High and Low
Do you believe that whether you are strong or weak, rich or poor, it is the Lord who does this to you?
Hannah prayed and said, "My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in my victory. "There is no Holy One like the Lord, no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry are fat with spoil. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts. He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and on them he has set the world. "He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness; for not by might does one prevail. The Lord! His adversaries shall be shattered; the Most High will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king, and exalt the power of his anointed." - 1 Samuel 2:1-10
According to Samuel, God is at the heart of everything we do and everything that comes to us.
We pray to God when times are tough and we thank God when things go well. So, we must believe that God does these things for us, right?
This is why Job wanted an audience with God. He was sure it was God's doing that brought him down.
In that story, it was, in a way, since God gave the devil permission to harm Job.
If God is involved in these things, we should not automatically assume that the rich are evil or that the strong and powerful cannot be defeated.
God gives, and God takes away.
He does these things for a reason, though. This is why people who achieve success believe that God is with them, and people who are defeated believe God has abandoned them. We want God involved in our lives.
We need to know that God is there, watching over us and caring for us, like children.
Imagine how bad it would be to think we were alone. Then we would have to help each other.
Maybe we should give God a hand that way.
More to come...