Why does God manifest to some and not others?

[buckthesystem]

Most of this morning I have been listening to a radio station with the testimonies of people who have come to know Jesus as their saviour. Many have had a "road to Damascus conversion", many have reached a desperate time in their lives where they have "reached the end of the road" and felt that there is no point in continuing to live and somehow they have heard Jesus say that he loves them and that has dramatically changed their attitude and many have "seen signs" and other miracles and have recognised them.

I have read peoples' testimonies in various publications too and very often they are from people whose lives have "reached rock bottom" - they have been drug addicts or alcoholics or been really ill, declared bankrupt or, like one testimony, been a 16 year old girl who has found herself pregnant as the result of being raped and become suicidal, but heard from God and "it changed their lives".

I am wondering why some and not others? I have known people who have been in all these situations and either have committed suicide or still have to live in that situation. My friend's daughter was 16 and pregnant as the result of rape and she didn't find God, she committed suicide and her mother in so cynical after finding her and having to "clean up the physical mess" and deal with the aftermath that she is struggling with her own faith.

Compared to what others have been through, or are going through, I am not even in that category. However, I do suffer from long bouts of depression and have felt pretty distraught a lot of the time and prayed for God to be with me. Maybe he has been with me all the time and I haven't realised it, but it doesn't seem to me that he has.

A theory is that some people are meant to be "saved" and everything comes together so that can be if they make the right choice. Maybe it is available to all of us and I just don't see it because I am too thick. What do others think?

[shepherdsgrace]

I only want to comment on one part of your question: You said,

"Compared to what others have been through, or are going through, I am not even in that category. However, I do suffer from long bouts of depression and have felt pretty distraught a lot of the time and prayed for God to be with me. Maybe he has been with me all the time and I haven't realised it, but it doesn't seem to me that he has."

I just want to encourage you that if you begin to thank God for being with you, taking him at his word that He will never leave you or forsake you, instead of asking Him to do something that He has stated plainly that He does, you will begin to slowly but surely know the difference as God reveals himself to you. We receive everything by faith. Absolutely everything comes by Faith. God is who He is. And He is present. You begin to realize this as you respond to Him in faith.

[Guest mickd4jc]

My friend I have wondered that very thing most of my time as a believer in Christ and still don't have an answer. Why do people always have to come to the end of the road to see Jesus has been there all along waiting for them to turn around and see Him with arms open. It's all about seeing with our spirit and not our eyes mostly I think. Relying on the Holy Spirit to show us the way. Sure this is a physical world we live in and we have all these senses but he doesn't usually communicate with us thru them I've found. I have felt the Lord's presence a couple times and have had thoughts come from Him I think but am still waiting on that tangible audible voice that so many proclaim to hear. My faith in Christ is not determined by when or if I hear His voice though. I just know that my heart has been changed and is still changing for the better because of His love for me when He gave His life on the cross and paid for my sins. I don't know if I could die for someone but I'm glad He did for me. So while I am here I'm gonna praise the Lord God with all I am till I pass or He returns(-: Believing is seeing my friend. Keep the faith and He will reach you!!!

[Bolts]

I came to the conclusion that the salvation experience, is tailor made for every individual. God knows us intimately and he will not give us more than we can handle. Moses was saved from seeing Gods' face because it would have killed him. We are told thru Gods word that his grace is sufficient for us - God knows best

[tah]

I do not have an answer for this but I do know God does...

He knows all these things and expects us to trust Him with everything that happens ..

and I am sorry about your friend but I know if she starts to trust God for her life again she will be back on the right path to peace and joy in the Lord...her choice

We pray for each other ...always...

I have experienced some pretty bad things personally...

I have seen children die and old folks live ..

and I have seen good folks die and bad folks live...

and I have seen God heal and I have seen folks remain ill..

I have seen bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people ...

and I have questioned God as to "why did You do this?"

The only answer God has ever given me was to tell me that He is God..

I can remain faithful and trust Him or walk away..my choice...

that is the same choice He gives to all of us....everyone...

I have chosen to remain faithful and trust Him..

something we all must do...choose life...

What I do with the situations in life is what Christianity is about..

Living for Christ whether suffering need or abounding...

Wherever my path in this life takes me...

Continuing to choose Life....

Keep trusting Him ..He truly deserves our obedience to Him...

no matter what...

[Guest power mousey]

well said, tah.

Hebrews 11 comes to mind too. true.

in Christ,

your bro,

mousey power

[LadyRaven]

Most of this morning I have been listening to a radio station with the testimonies of people who have come to know Jesus as their saviour. Many have had a "road to Damascus conversion", many have reached a desperate time in their lives where they have "reached the end of the road" and felt that there is no point in continuing to live and somehow they have heard Jesus say that he loves them and that has dramatically changed their attitude and many have "seen signs" and other miracles and have recognised them.

