Lesson 32: God's Sovereignty as Suffering Brings You Back to Him, part 2

In our last lesson we read that God also allows hardships to come our way today so we too can have our hearts rescued from spiritual adultery. Our problem is that we say God is the top priority on our life. It is only right, since He sent His Son to die on the cross. We are saved from hell! I will do whatever He says, I love Him! However, when we are asked to choose between spending time with God and/or doing something else for God, we often choose our own way or pleasure! We would rather watch sports, we would rather party, rather go shopping than do any of that stuff for God, including spending time with Him. So, we too, just like Israel, break the heart of God, and it slowly destroys our fellowship and intimacy with Him!

Out of mercy, God does what He did with Israel! He allows a few difficulties into our lives, and we learn very quickly that we can either keep on committing spiritual adultery and experience nothing but pain, or we can just simply return to God and enjoy wonderful things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, in total abundance! God is not trying to torture us by doing this. He is trying to give us what is best for us! He does not want us to act like a bunch of cows who are only concerned about a great place to live, beautiful clothes, a large bank account, the latest and greatest car, or nothing but sports! He wants a personal relationship with us! That is why Jesus went to the cross! Therefore, we must break down the text for modern-day Christianity. We reread Amos 4:6-11 for modern times in the Crone Translation if you will:


Amos 4:6-11 - "I gave you an empty cupboard and a lack of food in every Church, yet you have not returned to me," declares the LORD. "I also withheld jobs from you when the mortgage payment was still due. I allowed one person to keep their job but withheld it from another. One family I allowed to keep their job, another I allowed to go bankrupt. People lined up for government assistance but it was never enough, yet you have not returned to me," declares the LORD. "Many times I struck your checkbooks and bank accounts. I struck them with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured your economy, yet you have not returned to me," declares the LORD. "Some of you became ill and some of you even died, yet you have not returned to me," declares the LORD.”

Does that sound familiar in our lives today? That is exactly how we are just like Israel: if God has to allow a few difficulties to protect us from spiritual adultery that is designed to destroy us and our walk with Him, then so be it. He is trying to give us that which is best for us: more love, more joy, more peace, more patience, more kindness, more gentleness, in abundance! That is what we all pray for.

* How are you beginning to experience God’s Sovereignty in your life?