Quick thought

John Chapter 5:1-15 tells us about the Pool of Bethesda.

Apparently the sick of all kinds would lie around this pool and periodically the waters of the pool would be supernaturally stirred and the first person to jump in.. or get thrown in would be healed.

I know that sounds a little glib... but there is a point here.

NOT EVERYONE WAS HEALED

In fact, a very small percentage of people were healed.  They had faith!!  This one guy had been hanging out there for 38 YEARS!!!  I'm sure others were there that long, or longer or only 20 or so years.  This is faith!!  Not a passing kind of faith.  A genuine, deep down abiding faith that God was going to do some healings.

I don't know how often these healings happened.  Obviously not that often.  38 years is a long time to wait.

Belief wasn't enough.  These people believed they could be healed... and there would be a healing... and the vast majority were not healed.

Does this mean God isn't enough?  nope

Here is another thought.... These are sick people.  I am sending out a 2000 year old (approximate) kudos to the ladies and gents who took care of these hurting people.  There had to be some... you don't sit around for 38 years without being fed. 

We tend to have the mentality that God is just going to help all these people who have faith to believe that God can and will help them and then sit back and watch for God to get the job done... like Jonah and the Ninevah thing.    Here is what usually happens in that case.  Hurting people become abandoned people... and hurt more.  While the good Christian people believe that God will just step in and change the day because some famous person had a nice little quote... or they take Jeremiah 29:11 completely out of context... Someone who could use some encouragement or physical or financial help sinks.  And learns not to trust people at all. 

In the best case scenario, they yield everything to God who comforts them in their affliction from the inside.  That's what God does.  He molds hearts and conforms them to Himself.  It is OUR job to bring on the real encouragement, give the leg up, assist, give... do the earthly things we can do because we can!!  

The other scenario is that they will just give up.  Give up on people, God, life...

The supernatural healings and fixer upping is not going to happen the majority of the time. 

For every King David, Esther, Job, Abraham, guy healed at the pool by Jesus himself (who left all kinds of them still sick on their mats), there are thousands who were not blessed in a financial way or healed.  

And its ok.  But we really need to get real about God and who He is and ditch our fantasy version happily ever after on earth God. 

I am going to get myself in trouble.... BUT....

Lately there seems to be some discussion about God's plans and purposes for people lives.  I know people mean well when they see some things going on in my life that are hard and tell me to have patience because God will bring much blessing from this.... and they mean here on earth.

Do I believe God CAN do this?? Yes, I do.

Do I believe God WANTS to fix everything??  duh, yeah

Do I believe it's a definite that God will?  Nope.  I do not apologize for this.  God is not my puppet.

He MAY shower me with so many material blessings that I won't be able to use it all.  He may lead someone to think I am the most amazing woman on the planet and fall madly in love with me so my kids could have a daddy.   He may make me a huge success and the toast of the town... like a BIG town ... even bigger than the rural NB town I live on the outskirts of the outskirts on.

BUT HE MAY NOT!!!

And its not because my faith is lacking or God is lacking.... Simply because that it is not what He chooses to do.  AND IT IS ALL GOOD!!! 

If I am sick, if more of my kids have problems, if I struggle to find funds to always get groceries, if I spend my life lonely, should my kids all grow up and leave and I work at McD's and never can afford to buy clothes from a dept store and I look old and stink....  GOD IS STILL GOOD AND IT'S ALL OK!

There seems to be a common misconception that if we are believers and have faith that God will work all things out here on earth that it will happen.  That, my friends, is bull-ka-ka.     It is unscriptural, doesn't go along with history at all, and we are told to stay away from all ear tickling doctrine.   I claim it, I believe it, hallelujah it's gonna happen is ear tickling.  God can still say no.  And does a lot. 

I say no to my kids all the time.  No more sugar.  No to more tv.  No to more video games.  No to staying inside all day on a beautiful day.  No to getting everything you want.  Wait sometimes for something you may even need.  Not because I don't love my kids, but they are asking for the wrong things at times.  

I want God to say no to me when my wants or needs aren't the best for me at the time... or simply so I will know that I love God not for what He does for me physically, but what He does for me spiritually and eternally.  I love God for what He has done for me... whether earthly blessings come or not.  

It's easy to twist scripture around to make it seem like God is just waiting to shower money on us if we just believe... its also easy to read and study and see that its baloney.  However, most don't even need scripture.  We have little fortune cookie style sound bites from big name preachers that don't even pretend to come from scripture and we shout out "AMEN!! I claim this! I need this! Let it be so, Lord Jesus!!"  

Here is the truth.... its all lies.   Jesus doesn't promise fixes, He promises a comforter.  He doesn't promise earthly love, He promises He loves us and will never leave us or abandon us.   He doesn't promise good health, but everlasting life.   He doesn't promise the temporal but the eternal.  He doesn't promise a full refrigerator, He IS the bread of life and living water.

You may choose the good earthly stuff.  I choose the creator of it.  Whatever He deems best for me I will accept with gratitude.  I will expect the very best.... peace, love, joy, hope, life, wisdom, truth... and be very, very content.