JESUS OUR TRUE IDENTITY PART 2

What was Our Father Really Like in the Garden of Eden?

 

In our last blog we discussed how the enemy deceived Eve and Adam forfeited his royal identity for a lie. Remember when the enemy said, “You shall be as gods.” The truth was they were as Gods created in the image of their Father, Brother, and the Holy Spirit. We also discussed from that day until now, mankind has suffered from ‘divine amnesia,’ looking to each other to tell him who he is. In this blog, we will examine one of the characteristics of what our Father is like and who we are, recreated In Christ Jesus.

 

Throughout the beginning of time, especially in the book of Genesis, there is one word that defines our Father and what He does in the lives of His children and that word is ‘Good.’ Genesis 1:31 states: God saw everything He made, and behold it was VERY GOOD and He validated it completely. Our Father is not only ‘Good’ but infinitely ‘Good!’  Everything He does is in the best interest of all involved. He is always concerned about His children’s well-being and welfare. He is a Father who provides the best that He has for the betterment of others. He loves and cares about every little thing that concerns us.  I would like to share a newsletter just sent to me a few days ago from one of our sister ministries, Christ is Life Ministries, Bill and Paige Loveless, San Antonio, Texas. Bill and I have become close as we are working together on a new children’s book series. When I read his newsletter, I thought how timely to receive his newsletter since our focus is on the character of God and our being made in His image. Here is an excerpt from his newsletter.

 

Many of you knew Mike Wells who was the director of Abiding Life Ministries. If you did not know Mike or have not been to his website, I would encourage you to do so. It is www.abiding life.com.

 

Mike, to me, was the Indiana Jones of the Christ-life message. I say that because Mike traveled to every corner of the world sharing Life in Christ. I heard him share many amazing stories of how the Lord would lead him to some of the most secluded places in the world to share Life. Mike went to be with the Lord in 2011 but his legacy lives on. By legacy, I mean that through him the Lord made a world-wide impact on so many lives including mine and Paige’s. Mike had several phrases that have stuck with me over the years but none more so than the phrase, “Well, Amen.” It may seem like a mere two words but what is behind these two words is life changing. Let me explain.

 

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.” Isaiah 55:10

 “We are afflicted in every way but not crushed, perplexed but not despairing.” 2 Corinthians 4:8

 

In our Christian journey, we all have dealt with confusion, frustration, perplexity, and sometimes even anger when God does not meet our expectations concerning His promises and His character. He gives us incredible promises of freedom, victory, healing of our wounds and transformation. Concerning His character, He is loving, GOOD, merciful, sovereign, etc. As a result, we can realistically expect God to keep His promises because of His character. However, there is a problem and that problem comes when we put unrealistic expectations on our realistic expectations. Let me give some examples to explain. (Notice that our unrealistic expectations lead the why? when? how? and what? questions.)

 

“God promises me freedom but I have been seeking Him to set me free for three months and I am still in bondage. When will I be set free?” Our realistic expectation is that God will set us free but our unrealistic expectation is that God is going to meet our timetable for freedom.

 

Concerning God’s character, we can expect God to be ‘Good’ but here is an example of an unrealistic expectation. “If God is ‘Good,’ then why did He let my son die in a tragic car accident?”

 

These questions, question God’s character and His promises. Where do they lead? To such things as frustration, perplexity, unrest, fear, etc. In and of themselves, these initial thoughts and feelings are normal. They are part of our humanity. The problem comes when we don’t immediately entrust them to the Lord. Rather, we hold on to them until they eventually result in sin. This is a dangerous place to be because holding on to these fleshly responses can result in doubting God, hardening our heart towards Him, and eventually walking away from God.

 

Therefore, God wants us to immediately entrust those thoughts and feelings to Him and not let them rob us of our peace and joy in Christ. However, God is moving us to a deeper place concerning our frustrations, perplexities, etc.  That place is what Mike Wells calls “Well, Amen.” This is the place where God is not meeting our expectations but we don’t question His character. I also call it the place of “but God.” Look at an example of “but God” concerning David in Psalm 13.

 

^“1 O Lord, how long will You forget me? Forever?  How long will You look the other way?

² How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day?

How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

³ Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.

⁴ Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!” Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.

 

Is there a time when you could identify with David in verses 1-4? He is in great pain and very upset with God. I love his transparency with the Lord. He is not holding back but the good news is that the story does not stop in verse 4. Even though David is not happy, he eventually gets to the word “But.” Look at what he says after the “But.”

 

⁵ BUT I trust in Your unfailing love.  I will rejoice because You have rescued me.

⁶ I will sing to the Lord because He is good to me.”

 

What David is saying is, “Even though God is not meeting my expectations, I am going to continue trusting Him and walking with Him because I have a history with Him.” David might also have said it this way, “I am not real happy with what the Lord is doing or not doing.” “Well, Amen.” I hope that you are at a place when your expectations about God are not being met that you come to the place of “Well, Amen.”

 

 

One final thought. Coming to a place of “Well, Amen” is a place of rest. Imagine yourself in a hammock and the hammock is Jesus. When your unrealistic expectations about God are not being met, you don’t have to get out of the hammock and run to the prodigal pig pens of frustration, perplexity, anger, etc. You can stay in the hammock and rest in Jesus and rest in the truth that you have living inside of you, a God who loves you, who is for you, and who will work everything together for good in your life.

 

Prayer: Papa, I give you my perplexities, my frustrations, my questions, etc., I choose to lean back and enjoy my REST in you. With that, I will say, “Well, Amen.”

 

Thank you Bill for sharing such beautiful insight! Bill and Paige www.christislifeministries.com