MY GOD, MY GOD

My God, My God why have you forsaken Me?

Psalms 22:1

We have times when life seems so hard, so frustrating and we can get weary. God, why are you so far away from me? When bills come, someone dies, seasons change, you are not seeing what you were expecting. Why are you so far from helping me? David asked. As Jesus hung on the cross He cried out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" The people that were there tried to bring comfort to Jesus as he had been beaten, bruised and felt hopeless. Maybe you are feeling discouraged, abandoned, and forgotten to bring your needs to the foot of the cross. Jesus cried out in a loud voice to God and yielded His spirit up, then the atmosphere changed. The veil was torn, the earth quaked, rocks split, graves opened and the dead were able to rise again! There is hope, there is the reason for the change, there was a promise that had been fulfilled. The prophets spoke about Jesus' resurrection and no one believed and now the time came. I am not here to preach but to share God's word, His love and His promises.

First, let us look at the story of Abram, (Genesis 13-15) he left His father's land following the instructions of God to go to an unknown land. It can seem hard and even impossible to follow some instructions that do not have a clear conclusion, but Abram obeyed. He took baggage with him though that interfered with what God could do in his life, with God giving him those instructions in one chapter and not hearing anything from God again until there was separation. Abram was favoured, he was blessed and the people around him were able to connect to the blessing. Sometimes we connect with friends, family or people who could be hindering our growth, blessing and hearing from God. Abram separated and God spoke; it is so important to identify destiny helpers and opposers. It can seem so subtle, insignificant, irrelevant and uncomprehensive. Abram may have said to himself, Lot is family, I have always helped him, I am like a mentor to him. But was Lot assigned to Abram? Probably not in Genesis 14 Lot caused Abram to shift his focus to him having to save him and his family, even at another point having to ask God to save them. The things in the world enticed Lot's family and it lured Lot further away from where he was being blessed. There were parties, concerts, friends and fun; fun can lead you to heartbreak, heartache, poverty, sickness, or disease. The enemy makes things look so shiny and bright that it can pull you out of your covering. The irony is Lot may not have noticed that he was being blessed because of his connection, because he was covered by Abram. Identify your covering, your destiny helper. There is a particular person when you are around them you are blessed, you are favoured, good things happen. Lot stepped out from his covering and lost his family leaving him prey to the enemy. His daughters saw some things they shouldn't have seen and were convinced that they should sleep with their father. There were a series of things that showed Lot and his family ventured away from God, they could've been saved but like Lot's wife the world looked so good, she had so much fun that she looked back probably wondering if she should go back but turned to a pillar of salt. She had already lost her connection to God and now that led to her death. I am not at all trying to scare you but I am trying to point out how our actions have consequences. How the love of the world can seem so enticing and in the end it ruins families, relationships and homes. It may not happen right away because God never wants us to die in sin, He wants us to have a transformation story. He wants us to live life abundantly. During this time did Abram get frustrated? My God, my God why have you forsaken me? Did he wonder where God was? He had to use his connection to get Lot out of a bad situation, is it possible that Abram got angry at Lot for venturing off? God may look at us many times feeling the same way, as parents, we feel that way but with love we allow our children to grow and learn. Our discomfort can be a part of our growth.

Secondly, the lost son had the same experience (Luke 15:11-32) with a different outcome. His father gave him the blessings owed to him, but the son may not have considered the cost, he did not realize he had blessings because of his connection. It is so important for us to get the blessings from our coverage to make decisions like marriage, buying a home and a business venture for instance. Nonetheless, this boy wanted to see the world, he no longer wanted to stay at home. I have experienced this in my twenties ('20s) to have money and squander it but what the son did not know was there would be a famine. It is something about those elders they always just know: discern, perceive through the Holy Spirit or what we call a gut feeling. Those elders know about the season and pay attention to some of the norms that occur. In the Bahamas during the latter summer month-August into September, there is a change that occurs and stimulates the atmosphere for hurricanes. Every year like clockwork this happens but every year it seems to come to take many residents by surprise, they seem to be unaware. The son did not pay attention to the shift in the atmosphere, then came hardship with no covering or plan to get out of this bad situation. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? It got hard, things no longer looked promising. God, why have you gone so far away from me? but God just might be asking why did you go so far away from me, I did not move, I have been here waiting on you or I needed you to learn some things so you can enter the next season, so you will not make the same mistakes you once did, so you can pay attention to the shift in the atmosphere. The atmosphere can be in your home, family, spouse, children or at work. For everything, there is a season, a time for every activity under the sun (Eccl. 3:1-8). Which activity? EVERY activity, to pray, cry, shout, run, wait, sing; anything out of its time can be premature or preterm. Although, the son left his covering and suffered a while he reconnected with his father. Jesus cried in a loud voice and yielded His spirit up, he submitted, respected and honoured God's plan and the season He had to go through. The son went to his father who welcomed him with open arms; my son is here clean him up and give him the best linen, get the best meal. This is how the angels are celebrating and worshipping on our behalf when we return to God possibly even while in Christ and we are going through that hard season the angels are biting their nails and gritting their teeth in hopes we get through it so we can all celebrate. Daniel fasted and prayed in hopes to hear from God and an angel came to Daniel in a vision explaining that God had already heard his prayer and answered it but the principalities, the powers the rulers of this darkness and spiritual hosts (Ephesians 6:11-12) were in battle trying to stop Daniel's blessings (Daniel 10:10-14). My God, my God why have you forsaken me? Daniel may have been wondering why his prayers were not being answered, with all this and nothing God? Why are you so far away from me? Then God sends a word right when you started to feel hopeless, unloved and forgotten. My child, I am here, I never left, hold on a little longer, I will give you more grace. God is saying today I will give you more fuel to get through this season. The son went home after his season of wait. They got the best for him to eat and wear this was his transformation story. He was redeemed and it was time to celebrate. After a long hard journey, it feels so good to celebrate, to give God praise for you getting through that season. The father could care less about what happened before all that mattered was that he returned. Amid the celebration, the enemy still tried to creep in to remind the son of his past even after his Father had received him celebrated and forgiven him. It hit close to home, it was his brother, a member of the church, a close friend. You remember when...yes and I came out victorious would be my answer. You are forgiven, redeemed and loved! There is no condemnation in the kingdom of God, in the real family of Christ hold no discontent or anger toward that person who may not understand or may be used to attack you, the Bible says we are to pray for them. In certain seasons hearing negativity can seem so heightened, shift your focus, cry out to God, seek His face even more than you did before.

1 Peter 5:10 after suffering we will be perfected, those things that affected us before should no longer affect us like it once did before. James 1:12 says after getting THROUGH the test we will receive our crown. 1 Peter 1:6 says we are to celebrate that we went through tests. In those times we can ask for grace, we ask for direction and ask for the Holy Spirit to speak to us-give us that word for that season. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?" Jesus felt the pressure of this life; the frustration, the hardship and cried out to the Father for guidance, for help. Then even Jesus submitted to God. As you go through whatever season you are in right now, believe that this is only for a moment and a test for you to be refined. The best comes from the hardest season, the best goes through the crushing, goes through pruning. You are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus!

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