My devotion to the Haitian people.

Pastor Dan, the Pastor of the church of Emanuel who is leading our group to Haiti on a mission trip.  He requested that each of us plan on preparing a 20 min devotion. He said once we enter to Haitian church on sundays, many times they put on the spot and ask you to speak to the congregation.  As crazy and exciting the thought of doing so, as I am worry about what I am going to say if they called me to speak.

Here is what I am planning:

Our lives goes through a lot of storms and changes.. Jesus call was never to take us out of this word, but to be in the world and hold on to his peace.

The my favorite two men in the bible are Job, and Joesph.  They both went through a lot of difficult situations.  I am going to focus on Job. He suffered a series of staggering losses in a matter of hours. We all know how much he lost. however, Job's most intense frustration was his inability to see and find God. Job lost everything, kids,wealth , his servants, his friend and his reputation. All that, but he fell to the ground in worship and said " naked I came from my mother;s womb, and naked I will depart" Job 1:20

Even, when God permitted Satan to afflict Job physically.  He was hit with painful sores from his feet to the top of his head Job 2:7. His wife became irritated and told Job to curse God and die. Job replied " you are talking like a  foolish woman. Shell we accept good from God and not trouble?" in it all, Job did not sin Job 2:10.

Eventually, Job reach a point of despair,, not because he faced all these troubles, but because he couldn't see God nor find him. God didn't even talk to him. In Job 23:2-9. Job expressed his great anguish. This is a common problem we all face. King David must had the same feeling when he said "How long, O Lord? will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? Psalm 13:1
Even Jesus asked why he had been abandoned by God in his final hours on the cross.

All believers are premeditated to go throw emotional valleys to test our faith and purified it at the fire of the storms. The problems that not most of us can handle those tests as good as Job or David or Joesph.
Some of them lose God. Believers not like others know that God has the power to control every thing. He can heal you and I. He can rescue you and I. He could save you... but He won't. Why? This is the problem, we left with a sense of abandonment. He is not there, and you and I are left alone.

What such a believer can do? Where he can go? who shell ask for consul or pray to? James 1:8 talks about the double minded man who is confused and miserable. Christine who lose God during the spiritual  confusion are like the vine that was cut at the source.

Be Still and KNOW that I am God psalm 46:10  that is the promise.
Don't relay on your emotions. We can't depend on our feelings and passions to govern our lives. Emotions are unreliable, biased and lie as often as they tell the truth. Some believers fall in the trap of feeling God and not trusting Him. Their feelings about God depends on their emotions of the day. They forget what the promise is in Philippians 4:19 HE SAYS" He would supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
The advice I leave with you, when you feel like God is distant and not involved in your problems, don't simply write Him out. One said once: "With God, even when nothing is happening- something is happening" Establish your foundation on His word and not on your feelings.

God timing is prefect. One of the greatest faith destroyer, is time.  We want things according to our time, which makes uncertain believers to give up on his faith and feels like He isn't there. Yet, He is there and working in His own time. Remember Lazarus story in John 11.  He raise him up in His own prefect time.

We are so precious to God, Don't ask why?!
Job has very difficult time understanding this one, he asked "What is man that you make so much of him and give him so much attention, that you examine him every morning" Job 7:17-18
In Luke 11:13 we read, if you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to you children how much more your father in heaven give.
Yes, we need to understand that sometime suffering is for our own good. Yes, He feels our sufferings.

At the end, we need to understand that we need a true faith in him. If we can can understand the depth of His love for us we would accept those difficult times when they don't make sense. Yes, if we the solidly connected to him, we wouldn't mind the confusion, we will see it as a opportunities to grow our faith.
Hold on to your faith, because without it is impossible.