God, I Just Don’t Understand

Most, if not all of us, have said the following to God, "God, I just don't understand." The reason we have said this to God is because something has happened, or didn't happen, that we don't understand.

Maybe this is you.

You have said to God, "God, I just don't understand."

Your heart is hurting.

Your mind is confused.

You were told by your Pastor, Bible teacher, small group leader, mentor, or friend that through your faith, through your right believing in the finished work of Jesus, God would bless you with a better job, a restored marriage, a healed body.

But the better job hasn't come. A restored marriage hasn't happened. And your body, or the body of your family member or friend, has not been healed.

You have been told that, through faith in his grace, the finished work of Jesus on the cross, God will bless you with success, healing, and long life. You been have told that, through the finished work of Jesus on the cross, God would deliver you from all trouble and sickness.

You were told success, health, healing, long life, and deliverance from trouble would come by believing and resting in the finished work of Jesus. But none have happened.

This has led you to two conclusions:

Conclusion #1: Something is wrong with my faith. My believing is not right.

You are beginning to doubt your faith. You think you aren't believing right. You think, since you aren't believing right, you can't receive God's blessings.

You have been told to keep believing and you will experience your breakthrough...to push through by faith and your breakthrough will follow.

You have been told to keep believing and you will enter your new season of health, wealth, and prosperity.

You have kept believing...for years you have kept believing. You have now concluded it is your faith that is wrong. You now think your believing is not right.

Conclusion #2: Something is wrong with God.

You are beginning to doubt the goodness and love of God. Even though you were taught God is good and loving, and wants to bring you success, a better job, restored health, protection from sickness, deliverance from trouble, etc..., the very opposite is happening in your life.

May I suggest a third conclusion?

Conclusion #3: Something is wrong with what you were taught about the finished work of Jesus, the grace of God.

I believe in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, his grace. It changed my life.

I believe in the finality of the cross. I believe all my sins have been forgiven and I am innocent and righteous through Jesus who took my guilt and sinfulness upon himself at the cross. I believe I am not under law but under grace. I believe I am under no condemnation because took my condemnation upon himself at the cross. I believe I am at peace with God because of Jesus. I believe Jesus rose from the grave, ascended into heaven, and will one day return. I believe that God is my loving, kind, good, gentle, and patient Father.

Yet I don't believe the Bible teaches that the promises of success, prosperity, health, healing, deliverance from all troubles, protection from illness, etc...will be experienced in this world (age), but will be experienced in the world to come.

The Bible talks about the Kingdom of God or Heaven coming to earth. The Bible promises a King (Messiah, Christ) who will rule over the earth, bringing God's Kingdom from heaven to earth. When this King rules over his Kingdom, peace and prosperity will flow to all people everywhere. We know this King as Jesus.

The miracles of Jesus during his time on earth were pictures of every day life in his Kingdom. In his Kingdom, there will be no more death, sickness, disease, poverty, paralysis, addictions, blindness, deafness, storms, hunger, pain, mourning, tears, etc... There will be complete healing and wholeness for everyone in his Kingdom.

According to the Bible, everyone in his Kingdom, all over the world, will be happy, healthy, and whole when he ushers in the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21-22). When this occurs, there will be no more tears, no more crying, no more mourning, no more death, and no more pain. The old order of things will have passed away.

What is the old order things? Sickness, disease, trouble, pain, hurt, heartache, problems, addiction, blindness, paralysis, deafness, hunger, difficulties, pain, heartache, etc...

Until then...

Jesus said that in this world we will have trouble, but to be encouraged because he overcame the world. Jesus suffered on this earth. He cried out with great tears of pain. Because Jesus lived in the old order of things, what we live in now, he can sympathize with us in our suffering, tears, and pain (Hebrews 4:16).

The Bible says we will experience trials and tribulations on this earth. Even though we live under the new covenant of grace, we still live in the old order of things in this world. This is so important to understand.

Right now, we look forward to the home of righteousness that is to come, as Peter calls it in 2 Peter 3:13. We look forward with joy to the wonders of the new earth that are to come. But until our home of righteousness comes, we will go through trials (1 Peter 1:3-12).

I know you have been taught by well meaning pastors, teachers, Bible study leaders, mentors, and friends that health, prosperity, healing, protection from sickness, etc...can be all yours, today...right now...by believing in the finished work of Christ on the cross.

But the Bible teaches just opposite. Yes...these are yours. They are your eternal inheritance, but they will only be experienced in the coming Kingdom.

Today, we experience fully and freely every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:3 that the Father has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. These spiritual blessings include forgiveness, righteousness, being made holy, blameless, and alive in Christ, seated with Christ in the heavenlies, knowing God as Father, being a member of his family of grace, and being saved forever.

In the coming age, the home of righteousness, (Ephesians 2:7; 2 Peter 3:13), we will experience the material and physical blessings. But for now, we live on the unrestored, unrenewed earth.

One day Jesus will return, restore, and renew everything, just as the Bible says (Acts 3:21). We look forward to this day!

But until this day comes, my prayer for those who don't understand...for those with ongoing sicknesses, hurts, pains, troubles, job losses, financial problems, etc... is that you now know there is nothing wrong with your faith and there is nothing wrong with your God. There was just something wrong with what you were taught.

For now...rest in God's spiritual blessings on this earth and look forward to his physical and material blessings on the new earth to come.

If you would like to read more on the new earth to come: CLICK HERE

If you would like to read related articles on disappointment with God, CLICK HERE

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