Day 27

One of my favorite movies growing up was Aladdin. I'm sure you know it but in case you don't, a street rat named Aladdin, despised by all, found a magic lamp with a genie inside. The genie snapped his fingers and all of a sudden, Aladdin's life was a lot better off (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd07uvkTeKo).

A lot of people think of the Living God as a genie. Sad but true. They make a request (or sometimes a demand) and expect the Living God to do their bidding. But there are a lot of times when the Living God doesn't do what we want him to or he waits. We act like terrorists saying, "God, you'd better do this or else I won't believe in you." But those moments are where our faith can really be tested- not when everything is going our way but rather when it seems like nothing is going our way- will we still cling to the fact that the Living God is good, all the time even if our circumstances are not or will we throw the Living God under the bus so to speak...

Spend 5 minutes thanking the Living God for some of his characteristics (Creator, Savior, loving, merciful, just, poweful, etc.). Ask him to soften your heart and to shape you through His Word...

Check out Psalm 27; Psalm 69; Psalm 107; Exodus 2:23-25

1. Have you ever experienced a time when you felt like the Living God was ignoring you or your suffering or that He was far away and couldn't see what was going on? What was happening that caused you to feel that way?
2. What are some common things you see in all 4 of today's passages? What was happening in all of them? What was the response of the people?
3. Ultimately, what was the Living God's response (especially in the case of the Exodus passage, check out Exodus 19:3-6)?
4. How can these passages help us in tough times, especially when we're doubting the Living God?
5. Is there something in your life right now that is tough for you to face? How are you responding to the Living God? How should you and could you respond according to these passages?
6. Check out Acts 16:19-34. What had happened to Paul and Silas? What was their response to their situation (v. 25)? What happened next? How did the jailer respond (or how did the Living God use Paul and Silas' response for his purposes)?
7. Read Romans 8:28. How does this play into this study on being patient with the Living God and what is happening? What does the Living God do with everything that happens to us, both the good and the bad?

Take some time and memorize 1 Thessalonians 5:18- "give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus". Remember it next time you're feeling down because of what's happening in life. Take some time to give thanks to the Living God.

Peace.

Richard