The Contradiction

I'm sure all of you love the words of Psalm 91.

The words assure us that we are loved by the Creator of all, precious in His eyes, and that He will make sure no Evil will befall us.

Yet on the other end we find Job whose Life was ruined for a time, a man who put his trust and faith in YHWH.

We find Yahshua, the purest Man who ever lived, and He met nothing but adversity, misery and suffering, even unto Death.

So, is He a liar?

Does He give us false promises and false assurances which only serve to set us up for disappointment because what we hoped for and believed in did not come to pass?

If He is almighty, then when He stands back and allows the Adversary to vex His children, surely He is to blame for that?

I am not going to be the apologist inventing excuses for the sake of upholding a religious ideal.

I will, however, speak to you truthfully from my own experience and give you a different and realistic perspective so that the reason for the existence of suffering becomes clearer.

Suffering has a strange side-effect: it can bring out the Good.

Or it brings out the Bad, Evil, depending on the heart of the individual.

We take it personal because it is impossible not to, but if we try to see it as a carving tool, then surely the fruit it brings forth also must be taken into consideration and as such be seen from a more objective perspective?

If then the process is uncomfortable and painful, like the filling a cavity in a tooth, but it brings forth something which is Good, like a restored tooth, then surely for the sake of justice the entire process must be judged by the fruit it bears?

This is a very strange phenomenon, but the things which should have destroyed YHWH's children become instruments in drawing out YHWH's character in their Souls.

We are children of the Most High, and we bear the resemblance to our Father in our Soul and Spirit.

When we suffer and we constantly look within to find answers and help from our Father, this process of introspection draws us closer to Him, so that His character manifests in us to a greater degree than before.

This was also the outcome of Job's suffering: a greater intimacy with YHWH.

And I know it still remains hard to accept it, because if YHWH is all powerful, isn't He able to create a different way to draw forth His character in us?

I am just a man, and should I be capable of finding a better way than the way YHWH has created?

Do I have the insight into what is possible and what not, can I bring forth realities and shape them after my own insight?

I cannot, and therefore I trust Him Who created me, even though I may complain to Him.

My complaint comes from my pain, and He knows this as well as my great love for Him.

More powerful than my complaints and my disputes is my love for Him and my trust in the Rock of my Salvation, and I learned to let go and turn my heart over to Him, asking to remember His mercy and kindness.

Through the many why's He makes us wise.

I do not like suffering, who does?

But I do not know all the different parameters of my own reality and how they influence and shape me.

So, am I in my ignorant state to blame and hate YHWH?

I have chosen not to, because I love Him.

Even though I do not understand all, I persist in faith and trust, because He has shown me His heart, and what I saw was Good and kind, and I loved Him with all my heart and Soul.

I believe in the heart of my beloved Father in Heaven, and when I suffer I persist to the best of my abilities and ask Him to help me.

What else am I to do?

Blame YHWH for the suffering Evil Shadows bring into my Life?

Reject my love for YHWH and thus surrender my Soul and my heart to the ones who hurt me endlessly?

NEVER; let the Shadows carry the blame for the hurt, let them be judged who brought Evil into my Life.

So I persist and I hang on, trusting and believing, hoping for my Salvation.

Because that is the way how I can strike back at Evil, and that is what frustrates the Evil Shadows the most: that they cannot succeed in turning me into their slave, because I reject their suggestions and hold on in faith.

Yes, I reject the lies of the Satan and I hate everything that Liar stands for.

Because I turn my heart to YHWH in my pain, the answer the Adversary finds in me is the strength of YHWH Himself.

I am just a man and the Adversary can easily overcome me, but when I turn my heart to YHWH and the Satan encounters His strength in me, then He faces the unshakable Almighty Creator.

Let him deal with that.

And believe me, our Heavenly Father sees, and not a single blow the Adversary has dealt you has eluded Him.

He IS judge, and He DOES watch over you, never doubt that.

Still, how come Evil is able to influence our lives to such a great degree?

It is because Evil is able to make itself felt in our lives by means of the pawns it has enlisted in its service, and the structures it uses to captivate us and make us dependent on them.

'Seek the welfare of the nation, because the welfare of the nation is your welfare'.

