Fruitful Living

UNDERSTANDING GOD WHEN HE DOESN’T MAKE SENSE

For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremiah 29:11
We found this on the net from Bible Study Tools and find it so compelling that we are glad to share it with you.
INTRODUCTION
We have all heard it said before that God has a plan for our lives. And it’s not just any plan but a good plan. These aren’t just ideas we conjure up to make ourselves feel good, this is what God has promised.
If this is true (and it is) I want to pose a question:
• Why doesn’t it always feel good?
• Why is it that sometimes in the middle of God’s good plan, something happens that just doesn’t make any sense?
• What do you do when God’s good plan for your life seems to go sideways?
• When instead of everything going right, it feels all wrong?

WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN?
The two reasons why sometimes we feel that God’s plan is going awry in our lives are expectation and elevation.
• EXPECTATION
Quite frankly when we hear that God is good and He has good plans in store for our life, we generally come to a simple conclusion…everything that happens in our lives is going to be good. Consider for a moment Joseph in the Old Testament.
God gave him a dream in Genesis 37 where his brothers and his parents would eventually bow down to him. I don’t know if Joseph fully understood the dream but it probably created in him an expectation of good things happening in his life. After all his father loved him and he had no reason to think otherwise.
We often react the same way. Knowing that God our father loves us and He has the best planned for us, we expect it all to go well. We don’t give any room to anything else. The promise of Romans 8:28 is that God will work everything for our good, not that everything will always feel good.
• ELEVATION
The second reason God doesn’t make sense sometimes is because His thinking is far above ours. In Isaiah 55:8-9 God reminds us that His thoughts and ways are not our ways. In fact, they are far above or elevated over our thoughts and ways. This means that the methods and strategies that God has designed to fulfill this good plan in our life go far beyond your thought process. In other words, He is going to get us there, He just may take a different route to do it.
Keeping these two things in mind, I would like to share with you 5 things to do to help us understand God better when He doesn’t make sense.

WE HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH GOD
I have often heard people say we can’t question God. My response to that has always been why not? God is our heavenly Father. We have every right to come before Him with everything we don’t understand, in fact God Himself encourages it as we read in 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.” This means that our cares, our concerns, our worries, in other words…everything.
Prayer only works if we are completely honest and transparent with God. Don’t worry, He can handle every emotion we have. Whether it is fear, anger, worry, concern, joy, sadness, doubt, uncertainty – God our Father can handle it.
In Matthew 11 John the Baptist was in prison. He was there after having preached about the coming of the Messiah; after having baptized Jesus and declared Him the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world; after seeing the Holy Spirit descend on him and hearing the voice from heaven declare this is my Son with whom I am well pleased; after seeing and hearing of the miracles. Jesus said of those born among women, there is no one greater than John the Baptist.
John from his prison cell sent his disciples to ask Jesus a question. “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” – Matthew 11:3. John was uncertain. He was unsure. He didn’t know, so what did he do? He asked. And when Jesus heard the question, He wasn’t offended. He responded. Be certain today you can be open and honest before God. Trust me, you won’t offend Him. In fact He invites us into His presence.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” – Matthew 11:28-29.
LEARN FROM THOSE WHO HAVE COME BEFORE US
Romans 15:4 gives us a wonderful reminder, “Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.”
Everything that was written before was to teach us. Remember when Paul wrote this to the church in Rome, there wasn’t a New Testament, all they had was the Old Testament. Paul encourages them to learn from what God has done, study his track record.
What I love about the people we read about in the Bible is that God doesn’t leave anything out. We see their struggles, their questions, their doubts. Yes, we see their victories and successes as well, but God doesn’t leave out the challenges they faced to get to the destination God had for them. God did this to encourage us.
It’s like He is saying “Yes my child there will be times where what I am doing won’t make sense to you. However, as you have seen in the lives of those who have come before you, I will always come through. I have fulfilled my promises before and I will do the same for you.”
WE HAVE TO STOP BLAMING YOURSELF
One of the lies of Satan is to get us to believe that if God is not doing something fast enough in our lives, it is our fault. Have you ever asked the question why me or what did I do to deserve this? Many times, the answer is nothing. However, I am not talking about people who choose to willfully live in sin, that’s a whole different conversation.
I want to give you hard truth. We live in a sinful, fallen world. There will be things that will happen simply because of this fact. This reality will sometimes leave questions that may never get answered on this side of eternity. If and when these things happen, don’t blame yourself.
If you are walking with God and obeying his word, even then life will happen. We have to understand that as believers our hope is not just for this life. All of God’s goodness will not be experienced in this life. He has even more planned for us. Let us stop blaming ourselves when something unexpected happens. Remember that it is not our fault and recognize the best is yet to come.
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” – 1 Corinthians 2:9.
WE HAVE TO BELIEVE AND TRUST
Let’s face it, the Christian walk is a walk of faith and trust. There is no way around it. 2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us of this truth: “For we live by faith, not by sight.”
The hard part about faith is that many times the circumstances don’t always align. Where you are going doesn’t always match where you are. If you remember Joseph’s story, he was headed to the palace yet he had to go through prison before he got there. This is where faith and trust come into play. Faith says “I don’t know what you are doing but I know you are working it out for my good. Because I believe that, then I can trust you.”
Just like we often group grace and mercy together, faith and trust are necessary if we are going to understand what God is doing in our life.
REMEMBER JESUS
One of the best ways to understand God when life doesn’t make sense is to remember Jesus. While we understand what Jesus did looking back on it now, His disciples and the people who were alive while it was happening didn’t get it. Jesus is our great champion, the Son of God, the miracle worker, the one who speaks and the winds and waves obey Him.
He is the one who has all power and authority, but He is going to die and this death is going to bring us life? No one truly understood it while it was happening. The pieces of the puzzle didn’t come together until after the resurrection. That’s when it started to make sense. Notice Peter’s words in the book of Acts:
“God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear … Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah” – Acts 2:32-33, 36.
By remembering Jesus’ life, we will understand that sometimes the way God gets you to the desired result doesn’t always follow the script we think it should. No one at the time thought that Jesus’ death on the cross was a good idea, but now we know it was the best thing that has ever happened for all of us.

