The existence of God!

[blessedintrovert]

Hello, I am starting to doubt the Lord and the existence of God. God has not done good things in my life and I do see His Hand in my life.

 

[St_Worm2]

As tough as it seems sometimes BI (especially when we're in "the thick of it"), God does bring great good out of great evil. He allows His elect, His children, to endure suffering, not for our harm but rather for our good (i.e. Romans 8:28 cf Hebrews 12:4-13). He, in fact, uses it to continue to sanctify us and mold us into the image of His Son, a point that a number of quotes by missionary and author Elisabeth Elliot often speak to. Here are a few of them. Hopefully they may prove to be helpful to you

"Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering…. The love of God did not protect His own Son…. He will not necessarily protect us – not from anything it takes to make us like His Son."

"The secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances"

"Leave it all in the Hands that were wounded for you"

"God never withholds from His child that which His love and wisdom call good. He never denies our heart's desire except to give us something better"

"God has promised to supply all of our needs.What we don't have now we do not need now"

"God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will, a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to." ~Elisabeth Elliot (wife of slain missionary Jim Elliot)
​

And I'll leave you with a quote by Charles Spurgeon as well. See below.

Praying for you!

Yours in Christ,
David
p.s. - the Elisabeth Elliot story is an amazing one if you don't know it. It began with her going alone (with her new baby girl) to the tribe and to the very men who murdered her husband in Ecuador, and leading them all to Christ

 

[John Hyperspace]

Hello, I am starting to doubt the Lord and the existence of God. God has not done good things in my life and I do see His Hand in my life.

Just out of curiosity; could you tell me if you live in a house? Eat food every day? Sleep in a bed? Have friends? Do you have a crippling disease? Sit around surfing the internet, and scratching your belly? Just, would like to know how bad things are for you.

 

[Winken]

Hello, I am starting to doubt the Lord and the existence of God. God has not done good things in my life and I do see His Hand in my life.

Got news for ya! God DID things long ago......loooooong ago! We just have to believe! It is not a matter of waiting for good things to happen, nor is it a matter of us making things happen. HE is at the controls. Sometimes we just have to step aside to watch His plan for us unfold. I grew up introverted, waited for "things to happen," instead of stepping out in simple, child-like faith, like this: "God knows me! He loves me! I'm His child! I'll live with Jesus forever! No one can take this joy away from me!"

 

[John Hyperspace]

I just had a great idea. I'll go ahead and pray to God that He take everything you have away from you. We'll petition God to throw you into the streets to sleep on a bench, and be mugged, to go to sleep on your bench starving for food. Maybe a good case of food poisoning from eating froma trash bin? Lameness in your right foot, and we'll ask that He give you a disease of the eyes. We'll let you persist in this state for, say, a year sound good? Then, after this is finished, we'll pray to God to restore you to the first state so you can look around and say "Look at what good God has done for me!" Sound like a plan?

 

[Radrook]

Hello, I am starting to doubt the Lord and the existence of God. God has not done good things in my life and I do see His Hand in my life.

In what specific way?

 

[blessedintrovert]

Thanks for your replying. I am in a serious discussion with God about if He is real or not. This may only be a season of my life and I may get out of it yet why does God just stay silent in our world.

 

[Radrook]

Thanks for your replying. I am in a serious discussion with God about if He is real or not. This may only be a season of my life and I may get out of it yet why does God just stay silent in our world.

Here is a thread I posted and in which the question you ask is discussed:

Why Does God Reside in Secret?
http://www.christianforums.com/threads/why-does-god-choose-to-reside-in-secret.7973189/

 

[thesunisout]

Hello, I am starting to doubt the Lord and the existence of God. God has not done good things in my life and I do see His Hand in my life.

Hello,

I just wanted to encourage this way, that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins. God gave the most precious He has to save you. This is the dramatic evidence that God does love you, and that He has done good things in your life. You have to see life through the perspective of the cross, otherwise you won't understand your life. You have to remember you live in a fallen world run by the devil; if you base your faith on your circumstances then your faith will fail. You need to base your faith on the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our risen Savior is the living proof of Gods perfect love for His creation.

Also, there is another part of this equation. Have you truly surrendered your life to the Lord Jesus Christ? If you have, are you obeying Him in the things He has told you to do? When we don't fully surrender ourselves, and we don't do the things the Lord wants us to do, we experience spiritual death in our lives. Things get a lot harder and we feel distant from the Lord. But, the fact is He has never left us and He is always there for us. It may not always feel that way, but our faith isn't based on feelings, it is based on the fact of who Jesus is and what He did for us.

