The Search Is On

Tuesday, April 15 2008 @ 10:39 AM PDT

Courtney was only four when a neighbor found her feeding her two year old sister from a bottle of sour milk. With dirty faces streaked from tears, in an apartment reeking from dirty diapers, Courtney and her sister had survived alone--for three whole days and nights! Courtney's mother had decided to slip out the door while her children were sleeping because taking care of them was just "too much work." Although she's grown up today, Courtney has never forgotten the horror of waking up alone. No matter how many loving people have come into her life, she is still afraid that they too, will abandon her. Each morning, millions of people wake up in pain, from secret bruises to world headline disasters. Whoever is in control of this planet is obviously not doing a very good job...

There are people who claim God is in control, but when the innocent have been violated and the unseen hand of God seems to do nothing to stop it, others cry out with the question, "God, where are you?"  When Jesus was teaching His disciples to pray, He seemed to indicate that God's will is not being done on this earth yet. Do you think Jesus would have prayed for "God's will to be done on earth, as it is in heaven,"if God is completely in control? So how did God lose control of our world? Before creation there was a war in heaven. This war was over God's character. Satan, the leader of the rebellion, argued that God's way was unfair. The result of this war was that Satan and the angels who followed him were sent down to this earth. But even though God allowed Satan inside His beautiful new world, He gave him no power over Adam and Eve. The only way Satan could hurt them would be if they chose to believe Satan over God.

When God put Adam and Eve in charge of the earth, He had only one request for them;that they stay way from one tree--the only place where Satan could have access to them. But Eve, despite God's warning, decided to check out the tree. Up in the tree she saw a beautiful, talking snake. Satan, speaking through the snake, convinced Eve to eat the fruit which she then offered to Adam. By their choice to listen to Satan's advice instead of obeying God, Adam and Eve automatically forfeited the management of this world over to Satan. As the temporary master of this world, Satan claims that his government of selfishness is better than God's government of love. But Jesus came and lived among us dying at Satan's hands, Proving that God's character of love will ultimately win the war. The war over God's character is still being fought in people's minds to this day. Sin causes pain and suffering but Satan convinces people to blame God.

So where is God when we really need help? The result of God granting us freedom of choice is that there are some prayers that even God cannot answer the way He wants. God will not use His will to violate human freedom of choice. As long as Satan continues to wield his oppressive principles against mankind, this world will be filled with pain. But we can help God win this war by choosing to trust God. Some day, everyone will have made their final choice. Those who choose to follow God will be safe to live with each other for eternity with no more of Satan's evil experiments.

But let's think back for a moment to the minutes just after Adam and Eve sinned. In the cool of the evening, God searches for His missing children. Usually eager to meet face to face with God, this day their faces burn with shame. Has God changed in His love toward them? No, God is the same, but they have changed! In their new found nakedness, they are afraid. So they hide from God. Can't you hear the sadness in God's voice? Adam, Eve, where are you?

Like Adam and Eve, we too, have listened to Satan's lies. Every time we choose to believe his lies, we give Satan even more power in this world. but God isn't angry with us. Just as He called out in love for Adam and Eve, He gently searches for His children today. Can you hear the voice of your heavenly Father? He's calling out your name,"Where are you?"   

©2008 Cherilyn Christen Clough
www.myfatherinheavenisperfect.com

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