God's Word to the Critics Part 2

​This blog is for those weary from the battles against evil being waged today everywhere, and those finding their personal lives turned upside down because of the economic problems. People are losing their jobs, homes, and life may be chaos for you now. God has not abandoned us. The bible gives examples of other's who've gone through the fire of affliction.
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King David wrote most of the Psalms. He sang of his great love and devotion to God with beautiful words of praise and worship. When you read them, he takes your spirit right into the throne room of God, and if you close your eyes, you can share the joy and exaltation that David expressed in them. But, he also wrote many that were cries of heartbreak, sorrow, grief, and yes, even anger. You rarely hear of these from preachers, because they are not popular. But they are in there for our benefit, and learning. When he was being chased by Saul who tried relentlessly to kill him, as well as his own son Absalom. During his lifetime, David did not win every battle, he lost some. But, what did he do? He got on his face and prayed. He asked God to show him why he lost, and what had to be done about it. We are far too quick to just throw up our hands and let the devil have everything. If I fail, I take it to God; and ask for understanding and guidance. We are down here on earth to learn and grow, and learn from our mistakes; even if we live to be 120. Everything we gain and learn here, we will use in heaven some day, I am convinced of this.

When he gave into temptation, and sinned with Bathsheba, what that sin cost him. But, also realize how God forgave him and restored him. (Ps. 51) How his heart was broken when his people spoke against him, and those who slandered him. Some of his prayers against them were hair-raising. It gives me cause to evaluate many of the prayers I've heard today and come to the conclusion that we really need to spend more time in the word of God to know how to pray with power, authority, and confidence against those who oppose us.

Moses didn't want to obey what God called him to do. He tried everything he could to get out of it. When God countered every one of his objections; he finally gave in, but he was reluctant because he knew what he would be facing.

At one point he said "The people you've told me to lead want to kill me!" There was more than one time he wanted to quit, and leave them all. Put yourself in his shoes, would you have done any better?

God allowed Satan to take everything from Job, and kill his children. Satan wasn't through, he challenged God saying if he allowed Satan to bring sickness to his body, he would curse God to his face. God gave him permission, but said "save his life". So, Job sat in the midst of his suffering, scraping off the boils from his skin, while his three miserable comforters sat at a distance in silence for days. But, when they finally opened their mouth, their counsels were full of evidence of their ignorance and arrogance. His wife came to him and said; "Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die." Job 2:9
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Perhaps you can relate to this in your circumstances. I hope you keep reading.

To any onlooker, it appeared that God himself had forsaken Job.

Job's conviction in the middle of this was; Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. Job 13:15

These were ordinary people like you and I. They knew the heat of the battle, and the consequences of sin, and the rejection and misunderstanding of people, even from their own family. They knew about traitors, the Judas' in their life, the fake friends, the tale-bearers, slanderers. They knew about getting attacked physically in their body; being wracked with pain.

What did they do?
They cried out to God. They were honest with him in their pain, in their frustration, in their discouragement, and suffering. They didn't cover it up, they didn't put on their best "happyface", and spew out phony rhetoric. They looked up and poured out their complaints, and told God what they needed, and what they were feeling.

There's times when we are in the fire of affliction, or facing the taunts, and mocking of the devils' crowd, the right response is to look them in the eye, and mock them, and confront their attacks.

When Elijah confronted the false prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, he watched them as they cried and called out to their gods to consume their sacrifice-but no answer came, nothing happened. Elijah's response was a teaching for us:

1Ki 18:25  And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. 
1Ki 18:26  And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. 
1Ki 18:27  And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. 
1Ki 18:28  And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 

Wow-what do you think the church people would do today, with somebody like him?....he'd be kicked out and told to not come back. I've been there, and know what I'm talking about.

Elijah couldn't resist mocking these false prophets gone mad in a frenzy, and his boldness bordered on sarcasm. To be "engaged in business", can be used as a euphemism for bodily elimination-going to the toilet. He would never make it on TBN, or most Christian media today-for sure.
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God wants to mold his people into overcomers. The battle's we face and the scars we acquire are part and parcel of getting there. You will be too, if you just don't quit. Like a poem I read once; "rest if you must, but don't you quit."

Rev 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. 
See also: Rev_2:11, Rev_2:17, Rev_2:26-28, Rev_3:5, Rev_3:12, Rev_3:21, Rev_12:10-11, Rev_15:2, Rev_21:7; Joh_16:33; 1Jn_5:4-5
Lorna Couillard