He is good....

Had a most excellent conversation with Meredith last night on the way home. I don’t remember how it got started but I was able to share with her that following Jesus is not easy. Actually, sometimes it is very hard, especially when other people you thought believed like you, act in ways that cause you hurt and pain. When that happens, hopefully our relationship with Him and our faith is strengthened as we pray and read the Word about how He would have us respond. Do we always respond appropriately? Of course not, because we are human. But He knows our hearts and if our hearts are bent toward doing His will, then He honors that.

We also talked about our responsibilities as believers in Jesus to help the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the widow, stand up for the orphan, etc. and that some people when you speak up about those things simply don’t like it. She asked me why. I gave her a few reasons, based on my own past experiences. Humans are interesting beings. Generally we know right from wrong because we are made in His image…the imago dei. Because of that, when we are not doing as He tells us, we know it, and when confronted with it, we get convicted, and most of the time we don’t like it. Let’s face it, the truth hurts. I have faced that many times in my own life. I either have to face the truth, re-evaluate my heart and make some changes, or ignore the truth and keep on like I was doing and hope the thing that is presenting the truth at the time, shuts up and goes away.

However, as believers we know that the Truth of the Gospel never returns void. It also is sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing deep within. We all have choices to make when it comes to living a life pleasing to the Lord and we will all give an account for our decisions and actions. We ended the conversation by me telling Meredith that no matter how bad it hurts, I will never regret obeying the Lord. She said that sometimes it seems like it is not worth it. I reassured her, though, that in the moment when things are difficult, it is hard to see the big picture. So, we must focus on what we DO know….God is good, He loves us, He provides for us, and He is faithful. He died for us, so the least we could do for Him is to love Him completely.