God Understands?
Another excuse we tend to make when explaining why we don’t come before the presence of the Lord is that "God understands", He knows what I am dealing with – that I am only one person – that I can’t do everything – if I had some help, I could do more, etc., etc., etc. God knows that my husband doesn’t help me do ANYthing; He knows I’m a single parent with no help; He knows I’m trying to work and go to school and take care of my parents – yes God knows all these things and does He understand:
"But He knows the way that I take [and He pays attention to it]."Job 23:10a (AMP)
Here Job tells his accusing friends that God does know the way that He takes, and not only knows but pays attention to it. We can’t leave this verse like this though:
When He has tried me, I will come forth as [refined] gold [pure and luminous].
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"My feet have carefully followed His steps;
I have kept His ways and not turned aside.
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"I have not departed from the commandment of His lips;
I have kept the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. Job 23:10b-12 (AMP)
Here Job is explaining to his friends that his afflictions were NOT as a result of not seeking the Lord, or being in His presence, or even as a result of not closely following His commandments. Blessings, or trials, are not the result of satisfying God’s requirements, but it sure helps to do so.
Yes, God understands, He knows everything about us – being in HIs presence is not going to guarantee a pain free life, nor will our not being in HIs presence cause certain calamity. What it will do is provide for us that calm assurance that He is "with us" in the good, in the bad, when the waters are calm, when the storm rages. We will be comforted to know that as the Apostle Paul states:
38 For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present andthreatening, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (AMP)
Maria