Maybe you’re wondering “What the heck does stumble on God mean? We can never stumble on God…” Can we? It means exactly that.
(Note: This story is told in my personal version to make it easy for readers to understand)
There was a time in history when John the Baptist was imprisoned by Herod. And John told his disciples to ask Jesus: “If you are indeed the One, then what am I doing here in prison?” What John is saying is: “If you are indeed the Messiah, then why don’t you get me out of prison? I’m doing everything for you! Can’t you see that? I can do more when I’m free from here so get me out!”
So they did – they went to Jesus to ask this question.
What Jesus answered shook me in my thoughts
Jesus said: “The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the gospel preached to them. Blessed is He who does not fall away on account of me.”
What Jesus is clearly telling John is: Do you not see, John? I HAVE THE POWER. I HAVE THE AUTHORITY. DO NOT STUMBLE ON ME!
Sometimes we think about why God allows things to happen in our life. It doesn’t seem to make sense. We love Him, we put our lives in Him, we praise Him, yet why are we in the positions we are in? Why are we sometimes held in the prison of trials and problems?
We forget that God is God.
We ask Him, are you who you claim to be? Because if you are, why am I here? Why is this problem happening to me? Why all this crap in my life?
We lose faith and trust in Him. And we stumble on God whenever He let’s us go through some troubles for Him to shape our character. Hopes and dreams will be shattered and dashed to pieces. Faith and trust will be shaken. Precious things in life will be taken away. But don’t ever think that God has forgotten your situation even in a moment.
God has a perfect purpose and plan for you. And if you know and accept that completely, then you will trust Him 100% no matter how painfully, devastatingly, excruciatingly hard it is for you.
Up to the last moment of our breaths, our character is being changed. The way you will die and the moment your soul is detached from your body – it’s all in God’s mind. Your character will never stop being refined by God. He wants your character to be stretched as far as He know it can go.
My special thanks to Ravi Zacharias’ podcast “Mind the gap”
