I Feel Farther Away From God When I'm in Times of Progress
There are times I just like asking God why He allows bad times to happen. There are times I just want to brag to him about how "righteous" I am never mind that my changed life was a result of His grace and imputed righteousness. Apart from which I have no righteousness of my own this timeless truth:
1 Corinthians 15:10
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Everything was the result of God's grace. There's no power against sin outside the grace of God. When I got saved I am an overcomer by the grace of God. I want to do good because He makes me want to do good. I want to choose good because of His grace. But when I start to say, "But Lord I've been so faithful why is this happening?" then I suffer from some form of self-righteousness. That's why Jesus told people to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. This isn't necessarily thinking one's good enough for Heaven but when one takes pride in one's own good works at one point or another.
I remember this verse when I think about why hard times come:
2 Corinthians 12:7
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
The problem is that when I am at ease, it's very easy to forget God. The flesh just loves to be at ease. When one is at ease it's very easy to forget the grace of God. I remember how Samson wasted his God-given strength and bragged about how he thrown out a thousand Philistines. God had to suffer Samson to thirst that he realized he was in vain (Judges 15:18-19). His downfall was when he got self-sufficient that Delilah managed to get him to reveal the secret of his strength (Judges 16). Solomon was also another case. When he was at ease he ended up having so many women that led him astray. He forgot who entrusted to him all the glory. That's why he penned Ecclesiastes as a book that wrote of his repentance.
Why God allows me to suffer is part of His plan. Yes it's His will that I suffer because if He gives me all ease it would make me forget Him. I find myself having a hard time praying or devoting myself to extensive Bible reading in times of ease. When people around me praise me it's hard for me to be humble and easy to be arrogant. When that happens God has every right to chastise me. John 15:1-8 talks about the vineyard. God the Father prunes the branches when they produce less fruit. While false branches are just thrown away but God the Father continues to work with believers one way or another. One way He certainly does it is through tribulation and trials to get them back on track.
Why God allows me to suffer is part of His plan. Yes it's His will that I suffer because if He gives me all ease it would make me forget Him. I find myself having a hard time praying or devoting myself to extensive Bible reading in times of ease. When people around me praise me it's hard for me to be humble and easy to be arrogant. When that happens God has every right to chastise me. John 15:1-8 talks about the vineyard. God the Father prunes the branches when they produce less fruit. While false branches are just thrown away but God the Father continues to work with believers one way or another. One way He certainly does it is through tribulation and trials to get them back on track.
I would also say that God's way of protecting me is through unfortunate times. Why I don't get what I want is because it's not according to His will (1 John 5:14). When I pray for something that's not going to be good for me (ex. asking Him to help me get an unbelieving woman's affections rather than win her to Christ) then He has every reason not to give it to me. When I'm in hard times the only thing I can think is I may have some unconfessed sin or pride that God wants to be removed. He knows what He's doing and I have no right to complain about it.
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