{"id":25565,"date":"2019-04-25T03:30:54","date_gmt":"2019-04-25T10:30:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/?p=25565"},"modified":"2019-04-23T13:42:26","modified_gmt":"2019-04-23T20:42:26","slug":"april-25-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2019\/04\/25\/april-25-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"April 25, 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cWhen you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.\u00a0 When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.\u201d <\/em>Isaiah 43:2<\/p>\n

Hard Questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Who among us hasn\u2019t questioned God on this fire and flood verse in Isaiah? How can a claim like that be made? Clearly, the reality of life is that \u201cgood, strong Christians\u201d perish in floods and fires and all manner of mayhem.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen wonderful believers question their faith when someone they love suffers the most agonizing demise (been there, done that). For them God becomes a semi-nice Guy in the sky who has turned His back and let horrendous things happen.<\/p>\n

I remember that for most of my dad\u2019s life, he just couldn\u2019t \u201cbuy into\u201d religion or the Bible. Since nothing made logical sense to him, it was easier not to believe at all and fight his way through the tragedies of life alone. But, praise the Lord, he accepted Jesus in his later years, as angels in heaven rejoiced!<\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s perfectly OK to question God with our hard questions. Some may think it shows a lack of faith, but I think it\u2019s being honest with a loving God who \u201c\u2026was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Hebrews 4:15.<\/p>\n

Recently, I ran across the Isaiah 43:2 verse in a devotional. Once again, I imagined those floods and flames, as I threw sideways glances at my loving Jesus. Really, Lord? I just don\u2019t understand. How? That\u2019s when something like a bit of a lightning bolt permeated my thought process. Since we are all made up of three distinct parts, body, soul and spirit, could it be that at times this wild promise of protection refers to our spirit rather than the body itself?!<\/p>\n

Perhaps. And perhaps I am the last to understand, but I felt comfort to know that nothing, not furious fire, damaging flood, or any manmade catastrophe can ever\u00a0<\/em>destroy our spirits, which are hid in Christ! And that\u2019s where we fellowship and commune with the Lord, here and now\u2014our spirit with His Spirit. We are secure, protected for eternity with Jesus as our Savior. The real\u00a0<\/em>me, and the real\u00a0<\/em>you, that resides deep in our hearts, will live forever gloriously fulfilled in Christ. Amen!<\/p>\n

\u201cDear Lord, thank You for giving us day-to-day healing and protection, here and now\u2014I\u2019ve seen it and experienced it, and I am so grateful. \u201cYou are a strong tower for all those who run to you\u201d (Proverbs 18:10).\u00a0 And, thank You also for the ultimate protection when it\u2019s time to shed these earthly shells\u2014safe passage for our spirits to our heavenly home. Amen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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