While having a spiritual drought...

[Stephen63]

To try to live as a Christian is not an easy task.
Takes a lot of faith, effort, prayer and grace.
But during a spiritual drought, one might ask, Is it all for good? What happens if it is all for nothing?
What if we are just supposed to live and die like any other living creation.
That the thing we know as evil is just an act of survival like a lion to its prey and the good we crave is just a game played by our sentient mind?

Romans 8:28 (KJV) [SUP]28 [/SUP]And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

That's it.

 

[sacraig67]

I'll tell you what! This is one of the best most uplifting forums! Thank you all and thank you Patnubay for starting this! You are all making my heart smile! PRAISE THE LORD!!

 

[Patnubay]

Living as a Christian is far easier than living as an unregenerate sinner. The sinner has no hope. The sinner has no Holy Spirit for comfort.

Isn't a spiritual drought self induced? If we starve ourselves of Gods word ought we not to expect our souls to be parched? Praise to God we have His word which is our Living Water to refresh our soul and give us strength on our journey here in this world.

Rejoice when you are afflicted for God is your comfort. Do not sorrow as those who have no hope.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

Very inspiring. But in your walk with God, do you never experience a low point. Do you always walk on the water with Him and never sink?

 

[Patnubay]

You know something, at least the answer to that is simple, only sometimes difficult to firmly grasp.

Faith in God is to believe in Him, trust in His word, know that, even when you aren't feeling so, the promises of God that, in Christ Jesus, you have eternal life in the kingdom of heaven, that He is righteous, that He is holy, and He is of complete truth and loves you, that He will deliver on His promises as you walk in faith: that the word of God does not change, the reasons for your faith and joy yesterday have not changed, though you aren't into it at times. Still, you attain to eternal life with the Lord, in paradise, do you not? You do love the Lord enough to believe Him absolute truth and worthy, believe in His love, His promises, do you not? Where else are you going to go to, who else are you going to turn to, what other idea or philosophy are you going to turn to at times of doubt, to end that drought that can be this life, and end it forever someday? It's these times we need to be like Job, trust the Lord "though He slay me," call into remembrance the previous days and our reasons for our having great faith and joy then.

I hope this helps, I know it has me, times in the depths, also to pray and turn it over to the Lord, just pour your situation out to the Lord and ask for strength. I also love to read Psalms when in a drought or in distress, find them of such great comfort. Reading in His word does work, even times you don't feel like it, do so anyway, as His word is living. Anyway, we must learn to trust the Lord, despite ourselves, rest in faith in Him, believing when it's hard to believe the essence of true and strong faith.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Yes, it helped especially this one "who else are you going to turn to". A reminder once in a while that there is no one else out there is good. Thank you...

 

[Patnubay]

Is it not clear, Ecclesiastes, without God, all anyone does is fruitless, all is vanity, without God

1 Corinthians 13:1-3Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. [SUP]2 [/SUP]And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. [SUP]3 [/SUP]And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

So what do we need for we need for life and Godliness?

1 Corinthians 13:4-7New Life Version (NLV)
[SUP]4 [/SUP]Love does not give up. Love is kind. Love is not jealous. Love does not put itself up as being important. Love has no pride. [SUP]5 [/SUP]Love does not do the wrong thing. Love never thinks of itself. Love does not get angry. Love does not remember the suffering that comes from being hurt by someone. [SUP]6 [/SUP]Love is not happy with sin. Love is happy with the truth.
[SUP]7 [/SUP]Love takes everything that comes without giving up. Love believes all things. Love hopes for all things. Love keeps on in all things.


How we get that above?


Romans 4:11
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

So how can God impute this?

2 Thessalonians 2:13
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

If you don't believe how can you receive? Works of the First chosen never accomplished perfection did they?
But Christ did for you
So either you believe you do not, your free choice and be counted as righteous to Father by Christ's finished work for you

The question was what one must do when one doubts his faith. When one doubts the promises of the Scripture. When one is low in his faith. What happens when one questions the very fundamentals of his own faith? How does one avoid it? How can one be strong every single day?

 

[Patnubay]

A spiritual drought is difficult but after going through them for a bit you learn to sort of push through them. I have learned how to even in a spiritual drought be close to God.

Then please share to me what you have learned.

 

[Patnubay]

Sometimes I think what we see as a spiritual drought is just God speaking to us in a different way. I recently went thru this. I felt as if God wasn't listening to my prayers. I felt alone. Come to realize God was just saying "Trust in me have faith that I am in control." I needed to calm my heart and let God work not try to "push" Him into something I wasn't ready for. I am still in the same situation as before but now I have peace.
Does this make any sense?

