Do you not Believe? (John 10:22-39) 270307
I think my slip disc condition is affecting me this few days, especially after the walkaton. My back has been feeling very uncomfortable, there is some pain at the back, shoulders, and legs as well. I am not unfamiliar with these discomfort, just that I can’t sit still for long without changing my posture.
My slip disc condition has been with me for quite awhile and I have sort of accustom to the pain and discomfort. I try my best to do stretching exercises, and go for swimming as frequently as possible. But some time I ask God why couldn’t He heal me? I used to have doubt about the ability of God to heal. I think that He is, after all, not all-knowing, though He is able to do some miracles on others but not all.
Though I have come to realize and to term about God has the sovereignty over me to do what ever He pleases. Not that we, human being are just simply a robot, obeying God without freewill. We have the freewill of choice to accept what God has intended for us, that is His will for us. Do you believe?
It is strange to me that the people kept asking Jesus about His identity, whether if He was Christ (v24)? By then Jesus had already told them that the works that He was doing was in His Father’s name (v25), and He had been identifying Himself with His Father to be one (v30). But yet these people did not accept Him and stone Him (v31). Isn’t that strange? They asked about Jesus identity and yet when Jesus told them Who He was, they could not accept it. Perhaps, in their mind, they had a certain perspective of Christ, and they simply could not believe what they saw and heard about Jesus.
Do you believe who God is, as He is? I am currently dealing with a theological issue called the open theism. In the Bible, there were many instances where God ‘changed’ His mind, or ‘repented’ from what He had done, or ‘relented’, or even not able to have full knowledge of what was going to happen, or we as human can influence God to change the course of action! This theory about God being ‘open’ was a good idea, because God will not have to be responsible for the suffering in this world. God knows that evil exist, but was not able to deal with it until we man come alongside to overcome it. This theory gives God a lot of freedom and room to escape for being blame for our suffering.
Therefore, when I am in pain due to my slip disc, and could not explain why God does not heal me completely, I tend to think that He is not responsible for my slip disc. It is not His will for me to fall and injure myself, but He just could not do anything to stop me from injuring myself. He is not all powerful! But the truth is that He is!
Well, I do not have the time to discuss this in great detail, but we have to simply believe who God is. There is no point asking God to show us who He is and do not accept Him, because of our perspective and past experiences. Then we are no difference from the Jews at Jesus time (v37-39).
What is your perspective of God? Do you believe He is still in control when you are suffering or going through pain? Do you believe that God knows about our every pains and struggles when we are in it and even before we are in it? I still do not know why I have to suffer from slip disc condition, but I believe God knows what I am going through. I do not want to put God in a box, where He is just there to give me answers about life when I need it, but I want to live a life with God in it and beyond it!
I am still struggling and dealing with the issue of open theism. I have no good answer on it, maybe one day I can blog my stand on this.
