Experiencing God's Goodness in the Midst of Trial

Pretend with me for a moment. You have a career. You’re not just any employee, you’re well liked, dependable, approachable, and coachable. In two days, your boss, who loves you, is going to congratulate you on a pay raise because the work you’ve done over the past month has made you an asset to the company and deserving of a pay raise.

You also attend a church whose values line up with yours, and the community you surround yourself with is also a big part of this church. In addition, this church you attend has a hipster name, like Gethsemane, and serves coffee before every service. It’s obviously a highly-favored church with a name like Gethsemane.

Moving to your friend group. Most of your tight-knit circle is from church, with the exception of a few coworkers and friends from the weekend tennis club you joined last month. Because of your vibrant personality, you make friends quickly because you are so well liked. Thanks to Instagram, your spouse is well liked too, and you have to set reminders on your phone to ensure the topic does not revolve around him in all conversations with your friends.

Ok, you get the gist. You have a good life. You have the kind of life that allows you to play cornhole at a BBQ you hosted for your church-going Christian friends while also setting aside enough time to minister to your work friends, see your mentor on a weekly basis, attend a small group led by an elder of the church you go to, and go on some quality time dates with your spouse. There’s a lot of good going on that even your best friend would have to go deep sea diving to find something wrong with your life.

But say something did go wrong. For the sake of the point, we’re not going to list the endless possibilities and combinations of what could derail a perfect life. What do you do when something disrupts it?

Unfortunately, it is often the case that the God we praise on Sunday mornings quickly becomes the subject of attack. Suddenly, the God we discuss at 7pm Tuesday night “Life Group” becomes the Customer Service Complaint Center. Worse, our prayers turn into temper tantrums that would make any bystander question your friendship with God to begin with.

Does this sound too harsh? Unfortunately, even if these situation are not spot on, they set an example for how we treat God when our faith in him is put to the test. When we behave like this, we step off the rocky foundation our house should be built on (Matthew 7:24). We even sometimes look up at the house we built on the rock, shake our finger at it, and start building sandcastles below it. Once the waves crash in, we pout, whine, moan and groan as if the house we built our life on during the good times does not exist.

My dad would always address my stormy seasons with John 16:33 growing up: “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world.” He would address me and my hard times with this Bible verse because he knew there was something greater we had in Jesus. Our friendship with Jesus is the house built on rock. Any time we take our eyes off Jesus during any personal crisis, epidemic, or pandemic which might stir up fear and doubt, we start building new houses on sand without God. The harsh reality is that some of us who say we are Christians during “Christmastime” seasons are waging war with God during the “Stormy” seasons. To that I say, “Choose a side!” If you accept God into your heart during the good, this does not automatically withhold you from experiencing pain; what it does do is give you a place of refuge in the midst of the battles, storms, and painful seasons of life. It give you a place to stand when the Devil commands you to sit. It give you a house to reside in whose foundation rests on a rock where no storm can wipe it out.

And when we build our house on the rock, we are building it upon the truth of God, in the good and bad seasons of life. In the seasons where we feel like our world is being flipped upside down and during seasons of victory. John Piper wrote a book during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 called, Coronavirus and Christ. In it, he asserts, “Our heart says ‘yes! We have tasted and seen’ [that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8)]…the knowing is well founded. We are not leaping in the dark.” The firm foundation built on rock is tasting and seeing the Lord is good no matter how our seasons pan out. Why? Because our firm foundation is ‘well founded.’

During my troubles, dad emphasized the fact that the world’s troubles will never amount to the love and care we have in Jesus. In Jesus, we are cared for beyond any trouble that will come our way. In this world, we will always come out victorious, even if it feels like we have lost too much. The first part of John 16:33 is equally applicable: “I have told you these things so that you may have peace.” When do we need the most peace? When we’re feeling anxious, scared, and filled with worry! When do we have anxiety and fear? In the midst of our personal storms. Our personal storms are when we need the peace of God to “transcend all understanding…so that [his peace] will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). The peace of God, which has overcome the world, is the rock which we build our foundation on. In fact, we know that God’s peace is a major part of our foundation because that is what Jesus left us with before he ascended to heaven after his resurrection: “I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give you is a gift the world cannot give” (John 14:27). We can weather any storm with this gift. “Live or die, you will be with [God]…this is a firm rock under my feet. It is not fragile, not sand,” Piper writes in his book. Much like building our foundation on rock, the rock represents knowing God is in control whether we live or die. “Live or die, you will be with me” is having the peace of mind in the here and now because his will is for us to be with and him with us; that he loves us and will protect us at all costs.

