How can faith be restored ??

[lawsy40]

How do you restore your faith in God when you have experienced nothing but disappointments in your walk ? When it seems the enemy defeats you at every turn and you feel God either hates you or is not concerned with your existence how do you continue to believe ?????

[Greg, TheNET Coordinator]

lawsy,

I want to comment on this more because it is such an important topic, but in the meantime consider that disappointment with God is often more based on our attitude toward our circumstances that the circumstances themselves.

Please check out http://www.allaboutprayer.org/gods-support.htm and http://www.gotquestions.org/God-silent-absent.html

A useful book on this topic that helped me is Disappointment with God by Philip Yancey.

I want to write about this more because it is an issue I've really struggled with and God has helped me to understand what is going on. Stand by...

[lawsy40]

Hi Greg, I just logged back in to the site after a couple of days and thank you for your response. Ironically, I read the book by Phillip Yancy a few years ago. I often think of Richard the young man the book centered around and wonder where his life is at this moment. I think perhaps when you hear all the hype from the preachers on T.V. and believe that God is going to do the miraculous in your circumstances .... and it never seems to happen.... it s very discouraging. No I not seeking the gifts of the giver, I know better than that. I mean when you make a boast of the Lord about particular matters and proclaim His Word and the opposite seems to always happen. It not only discourages you but those who look and pray with expectancy with you.

[Anna Wood]

Hello,
I would like to add that God's goodness is based on Who He is and what He has already done for us on the cross of Jesus. If He never did another thing, He has already done enough for us. He stepped out of eternity and into our lives to do for us what was impossible for us to do for ourselves: save ourselves. He did it because He is good. He allows suffering in our lives for the same reason. Preachers who teach that life here on earth will be sunshine and roses are selling a lie; it's a false gospel and will fail everytime. God did not withhold suffering from His precious Son. He will not withhold it from us. He desires above everything to make Himself known to us and create in us a heart that is like His own. To be like Him is to be holy. He desires our holiness far more than He desires our happiness. The worlds happiness is a vapor and will fade quickly away leaving us with nothing. God desires to teach us that true happiness is found only in Him, in knowing Him, in walking with Him, in trusting Him, and in being like Him. The cross proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is faithful and can be trusted. If we trust Him then we will begin to understand the place that suffering has in our lives. It is used by God to get rid of worldly desires and sin and create in us a desire for Him. When we are holy, or moving on the road towards holiness I should say, then our desires change and our focus changes. God is the greatest gift that He can give us; not His blessings or material gifts, but He Himself. When we desire Him above all and we desire to be holy, like Him, above all, then we will understand that out of holiness flows our joy in being in Christ and from that flows the purest, truest happiness that nothing can ever take away. God is so good, sister. Trust Him. I must admit that it took me years of prayer, study and misunderstanding to come to this understanding but it then transformed my life. God bless you, for HIM I live, Anna

[lawsy40]

Thank you for your comment Anna ! Although I do understand and agree with you sometimes it is very difficult when you believe one thing and experience another. Seasons can be extremely long and although God knows how much we can bear some things seem permittedly cruel .
I guess it will take much prayer, misunderstanding etc for me to understand as well. The hardening of Pharoahs heart is an example. Sometimes I wonder about the hardness of my own heart when my desire is to have a pure one. God took responsibility for Pharoahs heart and when it comes to the seemingly prevailing evils of this world I can t help to wonder about the hearts of others.... the ones we pray about to be saved. Some things I know I ll never understand but I do know that God is not obligated to do anything for anybody.

[Bob B]

One thing have learned in my walk with God for over 30 years is about forgiveness. We must get forgiveness from God by repenting of our sin and recieving the redemption provided for us through Jesus Christ. Then we must forgive other, forgive our selves and the reason why I am saying all this.; We need to forgive God. God does not do anything wrong but sometimes we misunderstand what He is doing and develope resentment toward him. It is really hard to make sence of anything when we have unforgiveness, but it is twice as hard if the unforgiveness is derected to God.

[Bob B]