Trusting God in the Difficult TimesMost of us have a sense of awareness that God has good reasons for the temptations and trials He permits us to face in life. But if we were ever inclined to doubt the plan and wisdom of God it would be in the midst of difficult times. When our life seems obscure and our days ominous, it is often hard to embrace the reality of being led by the Spirit of God. The good news is that God desires to direct our lives in times of trials and temptations. This is demonstrated through the experiences of Jesus. Matthew 4:1 states that "Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." Three important facts are seen in this verse. One, as shocking as it may sound this verse indicates there were some things God intended for Jesus to learn or experience that required Him to fashion a time of testing, trials and temptation for Jesus. Two, as previously stated God led Jesus through His season of difficulty. Three, Jesus did not push back against God but rather found His sufficiency through His relationship with God. There is a great lesson to be learned by all through the study of Christ’s temptations in the wilderness. One, we can trust the sufficiency of God for the basic needs of life (i. e., food, shelter, money, health, security, etc.). Two, we do not need to result to sensationalism to get God’s attention in the midst of our discomfort. He has not forgotten us. Three, we should not attempt to manipulate our circumstances. As the text states, Satan offered Jesus control of the world in order to alleviate His discomfort but Jesus continued to trust in the timing, provision and providence of God for the outcome. Interestingly, in this Matthew account of Christ’s temptation in the wilderness, verse eleven states that God provided support to Jesus through others in His hour of weakness and vulnerability. At Willoughby Hills Friends Church we view that as one of our primary visional objectives…”To reach over to one another in support.” To be the “ministering spirits of God” for those who lives are weary and burdened with despair. Welcome to Willoughby Hills Friends Church. A society of Christ followers who love people unconditionally, support one another whole heartedly, and use our resources to both encourage others and help them experience the best, most fulfilling life possible. If you are overwhelmed by the unsettledness of the world, then come and receive the encouragement of our attendees. If your passion is to embrace the sufficiency of God and be an encourager to others then come, join our church family, and help us fulfill our vision for the glory of God. Together we can transform the world from Willoughby Hills, Ohio. Sincerely, |