Yes. "Trust in me have faith that I am in control." Nice to hear, somebody can relate.

 

[Patnubay]

Spiritual droughts arent all bad though, in fact it was in my droughts where I could not feel him at all or could not get close to him that I sought after him harder than ever and in the end I found him. There is always a reason for everything and when it comes to spiritual droughts I believe that is that is the reason he takes us through them

What do you do during the process. How do you stop to question the logic of your faith?

 

[Patnubay]

Sometimes we have to understand that His answer is "no". On the prayers God says yes doors will open though maybe not right away. All I can say is faith and trust in God. Learn all you can through the Holy Spirit and others be humble enough to admit wrongs and be strong in the Lord! He will teach you and guide you in His will.

It would have been easier if a prayer is not answered. At least, one has a reason to whine. But when everything is given and one is fully blessed, how bad do you think a believer feels if his mind starts to question the fundamentals of his faith.

 

[psychomom]

To try to live as a Christian is not an easy task.
Takes a lot of faith, effort, prayer and grace.
But during a spiritual drought, one might ask, Is it all for good? What happens if it is all for nothing?
What if we are just supposed to live and die like any other living creation.
That the thing we know as evil is just an act of survival like a lion to its prey and the good we crave is just a game played by our sentient mind?

Ecclesiastes 1 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Vanity of Life

1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 “Vanity[a] of vanities,” says the Preacher;
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”
3 What profit has a man from all his labor
In which he toils under the sun?
4 One generation passes away, and another generation comes;
But the earth abides forever.
5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down,
And hastens to the place where it arose.
6 The wind goes toward the south,
And turns around to the north;
The wind whirls about continually,
And comes again on its circuit.

when enough stuff happens at once, we do tend to become concerned.
we may feel as if God has left us.
is that what you mean by spiritual drought?

the writer of Ecclesiastes (the preacher) says there's nothing new under the sun, and you know, from his perspective there wasn't.
he cataloged all the things mankind looks to for happiness and rescue and fun and on and on...

we look to all those things as a way to fix ourselves, and others, and life in general.
nothing new under the sun...But God...
God knew we desperately needed something New that was not from 'under the sun',
and He gave us His Son as the ultimate and only real rescue.

Now we can say, with Job (who certainly experienced spiritual drought!),
I know that my Redeemer lives. ♥ (Job 19:25)

life is not a cosmic crapshoot (though it may feel like that),
and God is not a cosmic jokester.
i'm saying that from my own past and the untrue things i thought about all of this.

the Bible is full of stories of people who felt as you do.
just the Psalms alone bear witness to that.
but take heart! God in Christ has done something amazing for sinners like us!
we have His good promises, and the challenge is to say to our heart,
I will believe these promises.
it's okay to cry out to God for grace to believe...to tell Him (not that He doesn't know)
that you're suffering. that you need His help.
He is our only Hope, but He is more than enough.

May our Lord richly bless you with faith to believe His good Word-
ellie

 

[sacraig67]

It would have been easier if a prayer is not answered. At least, one has a reason to whine. But when everything is given and one is fully blessed, how bad do you think a believer feels if his mind starts to question the fundamentals of his faith.

I started to question while going through that time. Why do I believe? Why should I trust? I had no idea why this was happening to me. When God said "trust in me I am in control" my first question was...why? I started to read my Bible. I read the book of John in one sitting. Now I know what works for one person doesn't always work for another...but this worked for me.

 

[Kerry]

It's been my experience that if I had praised and worshiped God through the good times as much as I did throughout the bad times, I probably wouldn't have so many bad times. Often God uses the bad times to get us back on track. But, unfortunately we are just like Israel. we go through some bad stuff and call on God and He sets us free and we get fat and forget, so bad times come again and we call on God and we get better and we forget.

 

[sacraig67]

It's been my experience that if I had praised and worshiped God through the good times as much as I did throughout the bad times, I probably wouldn't have so many bad times. Often God uses the bad times to get us back on track. But, unfortunately we are just like Israel. we go through some bad stuff and call on God and He sets us free and we get fat and forget, so bad times come again and we call on God and we get better and we forget.

Kerry is correct... how easily and quickly we forget.
Think of this also..In what way do you feel God speaks to you best? An example...God speaks to me through study. When I study the Bible or read a book is how He speaks to me.
Does he speak to you through worship, creation, quiet times, achievement, listening, relational or study like me? Answer this question honestly and I think we can possibly break it down from there.
Once we know how God speaks to us we can then see how to get back into the relationship God wants with us. Does this make sense?

