan is the best...
Why do I complain?
Why do I wish for things that don't go my way?
Why am I unhappy?
Why am I jealous? Why do I covet?

Instead all I can do is keep praying and wait patiently for even more blessings to come in the future. Beacuse all the pain I am going through right now is purposeful. Perhaps I will never learn or figure the purpose out. But I can pray that God will reveal it to me, and that I can trust that God's plan will work out way better than if I try to meddle and force things to go my way with my own hands.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renwed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on waht is unsee. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Cor 4:16-18


2) I don't have a verse at this second for this one. But I am afraid of messing things up.
I think it's just my nature to keep believing that I can somehow mess up God's plan. Or I keep thinking that God is displeased with me. I often do mental checks are my motives correct? Am I being selfish? Am I being lazy? I am constantly trying to figure out if I'm doing the right thing or the wrong thing, because I am afraid that God might be displeased with me.

Oh I'm having a bad day, I must be sinning today. Or I feel anxious, maybe I should pray harder. Erick Loh mentioned at rally this past week, that it is only the grace of God that we are allowed to turn our face away from our own problems and sin and look upon the grace of God. (or something like that). Alot of times are faces are stuck looking at ourselves, at our sin and at our weaknesses. But when God gives us the grace to look up at Him and not at ourselves, we get a more eternal perspecitves that allows us to see a reason to our suffering.

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:15-16

God knows us and undersands us. Here is something that might be controversial: He is never displeased with us! He is always willing to extend grace and forgiveness and we can approach the throne of grace with confidence! That He will give us mercy and grace in our time of need. There is no prequisite for this grace. No fasting, no fancy prayer, no attitude change, or act of pennace or good faith. God gives freely. And is always willing to freely give grace to everyone. So shouldn't we show that grace to others? Romans 8:38-39 says, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angeles nor demons, nither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to sperate us from the love of God that is Christ Jesus our Lord." Nothing can get in between us and God's love. Nothing can make God love us any more or any less. Whether God's love is deseved or undeserved (actually it's always undeserved but sometimes we feel like its especially undeserved). He still offers it to us, and He never holds our sins against us.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrigtheousness." 1 Jn 1:9


I want to close with a story:

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultury. they made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
"No one sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."


I think this is Jesus's attitude on sin. I can't count how many of the times I feel afraid of doing wrong or of being rebuked. I am always afraid of doing the wrong thing of being condemned by people, my leaders, my parents, or of God. Similarly, I try super hard to do the most right thing, often failing to be able to keep the standards that I set up for myself. But Jesus understands us. And because of His sacrifice His grace is offered freely to all of us. He neither condemns or judges, He only forgives and asks us, "Go now and leave your life of sin." In other words, you are forgiven, you are set free. Go now and sin no more.