Bad day by David Power
King of heaven Paul balance
One thing remains
It is well
Series: When God doesn't make sense
This one on...When God Seems to Come Late
Interview Notes:
Ida Tigalaar guest interviewee
Wife, mother, Nanna, pastors wife
Retired nurse 47 years
Retired with lots of energy wanting to do more things for God
Health issues: learned has stage 4 Hopkins lymphoma
Left for prone to catch illnesses so needed to stop doing everything
So it was like....God why now?
Tested her faith
Landing up in emergency with numerous infections wondering why God was allowing things to happen like this despite the number of people praying. Feeling lonely and forsaken by God.
Oct 15 she no longer has cancer cells in her body. God does answer prayer, just on his timetable.
Psalm 23 she needed to learn to rest by quiet waters.
Two themes....
first ...do not be afraid trust me be faithful
Second was ...wait. Why am I (still) talking?
Choices....grumble or show gratitude.
Through that learning to say It is well with my soul.
Faith journeys are often not hallmark cards. Faith journeys are often difficult.
Sermon notes:
Does God show up on time?
Two kinds of lateness
- Kind you can make up for.
- Kind that you just can't.
Sometimes it seems like God sometimes does this, shows up late, but he comes through on his time table.
Then the times when God doesn't come in time to answered prayer. Like when people die. This is the lateness that people don't understand.
God chose to be late coming to Lazarus' side.
People struggle with this...Jesus staying away for his own reasons.
When we petition God we need to make sure we are asking and not making an expectation of him. We find a way to separate ourselves from God. And we see only ourselves and we stop seeing God.
Jesus comes late, Martha states Jesus if you had come Joe wouldn't have died. Mary says why didn't you come? And Martha told him there would be an odor when he asked to see Lazarus.
So why did Jesus come late.
He had no lack of ability, no meanness, no hard heart. But he has his own reasons.
He wept. Lazarus mattered to him.
God is sovereign over us.
See for instance the book of Job. God's sovereignty shines forth.
Jewish folks believed that for three days the Spirit hovered over the body and that person could reanimate.
But at four days it was much to late. So when Lazarus was called forth it was all God's action. It was not some reanimated.
We need to trust in God's sovereignty.
God is God and you are you. You are not God.
So will you make the choice to trust him?
It is well with my soul ...old hymn written by a man who lost everything but his wife. A man ruined. From that came this great hymn.
So,turn to God. Be enabled to say it is well with my soul.
GO HERE to listen to the message yourself.