How Much Would You Pay?

In the past, I have mistakenly believed that if I do what God wants of me then things will go well. That if God is in it, there will be no confrontations, no resistance, no battles to fight. That things will fall into place without any problems. But I was wrong.

The more I study and read the Bible, the more I see that sometimes God puts us right in the middle of problems. 

Take King David, for instance. Samuel anointed him as king, but before he could officially take his place David found himself running for his life and hiding from the king's army. Basically, his own people. Even still, he behaved in ways he felt honored God. He had to fight to gain the respect of the people as he conquered lands for his nation. In the end, he is known as a great man of God and a great king.

How about the apostle Paul? After finally being accepted by the apostles and fellow believers, he was then called to reach the Gentiles. Oh, my. Talk about working between two sides. His years were filled with beatings, prison, shipwreck, and finally living under house arrest in Rome. To the human eye, this looks like failure. But, in the end, his letters written to the churches he visited make up most of the New Testament. His ministry is what many of us lean on in our daily walk.

Lastly, I want to talk about Israel. As was prophesied in the Old Testament, God called His people to return to the land once known as Israel. He told them He would make the land theirs again. But it wasn't handed to them on a silver platter and was far from pristine condition. It took lots of hard work to renew and refresh the ground. And, they had to battle for the old city of Jerusalem where the temple once stood. They knew God wanted them there, but they still had to fight for the final product God promised. This fight continues to wax and wane with time.

Have you ever been put in the middle of a mess? A place where you had to fight for God?

It's something to think about. These days are wild and crazy. What if God is putting us in the middle of a mess? What if we have to fight some battles? How much would you pay or fight for if God places you where the battle is long and hard? With each of the situations above, they had God to direct them. So do we. He is our guide and hope in whatever mess we find ourselves.