Is God Really For Us?

Lately it seems like nothing can go "right" for our family. It's gets frustrating as every week seems to bring more discouragement and disappointment. My husband applies for jobs and never gets called back so he continues to work hard with little to show for his efforts. Medical procedures we thought were covered by our insurance are not costing us an additional $900. My physical condition continues to decline. I spend the large majority of my day lying down and I struggle to care for my daughter. Even simple housework, like washing dishes, has become a challenge as new pain in my legs prohibits me from standing for long. Most of our meals are provided by friends and family and my husband runs most of the errands. I have become unreliable, which is very contrary to my personality, and I feel like we are those people that always have something wrong them, as if it is in those people's control anyway.

Despite our strong faith in the Lord, life is still a daily struggle and right now we can't see an end in sight to my pain or our current life situation. It's in these moments that one looking in from outside, and even ourselves at times, could wonder if God is really for us, asking the ever popular question, "If God is so good, how could he let ________ happen?".

When life gets extra hard and nothing seems to go the way we want, I often say to myself, "God is for us...not against us." I was encouraged yet again with this, one of my favorite passages of scripture, while reading "Be Still My Soul",  edited by Nancy Guthrie, (a wonderful book of readings for the suffering soul that I highly recommend).

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?"  Romans 8:31-32 

 Despite what our brain tells us, if we are trusting in Christ as our Savior, God is for us. Even if life gets really, really bad, God is for us. Even though we know with one word He could take it all away and yet He doesn't, God is still for us. And how can we be sure of this? Because God sent His only son to die a death He didn't deserve so that we who trust and follow Him might have a restored relationship to God and live with Him forever in Heaven instead of dying and going to Hell. If God has solved our biggest problem, sin, surely we can trust Him to handle all the lesser problems of this life.

"Yes, my deepest fears may become realities. I may not be able to understand what God is doing in or to my life; he may seem to be hiding his face from me; my heart may be broken. But can I not trust the One who demonstrated his love for me? When I was helpless in my sin he sent Christ to die for me (Romans 5:8). If he has done that, will he not work all things together for my good? Will he withhold any thing that is ultimately for the good of those who trust him?" Sinclair Ferguson

Sometimes the "lesser problems" feel huge though and it's hard to trust though, isn't it? I know it is for me. Thankfully scripture stands firm when I cannot. And so we must continue to remind ourselves that God is for us, even when the enemy, the world, and circumstances tell us differently. Somehow, someway God is working even ______ for our good.