As much as I hate to admit it and as much as I am determined, with God's help, to change it, I have found over the years that it's easier to be close to God during the bad times. Health problems (personally or with family and friends), money problems, relationship problems...you name the problem, but they all eventually bring us closer to the God we claim as Lord and Savior.
"Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your god, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is mulitiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God." (Deut. 8:11-14)
Does He know His creation or what?
For the last four or five years, the Holy Spirit has been speaking to me on this issue. I was raised to believe in God and had my own conversion experience at 13. For a time, I studied hard and, to go with my new faith, I developed new head knowledge. A lot like Peter in the Bible, however, Satan asked for me, "to sift me like wheat" and the world easily distracted me from God's plan for my life.
When things got rough, I would return to God. I would repent, ask God to forgive me and, for a time, be back on the path God set for me. After the storms passed, though, I always seemed to tell God I had a handle on things and would let Him know when I needed Him again.
As I was very hard headed, it took years of doing the same thing and expecting different results for the Lord to reach me, for much of the head knowledge I had acquired in previous years to become heart knowledge and part of my faith.
I try, more and more each day, to listen to God. I say "try" to listen because I know that He speaks to me even when I choose not to listen. But, more than ever, I want to hear from God and more importantly, I want to be immediately obedient. "Here I am, Lord!" God has been good to me. I've seen Him work through me and I hunger for that relationship more each day.
God said in Genesis that He would not strive with man forever. My prayer for me and for you and especially for the lost among my friends, family and enemies is that He'll strive with us just a little longer and that my life will be so adjusted to His will that it will make a difference in someone elses life. I vow not to forget the Lord my God and, with His help, observe the things He has commanded.
It's amazing how many conversations are created just in a day of meeting new customers when I give God credit for the business I have when I am asked: "So, how's business?"
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