 

[RedTent]

What do you do during the process. How do you stop to question the logic of your faith?

For me, my existence is based on that God created me, God created the world, God set up how it operates. How God is dealing with me, how all the circumstances that are happening around me is apart from that truth.

I am aware that God gives us all free will to choose our own way, and God expects me to allow those around me to choose, also. Husband's divorce, kids rebel, jobs we have sometimes end, we all have problems. It does not change God. I am very aware that God is for me, I am very loved, I have been given step by step directions in the best way to manage. God gives even beauty for me to see, love to give to others, birds that He cares for to watch, stars to wonder about, many wonders in the midst of the worst of trials I must face. Even if I must face the worst---I must face death--God is there to protect and help me make the transition from this life to the mansion God has prepared for me.

All I have to do is learn as much of the wonders of truth of God as I can and fit my actions, thoughts, and love into what is truth.

 

[sacraig67]

Patnubay the truth is that there can be so many factors involved that there isn't one quick easy fix. God works with each of us differently. We are not just one big group to Him but we are each an individual. He speaks to me and uses me different than he does you or anyone else.
I know people will jump all over me and say it's simple just pray or read your Bible or just trust God. But it isn't always that simple. People told me to this or to do that and those ways didn't work so for me it was reading for you or someone else it could be totally different. Look at the last post I had here and think about what I wrote then we can, with God's help, figure it out.

 

[homwardbound]

The question was what one must do when one doubts his faith. When one doubts the promises of the Scripture. When one is low in his faith. What happens when one questions the very fundamentals of his own faith? How does one avoid it? How can one be strong every single day?

Pull up www.biblegateway.com , put in the word believe or go to www.godjutoveyou.blopot.com just recently posted there
titled DOUBT OF BELIEF

 

[Patnubay]

Just to clarify my purpose of posting 1 Corinthians 15.

I posted that chapter particular since I perceived the topic to be about whether our faith is in vain. For Ecclesiastes though I always saw that as rather King Solomon saying that the world was vain and belief in God was really the only absolute. Though I suppose that's taking that book as a whole.

Paul is a great answer though to question of "is it all in vain?" Heh Paul's writing and logic is hard to understand for some I have found, but for me he speaks to how I think very well. I can see why God send Paul out to the Gentiles especially the greeks because he annhilates their philosophies very easily. The reasoning is simple, your faith is only in vain if Christ did not rise from the dead. Yet because Jesus is the Christ and he did indeed rise from the dead your faith is not in vain for God will resurrect his children. The glory is to God forever, amen.

Thank you. It is true

 

[oldthennew]

For me, my existence is based on that God created me, God created the world, God set up how it operates. How God is dealing with me, how all the circumstances that are happening around me is apart from that truth.

I am aware that God gives us all free will to choose our own way, and God expects me to allow those around me to choose, also. Husband's divorce, kids rebel, jobs we have sometimes end, we all have problems. It does not change God. I am very aware that God is for me, I am very loved, I have been given step by step directions in the best way to manage. God gives even beauty for me to see, love to give to others, birds that He cares for to watch, stars to wonder about, many wonders in the midst of the worst of trials I must face. Even if I must face the worst---I must face death--God is there to protect and help me make the transition from this life to the mansion God has prepared for me.

All I have to do is learn as much of the wonders of truth of God as I can and fit my actions, thoughts, and love into what is truth.

=======================================================

a lovely witness,
ty.

 

[Ella85]

The question was what one must do when one doubts his faith. When one doubts the promises of the Scripture. When one is low in his faith. What happens when one questions the very fundamentals of his own faith? How does one avoid it? How can one be strong every single day?

The bible teaches us to pray without ceasing...
Especially in times that we feel we are falling away. We are strengthened through the word and He will renew our minds.


Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing,


Jeremiah 33:3
Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.


Matthew 7:7
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you

 

[Tinkerbell725]

Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

When we lose sight of Jesus thats the time when spiritual drought sets in. When we focus more on ourselves and our problems than on Jesus, trouble comes in.

Being tested by God reminds us that our function and task is to be about His business, that our purpose is to be an extension of his nature, an ambassador of His throne room, and a proclaimer of His message. We know our purpose. God has not hidden His will from His people. Our master does not play games with us. We know who we are. We know what we are for. There may be a question now and then about how and with whom we should carry out His mission. But the underlying truth is the same: we are God's people and we are to be about his business. If we live our lives in this way, then we can enter into our final years with the assurance of knowing that life was well spent and that heaven is but a wink away. ~ Max Lucado "On the Anvil"