Where this is illustrated perfectly, in a small yet profound moment, is in Genesis 22, when Abraham starts one of his days with an interesting command from God. “Take your son, your only son, whom you love…Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” ‘Interesting’ is a word that does not even do justice to describe the magnitude of that request. It is interesting enough for God to command any father to kill his son, but at this point in the Bible story, God is asking Abraham to sacrifice the one son he blessed Sarah and Abraham with at old age.

The absurdity of this command has multiple layers. First, what kind of loving God would ask you to sacrifice a young child, let alone your own child whom you love deeply? Second, Abraham and Sarah gave birth to Isaac after a long life without children together. Isaac was the only child given to the both of them by God, and right when you thought the layers of this command couldn’t make it more otherworldly than it already is, Abraham and Sarah were around 100 years old when they finally had a child to call their own (Genesis 21:1-7).

So, when Genesis 22 does not waste any time introducing us with God telling Abraham to replace the animal sacrifices with his son Isaac, it makes you wonder what was actually going through Abraham’s mind when the very next verse explains that he went straight to loading his donkey the following morning (see Genesis 22:3) in preparation to sacrifice his only son as a burnt offering.

Does Abraham ever think, Yeah God, I’m going to have to pass on that, or Am I hearing you correctly God? We can only infer that Abraham’s obedience to God is a measure of the level of faith he has that God can be trusted. “Faith had taught him not to argue, but to obey,” Matthew Henry writes in his commentary of Genesis 22. Faith is the assurance that what “God commands is good.” Do our strong trials exercise our strong faith and trust in God, or does it bring forth doubt, defiance, and lack of reverence?

Sometimes, our faith and assurance in the goodness of God must extend beyond one moment and one season. The trip to Moriah that God commanded Abraham to go to was not a three hour hike. According to Genesis 22:4, it was the third day of Abraham and Isaac’s journey before he even saw the place where Isaac would be sacrificed. By day three, Abraham only saw the place, so it had to have taken more than three days to get there. Regardless of whether it took three days or more, Matthew Henry concludes that three days symbolized a “time to consider and might deliberately obey.”

Whether you are waiting for a life-long partner, moving on from heartbreak, a pandemic to end, a secure career to line up in your favor, moving into a stable living condition, a three day trip to Moriah looks quite different to you. Whatever your season looks like, in your moments of uncertainty and time of deliberation, do you still hold true to the promises of God? Do you still believe God’s goodness will reign supreme? In the three day journey, God could have stopped Abraham and said, “Don’t do it! Don’t kill your son!” In the three days, Abraham could have argued with God, telling him, “If you’re a good God, you would provide a sheep to take the place of Isaac!”

We do that with God. Often, our prayers sound more like courtroom accusations than an act of faith and reverence to the Lord’s will. We question his authority and sovereignty as if our bitter words will jolt him out of his apathetic attitude towards humanity and force him to do something that aligns with our desires. We don’t trust God’s narrative, so we label him a lazy, untrustworthy God for not changing it for our benefit. At best, we give God the silent treatment until he is worthy of praise.

But what if, instead of trying to force God to change his narrative through fighting words, we trusted in the promises of God throughout his narrative? Take a look at how Abraham responds when his son asks him about the sacrifice:

“Isaac turned to Abraham and said, ‘Father?’

‘Yes, my son?’

‘We have the fire and the wood,’ the boy said, ‘but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?’