IT WILL ALL COME TOGETHER
As you can see the promises and plans of God for our lives are good. Nonetheless, along the way to getting there we may encounter some things that will make you want to question that. When this happens (and chances are it will) remember how great God’s love is for us and trust that His love for us will never fail. His good plan will be accomplished in our lives and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it. As the Apostle Paul reminds us:
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” – Romans 8:38-39.
Let us walk with God today and know that God has nothing but the best planned for us. Even when it doesn’t make sense.
Stay blessed!

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Fruitful Living

Hope – seeing the unseen

As children of God, we eagerly anticipate this future glory. This hope motivates us to endure present hardships, knowing that they pale in comparison to the joy that awaits us. The ultimate hope of the believer is the eradication of sin and death, and the perfection of our souls in Christ.

The Example of Paul

The Apostle Paul exemplified unwavering hope. He was not afraid of death because he was confident in his eternal destiny. He declared in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8: “Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”

Facing the future can bring anxiety, but if we believe in Christ, we can share Paul’s confidence. This hope should inspire us to live faithfully, knowing that our eternal home is secure in Christ.

Hope and Personal Transformation

Many of us struggle with our past failures and sins. However, hope in Christ allows us to release our past and embrace the future. Philippians 3:13-14 encourages us: “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Rather than dwelling on past mistakes, we should focus on growing in our knowledge of God and deepening our relationship with Him. Our sins are forgiven, and through hope, we can move forward into a life of greater purpose and fulfillment.

Seeing the Unseen

Living by faith requires us to see beyond the natural world. We are called to perceive the unseen reality of God’s promises. 2 Corinthians 4:18 reiterates this truth: “While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

This perspective enables us to endure hardships, knowing that our ultimate reward is not found in this life but in the eternal kingdom of God. Hope empowers us to move forward, trusting that God is leading us to a place of fulfillment.

