Why does God........

......... "fill in the blank"

Every so often, we get a Thread like this......and it usually deals with folks going through trials, hardships, illness and such.........

The normal replies are several............we live in a fallen creation.......the devil is attacking us..........or some such, and, oft times, we give God a pass when trials and tribulations beset us.

But............what if?

Reading Hebrews, Chapter 12, I gave some thought to that very thing............. "What if"

4) Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 5) And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6) For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7) If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8) But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9) Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10) For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11) Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. 12) Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13) And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. 14) Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15) Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;


What if, when we are beset with trials and tribulations, God is chastening us? I think this is quite possible, but I'm not sure what sort of trials and/or tribulations He would use to chasten us.

Anyway............thought I would throw this out there........

Somehow this post has lifted my spirits…...Thank yu.

Oh goodness, I kept trying to think of something to fill in the blank with but, I kept answering my own question! LOL!

Answer: Because He loves us! The reason why God does anything correction, mercy, judgment, wrath, compassion, anything and everything....................because He loves us.

You remind me of the teaching in Isaiah where our Father tells us He refines us, but not as gold or silver is refined, no, but in the furnace of affliction.

Why is this? Our Father says he does it so we not be cut off...…….this tells me we are of great value, refined, to our father…… His treasure, though you could have fooled me... I do see this in others. All you who love Jesus, Yeshua, are great treasure to Him it seems.

I think it is a good thing to have our Father chastise us although its not always fun at the time.

But we need to have assurance He is doing this for our profit, and not...that He is being bully. The israelites circumcised their sons on the eighth day..it was a cut to their most tender parts and if they did not undergo this they did not belong to their tribe.

I can imagine it would have hurt, but only for a bit. And yes its cutting of the flesh and blood is involved.

If Jesus decided to not go to the cross and bleed he would not have been able to obtain salvation for us all.

Hebrews then goes on to say we arent going to come to Mount Sinai which was fiery, scary dark, untouchable and being commanded to do things that if not done perfectly results in stoning and death.
We are going to Mount Zion and the company of angels where the living God is and where everyone is made perfect.

Some trials and tribulations come before us to shake us and get us to move. But the righteous shall not be moved. We endure and remain to the end. See verse 27-28

i was thinking of making a thread asking why does God require leavened bread -- with yeast -- as an offering for the feast of weeks ((Leviticus 23:17)) -- also called 'the bread of the firstfruits' ((verse 20)) ?

because the ordinances are usually big on unleavened bread..

could the answer be that He's chastening us? something for me to think about. thanks!

((i may be writing in the wrong blank, srry lol))

Possibly because it encourages self-reflection? The circumstances that surround us, have we let them become a barrier between ourselves and God? Is there a root of bitterness within us, hindering our walk with the Lord? Where have I been misled, to question the goodness and mercy of God, who's word says that He is for me, and not against me?

We have to believe that He is, and is a rewarder of them that seek Him. We may be in a circumstance that cries out for His mercy, but its just that isn't it? We need to believe He is merciful, we need to believe He is good, faithful, and true. Even against the evidence that seems to be contrary.

It is a matter of faith, belief, and expectation. All of these things develop character, and a fear of the Lord (which is the beginning of wisdom). Know who God is, and believe.

Oh ben no truer words to be spoken here.

If we say we are chastened by the Lord what more evidence do we need that he sees us and has his hand upon us.
We are prone to be carried away by this or that, but God wants us to focus on him so in receiving anything good or letting go of things that may be a obstacle we must learn and remember everything belongs to the Lord. To trust in his giving and taking.
As Job said "“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord."
When we are chastened or afflicted or both we do self reflect, did I do this or say that. Wonder if I should of ...but it's not by merit that we win God's favor....it is by a right heart that brings peace and understanding between us and our maker.

why does God care so much?

How do we distinguish between God chastising us and our being attacked by the devil and his demons? Or if it's just the result of things happen in a fallen creation?

This may be as hard as accepting when God does chastise us.......

Honesty........that is how....!

Why does God....

Not forgive us even though we may struggle with trying to forgive (win or lose) someone else?? What if we just can't do it?

I'm trying.. I even wrote letters to them. They'll never see them, but I did it more for me. I think maybe forgiveness will only come when they're dead and I'm standing at their casket and can finally say "I forgive you, Mom/sis".. Just when I think I HAVE forgiven them, they do or say something and all that bitterness just wells up inside me.. At the rate I'm going, I'm gonna burn in the lake of fire for sure..

Sweet blue, there is no way you are gonna burn in the lake of fire! lol!

Sometimes I use "thankfulness" as my secret weapon when it comes to forgiving repeated offenses...............I force myself to be thankful that God is using this person to kill my flesh! lol! My flesh concerning that person is not completely dead until their offenses don't bother me anymore.

Being thankful is not a cure all, it's just a sedative, so to speak. lol!

Really, when love is perfected in us we're cured! Love keeps no record of wrong, etc...........

It's always a joy to talk with you! I love your honesty and sharing!

It seems to me we just know the difference. No matter for me, I began to thank God for all good and evil that has come my way. However I do believe when something is not of our Fahter that is bad, it has an evil that is almost palpable.

I have a similar situation that has been ongoing for about 10 months now. And, yes, I am trying to forgive the person, but am struggling to do so completely. I do know that God knows I am trying, and praying for His strength and mercy to forgive them, and I think that is what is important.

If we are truly trying to forgive those who wronged us, and seeking Gods assistance in doing so, I do not believe He will condemn us in any way............. We are human, and He knows that, and living the perfect Godly life is pretty much impossible for us, and THAT is why He gave us GRACE and MERCY.

Don't hate on yourself, just continue to seek to forgive..........

One thing that is helping me is while I am to forgive the person, I do not have to have any sort of relationship with that person, or even speak to them. Forgive and move on, and leave them to answer to God for their actions.

anyway.........praying you will receive some spiritual peace in this matter

You both will succeed. All is simply a lesson in just how wicked people can be, and how we are also people, and we all need forgiveness… I am a very weak person in so many ways but I think it has beenwith the Good Lord's strength I have managed to overlook and forgive all who have wornged me seriously for no apparent real reason…….If you only knew. God bless you.

LB...I share with those vertabra problems…...I have prayed for you for I know the pain.