For a very long time now every area in my life has been touched with adversity. I’m in my mid 50’s and still waiting for a mate. I am tormented by temptation so much of the time. My financial situation has plummeted. My health also. Now I just lost my job. I am currently searching for a new church and for ministry to get involved in.
I feel very very displaced in all areas of my life. I feel like Hannah did – I’ve cried out to the Lord. I have others praying for me. I asked the Lord “show me Lord what you want me to know”. I ‘felt’ like the Lord was giving me the scripture “My Grace is sufficient for you”.
I have surrendered my life to the Lord 100% but everything upon everything is just falling apart. I just don’t understand. I feel rejected by God when I see all the people I know moving on with their lives and here I am stuck in a hole (or so it seems) for so many years. Can you help me with this?
James 4:7-8 says to resist the devil and he’ll flee from us. It tells us to draw near to God and He’ll draw near to us. Romans 12:2 says to offer our whole lives as living sacrifices to God in order to discover His will for us. All these admonitions require us to make the first move. Take any job you can find that meets your financial needs and consider it a ministry by demonstrating God’s love in your attitude and actions toward others, even in the midst of adversity. Start doing something, and soon you’ll begin to see what He wants you to do.
Phil. 4:4-7 says to begin thanking God for everything, even little things or things that at first don’t seem to be blessings. It promises that if you do, you’ll begin to feel peace returning to your life. Don’t pay any attention to outward appearances, just focus on putting one foot in front of the other always drawing closer to God. Remember, we’re to live by faith not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). He hasn’t abandoned you, but the enemy has erected a barrier between you and God that must be broken down. Doing these things will destroy that barrier, and you’ll discover that God has been waiting for you to take action.
Paul prayed that people would stop beating him up every time he preached the gospel. When God said, “My grace is sufficient for you” He meant that as long as Paul did what he was called to do, God would keep healing him, turning his beatings into blessings. He’s telling you that if you make some mistakes or take some wrong turns, it’s OK as long as you keep moving closer to Him.