Also, consider the illogic of doubting Gods existence because He isn't doing what you want Him to do. Logically, His existence isn't in question because He isn't conforming to your expectations of what you think He should be doing. His existence is not dependent on what we believe about Him. You need to ask yourself who the problem is with, God or you? When you consider that you're a sinner in need of a Savior, and that you're totally dependent on God for your next breath, I think you'll understand where the problem really is. Also remember you have an enemy who is trying to get you to abandon your faith in God and this is one of the ways he does that. He gets us to base our faith on our feelings and circumstances so that when we feel bad or our circumstances are bad, our faith will fail. Read the book of Job to see how this works. God bless

 

[blessedintrovert]

Thanks

 

[Greg J.]

Experiencing God in your life happens according to your faith in him. To have more faith in him, you need to obey him. Seek to know him better with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. To do this, he needs to become the center of all you do. To do this, you need to give up what you want to do.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (bold mine, James 4:7-8, 1984 NIV)

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:37-39, 1984 NIV)

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” (bold mine, John 14:21, 1984 NIV)

 

[Ilovereading]

I understand

 

[Sketcher]

Hello, I am starting to doubt the Lord and the existence of God. God has not done good things in my life and I do see His Hand in my life.

God exists independently of what you have experienced in your life. He is the Creator. He delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. And of course, there is Jesus, with his miracles, death, and resurrection.

 

[wayfaring man]

Hello, I am starting to doubt the Lord and the existence of God. God has not done good things in my life and I do see His Hand in my life.

Have you accepted Christ's Testimony ?

And asked for The Gift of The Holy Spirit ?

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He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. <---> John 3:33

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? <---> Luke 11:9-13

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If not - doing so should solve the situation.

wm

 

[wayfaring man]

Thanks for your replying. I am in a serious discussion with God about if He is real or not. This may only be a season of my life and I may get out of it yet why does God just stay silent in our world.

It's part of the trial of our faith.

These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. <---> John 14:25-30

We can't endure that trial well on our own...we need His Spirit within, to lead, guide, teach, communicate, and comfort us.

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Plus God seeks for us to choose Him without coercing our decision...which would likely occur if He made Himself plain for all to see.

Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. <---> John 14:22+23

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May The Lord Be Pleased to Bless !

 

[Greg J.]

Huh? "If God did exist, there wouldn't be any men who rape women." is not logical, hence reasoning that follows is based on fallacy. It presumes a God who did not make men as separate beings from himself. The idea that God is in control of everything fails to account for his choice (he's in control of everything, right?) to allow people to make decisions for themselves.

 

[CrystalDragon]

Huh? "If God did exist, there wouldn't be any men who rape women." is not logical, hence reasoning that follows is based on fallacy. It presumes a God who did not make men as separate beings from himself. The idea that God is in control of everything fails to account for his choice (he's in control of everything, right?) to allow people to make decisions for themselves.

How do we know we have free will though? God messed with "free will" a few times in the Bible.

[staff edit]

I don't think that could be argued for a reason that God does not exist, but rather "if God exists than he may not be all-good as humans generally define good".

Hello, I am starting to doubt the Lord and the existence of God. God has not done good things in my life and I do see His Hand in my life.

OP, I completely see where you're coming from. I feel doubts too, some days stronger than others. And here's the thing: as I can already see even on this thread, people will say "We just have to have faith!" "It's part of a test!", etc. But here's something to think about: do you apply that kind of logic to any other area in your life? Just accepting things on faith without looking into yourself might not be the best course of action.

Anyone can say that something is true, or try to say things to have you feel guilt for asking questions. Try to push past that and actually research. Don't just accept what someone else says without looking into it. We can't really know anything without looking into it, so don't be afraid to doubt and ask questions. Being afraid of that is simply letting fear overtake you, and if fear overtakes you, that isn't love. A system that claims to be of love but is based around fear ought to not be just accepted blindly. Question everything as you would anything else.

Read the Bible, know the history, carefully analyze what everyone in the Bible does and compare it with your own moral code.

Basically, if you take away one thing from my post, let it be this: Truth should never be afraid of questions. If a "truth" fears questions, there's a chance it might not be as true as it claims.

 

[CrystalDragon]

[staff edit]

I'm honestly not sure if we have free will either, given our personality is from our brain makeup and there are some things we'd like to physically do but can't, or we're put into a scary situation where we'd like to get away but can't.

Also, I see your point there, but knowing that most Christians don't read the Bible (I didn't read any of it myself for quite a while) I feel it's at least good to start with reading the Bible, see if it really holds up to scrutiny, and go from there (especially since some people say "God is all good because it says so in the Bible".

 

[Greg J.]

"If God did exist, there wouldn't be any men who rape women."

The same logic used here can also be used in this sentence:

If God did exist, there wouldn't be any women who couldn't defend themselves from rape.

 

[nChrist]

God obviously created mankind with free will. God could have created mankind to be like robots, completely obedient, loving, and good. However, he obviously didn't.