‘God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son…’”

This dialogue between father and son is so powerful because it is the definition of faith and trust within the story. God will provide. There is no time to argue with God, so in my obedience, I will trust that God knows best. This is Abraham’s mindset towards God. Abraham only knew that he was supposed to kill his son. He did not yet know God would provide an animal sacrifice to replace Isaac. But faith knew. Faith in the goodness of God knew. The story ends with God providing a ram for Abraham to take the place of Isaac so he wouldn’t have to die. Furthermore, Abraham is blessed beyond measure for his faith that God would spare Isaac. “Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you” (Gen. 22:16-17). And bless Abraham he did; with a number of descendants so great, Abraham couldn’t even count them.

Not once did Abraham question God, argue with God, or belittle God in this passage because of faith and a knowledge of God’s character. There is something powerful about standing true to what you know about God and not letting circumstances interfere with how you see him.

Your faith, trust, and reverence towards God should be the most important aspect of each season. Your circumstances shouldn’t determine your view of God; your allegiance to God should be the lens you view your circumstances through. Let the character of God guide you through the pay raises and the heartbreaks of life. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, whether your life is viewed as flawless or you’ve hit rock bottom. The goodness of God does not change because circumstances do. No matter which direction your life is headed, let God be the consistent beacon of hope in every season, because he is a perfect God who will guide us through every troubling experience we face.

What your belief and trust in God will do is allow you to overcome every obstacle that stands in your way because your faith is grounded in a powerful God who can help you weather any storm. You are armed with peace, understanding, patience, and strength when you press into the goodness of God and not let your current situation define the sovereignty of God. With God, all things are possible, and you can rest in knowing that no storm is too big for him.

Check out this video link that explains my view on COVID-19 and Genesis 22

How to Counterattack the Devil - Pt. 2 ('Away From Me Satan' edition)

When Jesus became aware his mission would soon come to fruition, he spoke to the disciples about the Advocate. The Advocate, also known as the Holy Spirit, would act on behalf of Jesus and reside in our hearts, directing us into all Truth, and speaking holiness into our thoughts and actions. Though Jesus would not be walking the Earth much longer in this scene with the disciples, he reassured them that he would be with them until the end of time, providing them with peace along the way. Among stepping in as a representative of Jesus, the Holy Spirit would “teach you everything” (John 14:26) and also remind the disciples what Jesus taught them. During this time, right before Jesus would be arrested and sentenced to death, Jesus made it clear that the disciples would do the things Jesus did during his time on Earth."Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father" (John 14:12).

That sounds surreal, doesn’t it? The same Jesus who multiplied food, raised people from the dead, and healed too many people to count in the Bible is the same Jesus who resides in me?  This is the same Jesus who cast out demons and sent them into a herd of pigs, where they then drowned (Luke 8:30-33), so the fact that Jesus tells us that we have the power of himself within us is unbelievable.

Ok, we could probably all admit Jesus directing demons into pigs is a bit strange; it’s not the type of bedtime story you’d read to your 5-year-old kid. Additionally, most of what Jesus did was considered supernatural and beyond comprehension. Still, when Jesus said we would do what he did, it’s clear he meant it, which means we should live like the power of God that was given to Jesus is in us as well. Most of the time, we think of Jesus’ miracles like when he cast out demons as examples of doing things Jesus’ way. It even frightens some of us into thinking we might have to live dangerously the way Jesus did. But we need to remember Jesus’ miracles and supernatural lifestyle do not always need to be the baseline for how we should live like him; we should also consider how he loved others, looked out for the orphans and least lovable. And, in this case…

Doing Jesus things does not always mean doing miracles, raising dead to life, and possibly displacing demons into a sounder of swine. Even when we encounter attacks from the Devil, we should respond the way Jesus did. If we to do the [things] Jesus did, as John says, we can also counterattack the way Jesus responded to Satan. The Holy Spirit in us, acting as a divine guide in our hearts, will lead us into all Truth, even in the midst of Satan's attacks.

John 14:26-27, part of which was mentioned earlier: “But when the Father sends the Advocate as [Jesus’] representative – that is, the Holy Spirit – he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything [Jesus has] told you.”

