Last night a very dear friend text me. She was very devastated and questioning God. You see, she was battling a cancer diagnose of a very close relative who was given 3-6 months to live by their Dr's. On top of that she has also experienced loosing two young close friends that left behind hurt and confused children, all in less than a year. She shared with me she was loosing her faith. To that, we reach out to God and we pray that He would reveal HIS truth to her and block any snares or traps or lies set by our enemy.
This morning during my Bible read, I came across a passage that I pondered. It was the part when Jesus was born that Herod had asked where the Christ was to be found. You see Herod, like many people today, wanted to kill Jesus. However, the wise men being led by a vision of God were instructed not to tell him, and Joseph, (Christ's earthly guardian) was instructed to take Jesus and flee to Egypt. Upon all this, Herod, filled with fear and anger, killed all the babies 2 years and younger, not only in Bethlehem, but in all the surrounding coasts.
Let's stop there.
What would that do to your faith? Many of us ask the question, "why would God not have stopped it?" Once we get to that point, we start to blame God. If God is so loving, why would He allow this? I know, because I've asked that question, my family has asked that question and being a life coach, I've heard this question more times than I can count.
Although, I don't know how to quite answer that question yet, I do know one thing. God did not kill those babies. Herod did. Herod was not living for God. What I do believe is that those babies are with God. Yet, we allow things like this to steer us from God and shake our faith. I understand. I've been shaken, but luckily, my new foundation has been built on Christ and although the winds and the waves used to destroy my foundation built on sand (my own knowledge) 12 yrs ago I began to build my new foundation on the rock (Jesus) and since then waves and winds (struggles and trials) have come, but my foundation remains strong. (Faith in Christ)
What I also know is eternity is our goal and our destination. It is just a matter of time and how much "time" we do not know. So with that being said, what truly should spur us on is not what worldly death looks like, but that our spirit is connected to His spirit so that we enter into eternity with Christ. If our spirit is not connected with His Spirit, we will enter into an eternity of pain and sorrow so intense it will make us gnash our teeth. Therefore, keep your eyes set like flint for the prize which will come in the blink of an eye....Eternity with Christ.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
Matthew 25 New International Version (NIV)