Conclusion

Seeing the unseen is fundamental to a life of faith. As believers, we are called to look beyond the visible and trust in the eternal promises of God. Hope strengthens us to persevere through difficulties, knowing that our present struggles are nothing compared to the glory that awaits us.

Just as Paul pressed forward, undeterred by past failures and present trials, we too must hold on to the hope that is found in Jesus Christ. Our hope assures us that one day, all suffering will be replaced with joy, and every tear will be wiped away. Let us, therefore, live each day with unwavering faith, keeping our eyes on the unseen, and allowing God’s Word to guide us into His glorious future.

Culled from faithgateway.com.

Stay Blessed!

For further inquiries, please contact us:

Tel: 0243588467 / 0268130615Email: saltnlightministries@gmail.com

Website: saltandlightministriesgh.org

By Dr Joyce Aryee, the author

Fruitful Living

Conditions, rules, regulations of fasting (Pt.2)

Who is Required to Fast?

Fasting in Ramadan is obligatory for every Muslim who meets the following conditions:

Muslim – Fasting is only required for those who believe in Islam.
Mature (Baligh) – A person must have reached puberty.
Of Sound Mind – A person must be mentally capable of understanding the obligation.
Physically Able – A person must be in good health.
Non-Traveler (Muqeem) – Fasting is not required for those traveling long distances.

Who is Excused from Fasting?

Islam, in its wisdom and mercy, has granted exemptions to those who are unable to fast. These exemptions are categorised as follows:

Those Who Are Completely Exempt and Must Pay Fidya

Some people are permanently unable to fast due to health reasons. Instead, they are required to feed a poor person for each day they miss fasting. This is based on the Quranic verse:

“And upon those who can only fast with extreme difficulty, there is a ransom (fidya): feeding a poor person.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:184)

This category includes:

Elderly individuals who are too weak to fast.
Chronically ill patients who have permanent health conditions that prevent fasting.

Those Who Are Temporarily Exempt but Must Make Up Their Fasts

Sick individuals with temporary illness.
Travellers who undertake a journey that permits shortening of prayer (Qasr Salah).
Pregnant women and lactating mothers who fear for their health or their child’s well-being.

The Qur’an states:

“But if any of you is ill or on a journey, then the same number of days must be made up later.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:185)

These individuals must fast later once their situation allows them to do so.

Women in Special Circumstances

Menstruating women: It is prohibited for them to fast, and they must make up the missed fasts later (Bukhari, 1951).
Pregnant and breastfeeding women: They are exempt if fasting poses a hardship. Some scholars allow them to pay fidya if they fear only for the child and not themselves.

Key Things to Observe Before Starting the Fast

Make Up Outstanding Fasts – Complete any missed obligatory fasts before Ramadan.
Confirm the Sighting of the Crescent Moon – Follow the method of local or global moon sighting.
Make the Intention (Niyyah) – It must be made before Fajr (Abu Dawood, 2454).
Eat Suhoor (Pre-Dawn Meal) – It is Sunnah and provides blessings (Bukhari, 1923).
Be Mindful of Suhoor Time – Stop eating at Fajr time.

Prohibited Actions During Fasting

Eating and drinking during fasting hours.
Marital relations (intercourse) during the day (Bukhari, 1936).
Taking nutritional injections that provide nourishment.
Smoking as it breaks the fast.
Engaging in sinful behaviour like lying and backbiting (Bukhari, 1903).

Recommendations for a Rewarding Ramadan

Increase in worship – Pray Tahajjud, recite Quran, and make Du’a frequently.
Give generously in charity – The Prophet (ﷺ) was most generous in Ramadan (Bukhari, 1902).
Observe I’tikaf in the last ten nights to seek Laylatul Qadr.
Strengthen relationships – Seek forgiveness and maintain ties of kinship.

In conclusion, dear brothers and sisters, fasting in Ramadan is a divine gift and an opportunity for immense rewards. It is not just about abstaining from food and drink, but a means to purify our hearts, strengthen our faith, and attain taqwa.

Let us take this opportunity to repent for our past sins, seek Allah’s mercy, and strive for spiritual growth. May Allah grant us the strength to fast sincerely and accept our efforts in this blessed month.

Ameen.

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