John 14:13-14: “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

So, we not only are called to do the works of Jesus, but we are left with the Holy Spirit to lead us and continue to instruct us into all Truth, and we can ask for anything in Jesus' name, and it will be done. This means we can respond to Satan with authority the way Jesus did, walk in step with the Holy Spirit as if we are walking in step with Jesus, and receive divine assistance when we ask for help when we're under attack? According to John 14, yes we can. Talk about a deal! If this is true, we should never forget these verses when going into battle. Victory is imminent!

However, when it comes to spiritual opposition, we seem to forget the words Jesus left the disciples (and us) with. We often cower in fear like we never had armor to begin with, so it is of utmost importance that we heed the following words of wisdom and take them with us wherever we go. They promise power and authority from Heaven to our hearts. If Jesus could confront the twisted words of the Devil with Truth, so can we

When we think about what we can do with Jesus in our hearts, we cannot limit the power he contains. A good place to start when preparing our heart and mind to respond to the Enemy’s attacks is to study how Jesus behaved towards Satan when he tempted him.

I think it’s time we take the power we have to fend off Satan’s attacks seriously if we have not already done so. When Jesus says “…whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these…”, he was comforting his disciples by reminding them that they have power and authority from Heaven. If we are to prepare for Satan’s attacks and schemes, shouldn’t we first study Jesus’ every demeanor, behavior, attitude, and response to these types of situations if we are to overcome the Enemy?

One place to look is in Matthew 4:1-11, where Jesus is confronted by Satan. Here, Satan tempts Jesus three times by commanding him to turn stones into bread, throwing himself off a temple, and bowing down to worship him. Despite these three temptations, Jesus eventually convinces the Devil to leave without a single second of success to boast about. How does Jesus walk away unscathed.

1. Jesus follows Scriptures commands

Satan comes on the scene while Jesus is led by the Spirit to the wilderness. He tells Jesus to turn the stones into loaves of bread. We all know Jesus could do it, but it was not in alignment with God’s plan. God’s reply? A reference to the Old Testament: “‘People do not live by bread alone,’ Jesus replies, unfazed by the Devil’s tactics, “‘But by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4). There is evidence Jesus uses the Old Testament to help him because Deuteronomy 8:3 says the same thing: “Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with Manna…He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

While we could go on and on about God’s challenge to live in humility and why God would allow the Israelites to go hungry just to teach a lesson, the point is that Jesus utilizes the words of his Father and how powerful they can be when applied to difficult situations. And Jesus did not hesitate! He brought the power of Scripture to life by using it within the context of temptation.

What did Satan do? He moved on from the first temptation, unsuccessful, and took Jesus to the holy city in Jerusalem. The Devil even twists Scripture to fit his agenda. Once again, Jesus, fully human, combats the fiery arrows with Scripture. But this particular reference contains more:

2. Jesus pledges his allegiance to his Master

“…You must not test the Lord your God” (Matthew 4:7), Jesus replies to Satan’s twisting of Scripture. In this part of the passage, Jesus does an exceptional job modeling his dedication to the Father. His response to jumping off the temple and saving himself is a testimony to what can be overcome when we pledge our allegiance to God. Consider this: the way we remove ourselves from temptation can be just as honoring to God as doing something good for him. God wants us to be of sound mind, which includes being transformed into his likeness. Turning our allegiance to God rather than listening to the whispers of Satan is paying our respects to the position God has in our lives. I am a child of God, so I don’t walk the wide road; I walk the straight and narrow.

As if the first two rejections were not enough, Satan tries to successfully remove Jesus from connection to the Father by commanding Jesus to “kneel down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9) and he will give Jesus all of the kingdoms and their glory. Funny, because Jesus’ mission was not to take all of the kingdoms and claim glory to be his; he came to bring glory to God and expose God for who he really is: the Savior of the world. While Satan’s ploy was to get Jesus to stop focusing on the eternal goodness of God, Jesus used this strategy to conquer Satan’s attacks.

