I'm struggling

[RustyAngeL]

My wife, son, and I have been going thru hard times for the last few years. My wife had a mental breakdown (or has been under spiritual attack). She has very slowly been improving. My autistic son was diagnosed a couple of years with Chrohn's disease. Our lives have pretty much slowed to a halt, due mostly to my wife's condition. I could write a book on what we have been thru. Since Katrina, we have been in a situation where we have not even been able to live together. I am trying to get us a place in Texas to live but is taking a little time.

Anyway, I used to feel much closer to God and much less condemned. Lately, I feel like I may have a bitterness toward God. I think about my wife, Katrina victims, earthquake victims, those in Africa who have no food or water, etc. I wonder why a loving God would create people only to see them suffer, be tormented, or destroyed. Why create them to start with? If God can see past, present, and future, and knew that Satan would turn bad, then why create the angel that became Satan? I am familiar with Job, how it rains on the just and the unjust, predestination, and scripture about chastening. But that doesn't really explain letting millions and millions go thru hell on earth.

Another thing.....

We are told in the Bible to humble ourselves and that pride is a bad thing...

Yet God requires constant praise, worship, attention, exhaltation, and adoration. Why would He need these things? Does God need His ego pumped up?

I guess I just have a bad attitude and don't really understand some things. Flame away.

Please pray for us.

God never promised us this life would be easy. He did promise never to leave us or forsake us. In spite of what you are going through you and your family are still the apple of His eye. The praise and worship is not so much for Him I believe but for us. If we can praise Him in the really tough times then we can do anything. God does not have an ego but we do and we need to loose our pride and as scripture humble ourselves. I can't imagine what you have been through. I know that I have a constant struggle with a husband who gambles and I know how tough it can be to praise God when you are working three jobs and are told you have to wait for something you really want. For me is a new computer so I can get back into chat. Then watch him go to the track and loose everything he has made that week while I as I said work three jobs to clean up the mess he has created. (I'm a chat admin) and I"m really missing my brothers and sisters and the fellowship. All I can tell you to do is just hang in there and keep praising even when you don't feel like it and when you don't think your prayers or praise is going any higher then the ceiling. I promise you He will bring it all together and will give you back your family so you can be together again. The most important thing is to be totally honest with God. Don't hold anything back, He knows your heart anyway so just as my dad would say, "let her rip". God loves you and as I said will meet you and bring it all together. I'm praying.

[Biscuit]

Thank you, Valerie, for your kind words and prayers. While I do not wish for you to suffer, it is a comfort that we are not the only ones going thru these things. I will pray for you as well and that God will meet your needs with what you are going thru.

Thanks, Internalflame, for your perspective. I will study those verses and see if I can make better sense of things. I don't understand this. You stated "Sin is something we choose to bring upon ourselves when Eve ate the apple..." But I feel that you and I didn't really choose this, but receive the punishment for something which Adam and Eve did some 6000 years ago. I don't get that. And God knew that they would fall and sin would enter the world. And He knew that Satan would turn evil. And if He knew that Adam would fall and that there would be so much suffering and death in the world, why not just nip it and avoid the whole process of creating earth, making man, etc. Maybe God was lonely and wanted a remnant out of all these humans that He could bond with and call His children. But the remaining majority of mankind will suffer, die, and spend eternity in Hell? I don't mean to sound arrogant in any way....it's just something I do not understand. I will study scripture more and ask God to open my eyes to His truth.

Hi RustyAngel, I know what you are saying. You reach a point where it is hard to pray or praise. I have had times when I was so depressed that I could not even cry. I am sorry that your husband gambles and that you are having to pick up the slack. I know that is hard. I have had to "pick up the slack" in my family and do all the things/chores that my wife once did, plus hold down a job. I pray that God delivers your husband and that He lifts at least some of this heavy burden off your shoulders.

James

[~SPIRITBLADE~]

Thank you, Valerie, for your kind words and prayers. While I do not wish for you to suffer, it is a comfort that we are not the only ones going thru these things. I will pray for you as well and that God will meet your needs with what you are going thru.

Thanks, Internalflame, for your perspective. I will study those verses and see if I can make better sense of things. I don't understand this. You stated "Sin is something we choose to bring upon ourselves when Eve ate the apple..." But I feel that you and I didn't really choose this, but receive the punishment for something which Adam and Eve did some 6000 years ago. I don't get that. And God knew that they would fall and sin would enter the world. And He knew that Satan would turn evil. And if He knew that Adam would fall and that there would be so much suffering and death in the world, why not just nip it and avoid the whole process of creating earth, making man, etc. Maybe God was lonely and wanted a remnant out of all these humans that He could bond with and call His children. But the remaining majority of mankind will suffer, die, and spend eternity in Hell? I don't mean to sound arrogant in any way....it's just something I do not understand. I will study scripture more and ask God to open my eyes to His truth.

Hi RustyAngel, I know what you are saying. You reach a point where it is hard to pray or praise. I have had times when I was so depressed that I could not even cry. I am sorry that your husband gambles and that you are having to pick up the slack. I know that is hard. I have had to "pick up the slack" in my family and do all the things/chores that my wife once did, plus hold down a job. I pray that God delivers your husband and that He lifts at least some of this heavy burden off your shoulders.

James

My Dearest Brother,

God doesn't NEED us for praise.....(more angels than you can count have that job already. However SATAN needs you to think that From a LOGICAL stand-point, God needs us for EXPERIENCE.

