God has many promises throughout Scripture. Many like to focus on the more positive promises like His healing and salvation. I like those too and meditate on those often. But He also promises difficulties and challenges. Those challenges are there to strengthen and help us. When bad times come, too many of us cry out, “Why me?” What is interesting to me is that nobody says that when good things happen.
In the late 1800s the city of Chicago would build routinely any building over three stories high with about a four-inch drop to the sidewalk. They did this because they knew that the weight of the building over the next several years would push through the sandy ground underneath and would settle about four inches and then the buildings would be level with the sidewalks. By the turn of the 20th century Chicago had figured out not only how to stop the sinking buildings, they figured out how to build skyscrapers.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 7 that a solid foundation is the difference between a structure standing and falling. We need to build our foundations on something that does not change. In Chicago, the sandy ground often shifted and made many of those buildings unsound. Take a moment and ask yourself what your foundation really is. Now, if you are a Christian, I am sure that you will give a great Sunday School answer like, “Jesus.” While that is the correct answer, is that the truth in your life?
If today you lost everything. I mean everything. Your home, job, health, and anything else that lends stability to your life, could you still praise God? What if some enemy works to destroy your reputation with lies? Will you seek revenge in your own power? You could if God is Sovereign in your life. You would be able to say with Job, “and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”
In the Garden of Eden, most of us remember the one tree in the middle of the Garden called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. However, did you notice that there was also the Tree of Life. There was no restriction around the Tree of Life.
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil represents man’s wisdom. We think we are so wise. Daily we come up with our plans. We study and have a great understanding of the world and how to overcome the difficulties of our times.
I am often amazed by the faith that people put into science. Now don’t get me wrong: I appreciate science. They have given me much great knowledge. But remember that your weather report is based on science and how often is that accurate?
The amount of human knowledge is awesome. Science promises us a life of ease and comfort. Granted, life is in many ways easier than it was for our forebears. I do not need to walk three miles to the closest lake to get water to do my dishes. I turn on a tap and the water comes pouring out. I have a box in my kitchen that keeps my food fresh. When I build a fire in the fireplace, I do so because I want to, not because I must do so if I want to keep warm, and if I want to cook my meals. We have indoor plumbing and that is just the basics. The pioneers who raced across the land to lay claim to the area where I live would have sold body limbs to have the sort of ease that I enjoy every day. But with that ease comes unforeseen troubles. Some experts say that sitting is the new smoking. I feel distressed when my TV takes too long to stream my favorite show. That distress causes all sorts of troubles to my brain and nerve system. Again, these are just the simple little things.
This is the tree that was chosen by Adam and Eve. They wanted control and knowledge. The truth is that we are not much different than them. We love the world that we have created. There is a tendency even in the church to only worship the God that we have created. He must fit into our mold and do exactly what we want Him to do.