This is something the prophet Jeremiah wrote (chapter 29), meaning that the lack of peace and welfare also becomes the lack of the peace and welfare of YHWH's people.

The nations where we live, our employers, our families, our cities, our homes, all these are structures we are positioned in, and if a structure manifests a greater degree of Evil than before, then we who are part of the structures and dependent on it are exposed to the increased presence of the forces of Evil within that structure.

We tend to forget we are placed in a world where Evil has a dominant position.

The Satan owns the world's kingdoms, and that is why he is able to offer positions of prominence as  rulers over all the kingdoms of this world.

You cannot offer something you do not have, and as the example of Yahshua's temptation shows us where the Adversary offers Him ALL the empires of this world, the Satan REALLY has our world in his back pocket.

The only thing which restrains him is the presence of YHWH in His Spirit and His messengers.

This dominant presence of Evil in this world is why every single one of YHWH's children have Heavenly guardians watching over them: without protection we would not have a prayer of a chance.

When Evil grows more prominent in our nations due to the fact that the people living in the nations hate YHWH and His Son in their hearts, when they thus open their hearts to Evil, then Evil manifests to a greater degree within that nation, having greater power to inflict harm upon those who love YHWH.

And when a nation manifests more Evil, YHWH withdraws His Spirit and His messengers, and Darkness replaces the Light.

If you love YHWH and you are surrounded by people who hate YHWH, then YOU WILL suffer.

Not because you are unjust, or because YHWH hates you, but because you -being the outsider, the misfit-, are in a position where Evil can hurt you.

And believe me, if you are in such a position, you WILL be hurt.

Did Yahshua not say, 'if they hated Me, they will hate you also, and if they loved Me, they will love you also'?

If then you are find yourself in the company of people who hate Yahshua, that hatred is something you will experience, because Yahshua lives in you.

You will be targeted for persecution in a multitude of different forms, and that is when the words of Psalm 91 will seem like a distant Utopian fantasy having no roots in 'reality'.

But you must not forget that due to the fact that you are in a position where Evil has the power to shape your world and turn it against you, Evil has the power to create a false image of YHWH as the great Liar.

The minions of Evil will hurt you and make you suffer, and then ask you the question, 'if you have such a loving and kind Heavenly Father, why does He allow you to suffer, why does He not answer you when you cry out of pain to Him?'

Of course it's just a tactic they use in an attempt to steal your Soul away from you, because they KNOW that they have no power over your Soul as long as you hold on to your choice for YHWH.

And if you persist in that choice, they will do their best to make you suffer under their wrath.

Their only hope to gain control over you is by manipulating you so that you make the choice to turn against YHWH.

BUT, always remember that even during the time of Job's suffering, YHWH made sure that the Adversary could not venture beyond the restrictions YHWH imposed.

He restrains Evil.

So do not fear what others might do to you, for they too cannot venture beyond YHWH's restrictions.

YHWH watches over you, and you are part of His heart.

YHWH allowed the suffering to happen so that He might be able to bless Job and have a greater degree of intimacy with him than before.

The suffering made Job question what He knew YHWH to be, yet in spite of his questions he held on to his love for YHWH, confused as he was about the contradiction he saw.

The suffering caused Job to aim his heart to YHWH more than ever before, and as a result he drew near to YHWH just as YHWH drew near to Job, so that YHWH's presence manifested to a greater degree in Job than ever before.

In the end Job was victorious and understood, there was a reason, and it had not been in vain.

And the treasure he inherited was one of eternal value, one which could never be taken away from him.

We all live in nations and structures in societies where Evil rules, and the degree to which Evil is able to manifest itself also is growing on a daily basis.

Unless we move to a deserted place we cannot isolate ourselves from the nations where we live.

The greater our dependency on the facilities our nations offer us, the greater the means Evil has at its disposal to make us miserable.

But Life is more than just the Life we live here at this moment.

This is just one phase of preparation, and the REAL Life is the extension into eternity.

YHWH WILL satisfy us with Life in abundance and untold joy, and in this Life He DOES show us His Salvation.

But you must never forget the hidden presence of Evil in all facets of Life around us.

