When I Can't Work for God

Ever since the dawn of time and the constructive work of God to take some dust from the ground, form a man out of it and then breathe into him, God has designed for man to work.  There is no mistaking the purposes of God.  Adam was given a plethora of tasks: be fruitful and multiply and have dominion over some of creation (Gen 1:28), to take care of the Garden (Gen 2:15), name the animals (Gen 2:19).  This is a part of the good purposes of God in His creation.  Of course Adam and Eve, these representatives for the rest of humanity, also brought upon themselves and all thereafter the curse of God that resulted in work being difficult, and less than enjoyable (Gen 3:17-19).  But make no mistake about it, God's design includes work.

The Purpose of God's Faithfulness (observing Paul in prison)

We often give opposing things and people way too much credit for what they didn't do. We give them credit for what they haven't purposed.  We all too quickly point out the apparent sin in the lives of those who face opposition, or difficulty, because as we know and understand God, we believe living in a certain agreement with His rules seemingly provides us with an immunity to anything that is undesirable, painful, or oppressive in nature.  And we are quick to locate the specific sin in our lives for which we assume God has this cause against us for which we are apparently suffering.  But that is not necessarily the case, and indeed likely isn't at all the case. Difficult situations display something far greater than plans and purposes and results of the sinful and even our sin. 

Chasing After the Rejection of God

It is so easy to look at the failures of many of those before us at a different time and in a different place and quickly observe the folly of their foolishness.  As of late I have been reflecting on the Israelites and their freedom from Egypt.  For a group of people who saw things that nobody else ever saw they sure are quick to forget about the LORD.  Consider the ten plagues that God brought upon Egypt.  For all that could only be described as divinely miraculous, these people soon thereafter forgot about what God had done.  And though they advanced between two walls of water at the parting of the Red Sea, these same people shortly after found themselves doubting the same God who did that.