If We're Honest: Cause & Consequence

He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  

There won't be any more death or mourning or crying or pain, 
for the old order of things has passed away. 

~Revelation 21:4

Often when difficult times come, we doubt.

Every decision that led up to our moment of difficulty and immense loss, is now like a ping-pong ball within our mind, racketing back and forth, searching for a reason, an answer to why this affliction has fallen upon us.  Our first response, is often our worst and if we're honest, the reason for this is that we answered with doubt where faith once stood.  The result is always the same when doubt visits, we question the goodness of God.

If we're honest, those of us who have been there-done that, would say we reached a point, where for a moment or moments, we failed to remember exactly why loss was embracing us.   We would share, we had forgotten all about the fall of man, in that moment, that we had forgotten that sin had entered the world and corrupted everything...even our DNA, in that moment.

If we're honest.  We would share with you how in that moment, what we "needed" most was the very ONE whom it "felt" had forgotten us.  Gone in those moments of doubt, were the bubbly emotions of "If you're happy and you know it" and praise to God from our lips.  We certainly had emotions, but they were not bubbly and they were must assuredly, not happy.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 4:6-7

How quickly it becomes apparent in times of loss, that without a deep understanding of our fallen condition, our emotions will betray the very commitment we profess...every single time.  How quickly it becomes apparent, that it is vital we understand what originally set suffering into motion...this in itself answers the question of "why" we are suffering. The cause can be easily pinpointed back to the disobedience of Adam and Eve and a serpent bent on destruction.

Truth is, the cause is all too easily forgotten...in the moment.  If we're not quick to redirect our thoughts and hands back to the Word of God, we will grapple with the consequences of a corrupted DNA on our own.  The once commitment to Christ we declared, is now set aside as bitterness asserts itself and takes root.  Where faith in Christ once declared commitment...the serpent has now inserted doubt.  This doubt being his ultimate objective, to divide us from the JOY of our salvation!

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ~Ephesians 6:12

I've watched giants of the faith, grown men and women stubble and fall away from the gospel they once joyfully proclaimed...as disillusionment advanced.  Disillusionment brought about by a broken marriage, death of a loved one, loss of income, or something else, but honest to goodness LOSS in life.  However, this disillusionment was brought about, in part, to their not recognizing the cause of the pain, nor embracing the ONE who brings relief in the midst of it.

For me, relief came when I began to be able to pinpoint the enemy in my midst.  The pain was no less painful, but I remembered who was the cause of the pain and who wasn't.  I began to run toward the ONE who embraced loss for me on the cross and rose from the grave..so that I might live should I call upon the name of Jesus.  

I will close with a quote from Corrie Ten Boom, who endured great loss and pain under the occupation of the Nazi's, during WWII.  She wrote the following... "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.".  In all our loss, in all the pain, God is our ever present hope in times of need.

Run to Jesus!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings to closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.  ~Hebrews 12:1-3