3. Jesus doesn’t beat around the bush

For the third time, Jesus combats Satan by referencing Scripture: “You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him” (Matthew 4:10). However, while these words are powerful and important to focus on (especially when the enemy attacks), let’s look at what Jesus says before this in verse 10: “Get out of here, Satan.” Jesus doesn’t have time to negotiate with Satan, and neither should we. The longer we let him linger, the more power we give him. Satan wants to destroy you, even if he disguises it by wrapping destruction in a neat bow (twisting Scripture, ‘promising’ kingdoms and glory, etc.). Jesus, in essence, says, “You don’t belong here, so you may leave.” It is not a recommendation, but a command.

Satan might have power, but his power amounts to dust compared to what God has. Because the power of God resides in us (as a gift), we too can command Satan to leave our presence. How do we know this? Check out what happens next in verse 11: “Then the Devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.”

Notice the two things that happened in verse 11. 1) The Devil obeyed Jesus; his power to continue fighting back was removed from him. He had no choice because Jesus left him no choice. “Not on my watch!” 2) Angels came to Jesus’ aid. How often do we cave in right before God sends reinforcements? Whether it is through church community, a direct word from the Lord, a family member coming to assist you, or some other miracle in your life, how often do we throw in the towel before the great thing happens?

We don’t have to let Satan get away with trickery when we have the gift of spiritual leaders and mentors in our lives. When we choose to put ourselves out there and keep in touch with a body of believers, we are putting on that metaphorical armor that can defend us from Satan’s evil plot to destroy.

From this passage, two lessons can be learned: 1) We have more power to resist Satan than we know because the supernatural resides in us and 2) Sometimes we have to go through a few attacks to demonstrate faith in the God despite the difficulties. Just because Jesus was tempted and attacked by Satan, it doesn’t mean he lost; Jesus only stood his ground on the solid rock even more and Satan walked away with nothing. 

Sure, we can argue that works means his ministry, like when he cast out demons and raised people from the dead or cured them from disease. So, when John 14:12 says "...whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing," we could strictly talk about miracles, loving others, and promoting the Gospel in supernatural ways. But, everything Jesus did on Earth was part of his ministry, even when Satan tempted him. In addition to Jesus erasing our debt to sin, his life was a model for how we as believers should live to glorify God in every situation before us. Living to glorify God includes saying no to Satan with power and authority. When Jesus was tested by the Devil in Matthew 4, Jesus established Father God as the great Authority and glorified God each of the three times Satan tempted him in this passage. Therefore, the testing of Jesus in the wilderness was part of his ministry. In the end, the Devil could not succeed against the power of Jesus! Amen!

So, where is your allegiance when things don’t go your way? How do you demonstrate unequivocal faith to God when the tables turn against you like Jesus did in the wilderness? How is your attitude when you’re dealt a bad hand in your wilderness? Does Satan merely push you around into doing what he wishes, enslaving you and shackling you into the ball and chain of his lies and empty promises? Or do you “Submit, yourselves, then, to God. Resist the Devil…” (James 4:7) and he flees from you the way he did with Jesus in Matthew 4? Will you say no, "away from me Satan," just as Jesus did? Will you allow the power of the Holy Spirit, the sovereignty of the Almighty, and the authority of God's Holy Word command the Enemy to back down and have no place in your life?

When you look at Matthew 4, be inspired by the little power Satan does have when confronted with the magnificence of God’s Truth. It’s not that Satan is not powerful, but that God’s sovereignty and supremacy is infinitely more powerful. So, the next time you feel the wrath of Satan nipping at your heels, remind yourself how you can overcome the Enemy with these strategies:

1. reference the power of the Word

2. declare your allegiance to the One True God

3. be strong, bold, and forceful towards Satan (if he speaks lies over you, spit the Truth back to him!)

4. surround yourself with a courageous, fierce, wise body of believers who are committed to putting God first.

Do these things, and the ground you build your house upon no Enemy can destroy. You can silence the Devil and sever ties with his tricks through partnership with God's will for you today, in this very moment! It's time to start are divine revolution in your life NOW!