When will God know your stress, (save you LIVE-IT). God cannot be threatened, or perecuted, or attacked in anyway. He needs us to have 'experience'.

even i, am a Papa. As such, i don't NEED my son's praise, but i would be ANGRY if he called another, 'father', (and well should i).

i hope a little time, a Grace will reveal what lies before you is , (in fact) not mearly as imposing as first thought.

Travel well my Brother.

[Biscuit]

oops...duplicate post.

Edited March 24, 2006 by Biscuit

[carant2000_2001]

hi

i agree we do not always understand why things happen.

but believe me God does know your every need, call

on him. his son Jesus took every sin upon him for you

and your family. i believe also the things happen, that make

us stronger. praise him in the storm. remember Job from

the bible. God loved him but yet he still suffered alot

he praised God, thats why we praise him. i will pray for you and

your family. just remember the devil loves to lie to us and make

us doubt that we are worthy. God loved us so much that he was

willing to send his son to us, to die on a cross.

in Christ,

carolyn

[Sundance]

Quoting Biscuit: Another thing.....

We are told in the Bible to humble ourselves and that pride is a bad thing...

Yet God requires constant praise, worship, attention, exhaltation, and adoration. Why would He need these things? Does God need His ego pumped up?

Hi Biscuit~

My heart really goes out to you in your situation. While I've never faced your identical circumstances, I have known heartache. I'd like to encourage you with this scripture if I may:

Hebrews 12:2-3

2) Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3) For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

We have a Great Hight Priest, that can be touched with our pain..... because HE HIMSELF has suffered.... and that in HUMBLE obedience. You see, you are not in a place that HE doesn't understand from HIS suffering. That same High Priest, also lives today to 'make intersession' for you. Praying for you....

[ZhenQing]

I've been having a mental breakdown a year ago, but recently I've found my way back to God and I feel closer to Him now. Yes, as you know the story of Job in the Bible, God gives and God can take away. Be thankful that you had a wife and a loving son, if He's going to take them away right now, it'll be His right. This is a challenging time for your faith as He did with Job. There's no easy way being a Christian, I know sometimes I bitter with God, but deep down I don't, because I know Satan is lurking around.

[InternalFlame]

Thanks, Internalflame, for your perspective. I will study those verses and see if I can make better sense of things. I don't understand this. You stated "Sin is something we choose to bring upon ourselves when Eve ate the apple..." But I feel that you and I didn't really choose this, but receive the punishment for something which Adam and Eve did some 6000 years ago. I don't get that. And God knew that they would fall and sin would enter the world. And He knew that Satan would turn evil. And if He knew that Adam would fall and that there would be so much suffering and death in the world, why not just nip it and avoid the whole process of creating earth, making man, etc. Maybe God was lonely and wanted a remnant out of all these humans that He could bond with and call His children. But the remaining majority of mankind will suffer, die, and spend eternity in Hell? I don't mean to sound arrogant in any way....it's just something I do not understand. I will study scripture more and ask God to open my eyes to His truth.

Well, Adam and Eve started the whole path into sin, however, we as people today still choose the wrong things all the time, and when we choose wrong things there are almost always circumstances. We cannot begin to fathom God's mind and why He choose to make us; all we can do is study the Bible and speculate.

Good luck on your studies brother

[cjrose]

Another thing.....

We are told in the Bible to humble ourselves and that pride is a bad thing...

Yet God requires constant praise, worship, attention, exhaltation, and adoration. Why would He need these things? Does God need His ego pumped up?

Firstly, let me say how sorry I am for your situation and what has happened in your lives. I can relate to your wife having a mental breakdown because I've had a few myself and I've done things that I regret. In the time when I felt like I lost my mind, I sinned more than I really would care to believe. But I can't blame God for my bad choices or the breakdown in my emotional state. Only myself. I do not believe that God has an ego. And I've heard the question asked so many times, how can a loving God let things like famine and illness destroy lives. It is only my opinion but God has a plan for all of our lives and in this world He created free will and at this very moment He is preparing a room for you in the Kingdom of Heaven where there is no famine, illness, violence and death. That is why we have these things on earth. It is free will and there will be an end one day to all of the inhuman, barbaric and nonsensical life that we witness everyday of our lives.

People interpret the Bible differently. I don't believe that pride is a bad thing but we should be humble and we should praise, worship, exhalt and adore our loving God because of the greatest sacrafice that one could give. If you can ask why a loving God would let so many go hungry and so many die from the violence in this world or why children get molested or abandoned or tortured, then ask how can God sacrafice His only Son and allow Him to go through all the pain and torture that He went through when God could have stopped it any moment. It is because of His love for us and His ultimate plan for our eternal salvation. We just have to believe and trust in His word. That His word is truth, the way and the light. And try and make this world a better place for those less fortunate in whatever effort or donation we can give. We will never make this earth Heaven and if you read Revelations, you will see that it will only get worse.

I can't speak for anyone else but I cannot blame God for war, famine, illness and violence. I refuse to blame God and I continue to respect, love and trust in Him as my creator and my ultimate end to a new beginning. If you start blaming Him for all the bad things or condemn Him for not "fixing" our earthly problems, you are only hurting yourself and wasting energy and precious time in feeling badly when you can be praising Him for the good things that He does. Think of the glass as half full rather than half empty. I've had my share of tragedy in my life and I still struggle with conflicting emotions that threaten the very security of my salvation but I believe that I must continue to keep the faith and know that what has happened in my life ( the good and the bad ) have all been for a reason I don't yet fully understand and may never understand until the day I bow before Him in His presence.

God Bless You,

Cjrose