If you were a Jew in Germany in 1940, and if you were to set foot in a building where the Nazi party held a meeting, what do you think your chances would have been to encounter any Good in such a situation?

You would have encountered nothing but Evil.

Because you were at the wrong place at the wrong time, venturing into the domain where Evil was able to show it's true vile face without restraint, and you would have suffered as a result.

Our Creator YHWH is Good, and there is not a cell in my Body which doubts that.

I often am at a loss understanding His silence when I expect an answer, but when I look back at my Life I can see that He always answers.

It's just that the answer did not always come at the time and place where I hoped and expected it to come, but it came at a time and in a form I did not expect.

I often do not understand why suffering comes my way, even though I did nothing to deserve it.

Yet later when I look back and see how the suffering brought out qualities of YHWH's character in me, then even though I do not understand the why or how, I DO acknowledge the end result which is Good.

I have to say that even during difficult times YHWH always provided a way out.

It did not come immediately, -yes, my faith is put to the test just as much as anyone else's, perhaps even more so.

It is through trial and setbacks that you learn to reach within to find the strength to overcome, and your faith grows thanks to the stresses it encounters.

He always creates a way out for His own at His appointed time, and you have to learn to trust His judgment in this matter, for if you find yourself in difficult situations and YHWH allows this, He has an agenda which aims to bring you closer to Him and cause you to flourish in faith.

I have seen glimpses of what lies ahead, the bright and glorious future YHWH has in store for those who love Him, and I can assure you your current problems will seem irrelevant and not worth mentioning in the light of that future.

No, this is not a conman's ploy to trick you into accepting that which is unacceptable, holding out a bright promise in order to exploit you in the present, but it is the honest Truth.

I cannot stress enough how important it is that you TRUST YHWH, even if He may seem deaf to your pleas, even if your situation is not what you want it to be.

TRUST Him, knowing that He will take care of you, because that is the Truth.

All of us are being tested in order that YHWH can shape our Soul and manifest Himself in us.

I have difficulty with preachers proclaiming that if a nation goes through the seven lean years, you will not suffer but instead prosper abundantly if you love YHWH.

Their brand of faith promises instant gratification to those who are spoiled by the doctrine, and this gratification usually is of a material nature.

It is nothing but a Lie serving an Evil purpose.

If those lean years concern the nation which you are part of, then do not be surprised you have to learn to do with less like everybody else.

If you expect that you will prosper during times of economic depression because you believed the lies a preacher told you, and you find to your surprise that you lose your job and have to earn a living with whatever you are able to find and make the ends meet with a lot less money, guess who tends to get blamed?

Yes, YHWH usually is held accountable and blamed for the misfortune.

And when you blame YHWH, the force of Evil acting through that preacher has succeeded, at your expense.

Be thankful, even for the little you receive, and if you need more, ask YHWH, believing Him.

When your circumstances are turned against you and you are deprived of a steady income, forcing you to meet ends with whatever you can find, STILL be thankful and ask YHWH to provide you with opportunities to earn your money.

You may not have as much as ten years ago, you may find yourself wishing you had more, but if you become angry at YHWH and put the blame on Him, your faith suffers and the Demons which made your Life difficult rejoice because they are succeeding.

Your Father watches over you ALL the time, and He will provide for you, trust Him in that, and do whatever you can.

The rest is up to Him Who loves you.

So, hold on and do not let the vexations of the Adversary take away the breath of your Soul.

Our Heavenly Father may not always give you an answer or solve your problems at the exact time when you expect it, but He is faithful and He has ALWAYS helped me in ways I did not expect.

He IS your Father, and what Father has a cold callous heart towards His children?

Know that you are loved, and although your Father may allow suffering in your Life, He does so in order that Good may manifest itself to a greater degree because YHWH can manifest Himself to a greater degree in your heart.

He ALWAYS will guard you and watch over you, no matter what.

The strange thing is that when YHWH's Ruach, His Spirit, comes to me, such as at the time I write this blog post, all memory of suffering becomes irrelevant and distant, as if it happened to someone else than me.

So when YHWH tells us He will wipe every tear from our eye, I can tell you from my own personal experience that this is not just future tense, but it is already a reality which I have experienced.

