How Do You See the World: Trusting God Beyond Circumstances

Recently, I read a quote stating that we don't see the world as it is; we see it as we are. I didn't pay much attention to it, so I can't remember where I read it or who said it, but it stuck with me.

Prosperity promises

Last night I watched a few podcasts, all saying the same thing: God is about to break through in my life and change my circumstances. He is going to restore me and heal me. It's wonderful. It's exciting. I needed these messages, and the effect seemed amplified as I saw many similar messages.

But then I started thinking about it.

It's possible that these podcasts will be viewed by millions of people. Is God saying this to all of us? Are all of us in desperate need of God's deliverance and intervention, or is it clickbait? Is it a matter of gaining viewership and generating revenue, or is it real? I guess we have to know the podcasters, and even then, we won't know what's really in their hearts. Did they hear from God, or are they trying to benefit from our pain?

There are so many arguments for and against these messages. It’s good to encourage someone. It’s good to point them to God and give them hope in dire circumstances. It’s good to speak life and focus on God and His goodness. I know I need to hear positive words. I naturally gravitate toward these messages. However, it doesn’t benefit me if it’s a false hope and a deceitful message. How will I know the truth?

Reading the Bible

It made me wonder about how I read the Bible. Am I reading God’s Word through the lens of my circumstances, or do I see it as God intended? Do I blindly apply my favorite verses, taking them out of context, because I like what I read? It speaks to me in my circumstances. It gives me hope in the midst of my pain. I latch onto them as if they are a life raft in my ocean of problems. Am I giving myself false hope?

Should I take every promise at face value, or should I develop a broader perspective? Certainly, when God gave a promise to an individual or a nation at a particular time, they could believe it, but is God saying the same to me in my time and situation?

Is God giving me the future I hope for (Jeremiah 29:11), and is He working all things together for my good (Romans 8:28)? Are the angels protecting me so that I won’t stub my toe against a stone, or that I won’t break any bones? How do these promises stack up against my reality and my experience?

Personal experience

I don't know about you, but I have stubbed my toes many times. Bad things happen. Many Christians are persecuted, tortured, and killed. I'm sure many of them regularly declared Psalm 91 over themselves and their families.

What am I missing?

A few days ago, I read something in the Bible that has never registered with me before. I have read my Bible from Genesis to the maps numerous times, yet I haven't seen this before. God said that we treat Him like dirt when we don't trust Him. When Moses struck the rock (Numbers 20) instead of speaking to it, God told Moses that he wouldn't lead the people into the promised land because he didn't trust God. Trust. It's one little word.

What does it mean?

Stephen served God wholeheartedly. He was full of the Holy Spirit, yet he was stoned. Paul made a complete turnaround from persecuting the church to proclaiming the Gospel, yet he didn’t have an easy life. So many of the characters in the Bible struggled with the same questions, uncertainties, and problems I face. Some found relief and deliverance, but others died, still waiting for unfulfilled promises.

Joseph received dreams from God, but he had to suffer dire circumstances for many years before he saw the results. Likewise, David was anointed as king, but he was on the run for many years, and even after he became king, he faced challenges regularly. Considering character after character in the Bible clearly demonstrates that there is no such thing as an easy life. We don't suffer for a short time and then experience utopia.

We don't graduate to a better life here on earth after we've suffered and survived trying times. Paul shared that he learned to be content regardless of his circumstances (Philippians 4:11-13).

He learned to be content. I'm sure these lessons weren't easy. He admonished us to focus on things above, not on things of the earth. Our focus should not be on us or our circumstances. Our focus should be on God. The things that can be seen will pass, but the things we can't see will last forever.

What about these promises of breakthroughs, restoration, and healing? What do podcasters and preachers gain from giving us such messages? Can we believe these people?

Our unique relationship with God

I know that God created us uniquely, and our walk with Him is as unique and personal as our creation, and He can speak these promises to us personally in our circumstances. His Word is alive and active, and He speaks to us today. It could be that God is saying that I will experience breakthroughs in my life shortly.

However, better than listening to these podcasts, I’d rather hold onto Jesus' words. He said that in this life we will have troubles (John 16:33). He also said that our Father knows what we need (Matthew 6:25-34).

I have concluded that my God, my loving Father, will provide my needs. What He doesn’t provide, I don’t need. It’s as simple as that. It doesn’t mean that I don’t want it, or that I stop hoping for it. I have decided to trust God.

He knows what I need, and He won’t give me a snake or a scorpion when I need sustenance. What I need most is the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13), His wisdom, guidance, and intercessory prayers. God promised His Holy Spirit to anyone who asks Him.

Grace

I've accepted God's Word to Paul when he prayed for the deliverance he thought he needed. God didn't take away his thorn, but promised that His grace was sufficient for him (2 Corinthians 12:9). God will provide sufficient grace for each day. The days may be difficult, but I will receive grace to help me live victoriously despite my circumstances. My prayer is that God will use my circumstances to draw me closer to Him.

What do you think?

Should we cling to favorite verses and prosperity podcasts, or should we take Jesus at His Word, expect trouble, and rest in the assurance that our Father will take care of us?

© Rina Schultz