I have read peoples' testimonies in various publications too and very often they are from people whose lives have "reached rock bottom" - they have been drug addicts or alcoholics or been really ill, declared bankrupt or, like one testimony, been a 16 year old girl who has found herself pregnant as the result of being raped and become suicidal, but heard from God and "it changed their lives".

I am wondering why some and not others? I have known people who have been in all these situations and either have committed suicide or still have to live in that situation. My friend's daughter was 16 and pregnant as the result of rape and she didn't find God, she committed suicide and her mother in so cynical after finding her and having to "clean up the physical mess" and deal with the aftermath that she is struggling with her own faith.

Compared to what others have been through, or are going through, I am not even in that category. However, I do suffer from long bouts of depression and have felt pretty distraught a lot of the time and prayed for God to be with me. Maybe he has been with me all the time and I haven't realised it, but it doesn't seem to me that he has.

A theory is that some people are meant to be "saved" and everything comes together so that can be if they make the right choice. Maybe it is available to all of us and I just don't see it because I am too thick. What do others think?

If God ever decided to share His reasoning with us for the existence of some phenomena, we still probably wouldn't get it. God doesn't, obviously, deal with us all the same...why is really none of our business.

Look at Peter...the one whose faith was the founding statement for the visible church. He had a gentle, organic, naturally occuring conversion where one day Jesus asked him a question (who do you think that I am?) and he made his profession of faith. It was the culmination of knowing Jesus personally for a long time and just thinking stuff over for a long time. Then look at Paul...God whacked him off his donkey and blinded him....Then look at John...supposedly the disciple "Jesus loved"....Peter asked Jesus what would happen to John after being told that he himself would be killed...Jesus said that if John was to live until the second coming what business would that be of Peters? If he's the dude who wrote revelation, then he was in exile for a while but as far as I know he wasn't martyred. John the baptist was beheaded.

It looks like God deals very differently with each of us. The only person who will answer your questions, if He choses to do so, is God. If you are seeking him, make it your holy grail type quest and go for it and see what happens. You may find you had it all along, or you may find what you are looking for. Scripture promises those that seek will find...After you have found what answers you are going to get you can look back over your journey and see at least a few reasons why that journey was important. The journey is often as important as the destination when it comes to faith.

[LadyRaven]

My friend I have wondered that very thing most of my time as a believer in Christ and still don't have an answer. Why do people always have to come to the end of the road to see Jesus has been there all along waiting for them to turn around and see Him with arms open. It's all about seeing with our spirit and not our eyes mostly I think. Relying on the Holy Spirit to show us the way. Sure this is a physical world we live in and we have all these senses but he doesn't usually communicate with us thru them I've found. I have felt the Lord's presence a couple times and have had thoughts come from Him I think but am still waiting on that tangible audible voice that so many proclaim to hear. My faith in Christ is not determined by when or if I hear His voice though. I just know that my heart has been changed and is still changing for the better because of His love for me when He gave His life on the cross and paid for my sins. I don't know if I could die for someone but I'm glad He did for me. So while I am here I'm gonna praise the Lord God with all I am till I pass or He returns(-: Believing is seeing my friend. Keep the faith and He will reach you!!!

I have only heard the word of the Lord audibly once. And it was not comforting...it was a one word command "NO!" I was an ex occultist. My bf had dated me as a missionary project and shortly after my conversion, he and I were supposedly going to a cemetary because his friend who was a witch was supposed to be there. Apparently Jesus didn't think I was spiritually strong enough to go. He told me no. It scared me to no end. I didn't go. He did but nothing came of it. All she did was sit there and then drive away he said. I still wonder, if that was all that was going to happen, why I wasn't supposed to go....

[tah]

I still wonder, if that was all that was going to happen, why I wasn't supposed to go....

Whatever it was, God spared you..Praise Him, He is so good !!

[Candi770]

I've seen the same bad and good others are speaking about. My brother was murdered after becoming a christian and under the situation he was in-my father refused to sue and pursue wrongful death- but-God revealed to family who was responsible and both men died in the same month/same year of each other with head related deaths-when my brothers only seen injury was a head trauma ruled suicide.

Prior to the death of these men, the Lord gave me a dream-that me and my mother were going out to lunch we were going to visit my brother (who was dead-but in the dream-I thought he was alive)and he wasn't there, I was upset-he showed me a cake dome that was empty with the words written across it-INDIGNATION. I remember that I had to give my anger and pain over to the Lord and allow him to deal with the things I couldn't.

The men literally reaped what they sowed.

I've had other situations that seen unfair but I have vowed to not back down on my faith in God. And be still and know He is God. I've had those times that he has visited me in dreams as warnings-for prayer of intercession. Many times he speaks this way to me-and I wonder if he does it this way because I'm to noisy during my day-But I'm thankful that he does no mater how the method. But even if he didn't warn me about something-it doesn't stop the fact that He is God and He is in control. He is the shepherd-we must vow to follow Him-no matter the storm or trial.

Blessings to you-

Candi