All trauma becomes distant and forgotten in the presence of YHWH's Ruach, and even though clouds may gather and make you feel sad and disheartened, remember this one thing: what the Bible refers to as the 'glory yet to be revealed', which is the reality of being one with YHWH without Evil standing in the way, will make all your traumas and pains seem irrelevant and of no importance whatsoever.

As a matter of fact, the painful memories and the traumas which handicap you now will be completely forgotten.

And this is not a lie or a pacifier to help you deal with pain and setbacks, it is a reality and these words I write are true.

Your greatest challenge lies perhaps in facing Evil in those you trusted most, your friend, your family.

They have the power to inflict the greatest wounds, and the Adversary knows that all too well.

But know this, by learning to let go and forgive the world lies at your feet, because if you can forgive those you loved and trusted most, yet who abused your love and trust, then you have overcome the world in its most vile and pernicious form.

Even when Life is difficult, and all has been taken away from you, do not let the thieves in the temple take away your love for YHWH.

Because THAT is what they are after: to cut you off from YHWH so that they, after they made you suffer and caused it to appear as if YHWH inflicted the suffering, can rob you of your precious Soul and make it theirs.

They are thieves, unholy murderers, Shadows without substance who seek to gain substance by taking it from you, parasites from the Dark feeding themselves with your Life and Energy.

Our battle is with them, not YHWH, so let your Soul be encouraged NOT to put the blame on YHWH, but to put the blame on the Shadows reaching out into your Life.

Love YHWH and put your trust in Him, and I guarantee that you will not be put to shame.

Please bear in mind that to this world alternating hours of Darkness and Light have been allotted, and during the hours of Darkness Evil can make itself felt in our lives.

Do not put the blame on YHWH, do not hate Him for what the workers of iniquity do to you.

Let the ones who do you Evil be held responsible, and keep YHWH always first and foremost in your heart as your first and greatest love.

Remember Joseph, how he was betrayed by his own brothers and sold into slavery in a strange land which was not his own, and in this dark hour, hoping his Heavenly Father would help him, his Life took another bad turn when Potiphar's wife lied about Joseph so that he was chained in prison for a crime he did not commit.

Did he renounce YHWH and spit on His name for all the misery heaped upon his shoulders while he believed in YHWH?

No, he kept trusting YHWH, believing that one day He would liberate Joseph.

Even when Joseph was imprisoned he faced yet another setback when he asked the Pharaoh's butler whose dream he interpreted that he would remember Joseph and mention his case before the Pharaoh.

The butler however kept his mouth shut until finally after two whole years the Pharaoh had a dream and the butler mentioned Joseph's name as a skillful interpreter of dreams.

Still, Joseph kept his faith in YHWH, believing that YHWH would deliver him and restore him, even though he must have carried a lot of pain in his heart.

And that day of his liberation and his restoration cam.

Joseph was honored with the highest position in the land of Egypt where he could make preparations for the bad times to come and thus save his family in Israel who also suffered under the seven lean years.

Joseph had to endure Evil in order that his faith might be tested and he might grow strong.

The hardship brought out Josephs faith and character so that the Evil which was done unto him contributed to Good.

Not only Joseph's Good, but also Israel's Good.

YHWH had allowed Joseph's tribulation because He also wanted to help Jacob during the seven lean years.

He allowed Joseph to be sold into slavery and become the victim of false accusations so that he could be brought to the Pharaoh's attention and become a king in Egypt.

It was a rough ride for Joseph, but one which strengthened him and which brought him many blessings.

Furthermore, the rough ride also brought blessings to Israel as well as destroying the lies his 'brothers' had told Jacob.

If anything, let that story inspire you to persist in faith and never allow your circumstances to turn you against YHWH.

Your trial means your faith is tested, and in order for faith to grow and manifest itself to a greater degree it MUST be tested, none of us can escape it.

We need to learn to draw closer to YHWH and live in complete dependency on Him, and our time of testing serves that purpose.

None of us LIKES to be tested, but we all enjoy the Good which the testing brings about, so ALWAYS trust YHWH, even when you are in pain and you are suffering.

Your Father knows, and nothing happens without serving a greater purpose.

Your Father cares and He is with you in your suffering all the way.