When God lets you down

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Stranger

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I was disappointed that the churches we attended didn't focus on the gifts and I'm older and still don't know what mine is. My husband and I are first generational Christians so we had to bumble through churches until we found one that we felt right at.

I don't think that about meat-eating at all - I loathe the killing of animals to eat them. Prior to the fall there was no animal eating. So man's original diet consisted of no meat.

Genesis 1:29 - And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

I could not eat meat - it gags me. I remember I was 16 and drove to McDonalds for a hamburger; I ate a few bites and threw it out and never ate meat again. it absolutely makes me sick. I don't eat anything that ever had a face and don't believe God would want me to gag. Even eggs make me sick sometimes. I read that meat remains in your stomach for 8 hours after eating it. When in high school I had to do a report on the meat industry that was nauseating. You may want to watch the documentary "The truth about chicken" and other documentaries on the diseased meat being sold.

There are these verses though I'm unsure of their meaning; God has not opened it up to me yet:

Romans 14:21 - [It is] good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor [any thing] whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.


1 Corinthians 8:13 - Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

This verse is obvious:

Proverbs 23:20-21 - Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:

My husband went hunting one time and told me he killed an animal and he could never go hunting again. He still eats meat on occasion but is mostly a vegetarian also. And people have remarked on how youthful and good we both look so I believe that our diet is a healthy one.

Yes, prior to the fall, and even after the fall there was no meat eating. God changed man's diet several times. In the garden it was of the fruit of the trees. (Gen. 1:29) After the fall, added to that was the herb of the field. (Gen. 3:18) It wasn't till after the flood that man was given meat to eat. (Gen. 9:3)

So, it was definitely God that added meat to our diet. I'm certainly not telling you to eat meat. You have been so long without it. But I do believe not eating meat makes one more susceptible to demonic oppression. (1 Tim. 4:1-4) Just something to consider.

It's not easy or a happy thing to do if I kill an animal. But that hog won't go in the oven any other way. Somebody's got to do it. What is tough is having to shoot your dog, or any other pet you may have that needs it. But living in the country and seeing what the vet charges to do it, and seeing the price of one or two bullets, there is no way I am taking it to the vet. One of those 'old yeller' moments.

Stranger



Stranger
 
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Stranger

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Lol! Not sure which is worse!

Ill take the fire ants any day. Just like with your experience with the ticks, years ago I was doing some construction work and went and laid a bunch of tools underneath a porch that jutted out over a hill. I came back a few minutes later and I thought I laid them in an ant bed. You could't hardly see the tools for the ants. But just like you, they were not ants they were ticks. And me and another man had to spend the rest of the morning working under there. And we spent the rest of the day picking ticks off of us.

You can imagine what they do to animals. Me and the same man did a service call out in the country at another time. The folk that lived there were really what I would call white trash. There is such a thing. We got out of the truck and the peoples dog came up to us. He was covered with ticks. Huge. Some as big as the end of your finger. They were just dangling off of him. These people flat gave up on picking them off of him. I told the man I worked with to go see about what they need, I'm gong to try and get some of these ticks off this poor animal. If the dog had been mine I would have just shot him. I did what I could, but no way could I get all of them.

Stranger
 
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Nancy

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I know this isn't physical suffering as you have related, SG, but, as far as growing in trust, one of my greatest struggles has been over the monetary poverty I came to. My trust has grown in stages, for lack of a better word. First, I learned to say, well, I see what it looks like, but He has said He will see to it, so I don't care what it looks like, I will trust that He will provide for me and give me enough.

Then, despite years of poverty, I began to make money. But then, I began to not make money again and it hit me that God doesn't have to give me money to provide for me temporally, but could instead make jars not run out and make shoes not wear out. So I realized that I had to once again say, well, I see what it looks like, but He can make food drop from the sky and make a days worth last for 2 days and make a loaf feed thousands, so it really isn't dependent on how much money He gives me. In fact, if I demand that's how He must do it, I will not see miracles of provision. And strangely, He has somehow stretched money and supplies. I don't know how...I just know that the math didn't add up to my bills and yet, there was enough. It has left me speechless at times how the obedience of trust, one small step at a time, allows Him to do strange miracles...

Awesome Jen, and it is such a wonder how He does it...but our faith and trust will bring us even closer to Him and being grateful that He DOES provide...in some strange ways, at that, lol. So good to know that He will NEVER leave or forsake us...and He always gives us a way out of our sufferings. He has blessed me so abundantly I still pinch myself! I chose to never again worry or fret about ANYTHING and, that seems to be key.
Miss you sis!
 
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amadeus

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ha and we thought reality tv was a new thang huh. The plane crash of the youngest son i dont wanna comment for the same reason i gave above, even the 45 is screaming at us imo dang
And Elvis Presley an even bigger singing star died at age 42, but his death probably related more closely to his life style.
 
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JohnPaul

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I know this won't be a topic many want to address yet I'm facing it right now. How do you handle it when God lets you down?

I'm trying to think that He has other plans that are better than mine yet still circumstances seem to favor unbelievers at times, and those carrying the cross have even more burdens laid on their backs. How do you handle despair with God - when you really expected help and it didn't come?

I know in Pilgrims Progress I believe it was Faith who died at the stake and then Hope walked on with Christian.
@Soverign Grace
I’ve been away awhile, life has its moments and gets busy at times, Sister Soverign Grace, how have I been led to this thread, when I’ve been feeling so down? But I never once feel like God has let me down, I have been really depressed lately, really bad and have been praying night and day, literally.

I don’t know how people can be so miserable towards others, when all you do is show respect and courtesy, yet I ask God to forgive them and will pray for them as I stated in another thread today.

Soverign Grace, thinking of you today Sister, Satan is at large fight him and renounce him and all his false promises, I carry the Cross and will continue to do so, and will be praying for you Sister, something brought me back to the forum and I came upon this thread that I am late to, but will be reading through it.

God bless you and be with you.

God never lets us down. But we often feel that he has or that he isn't around anymore. At time when we feel that God has deserted us we need to tell ourselves that he has promised to never leave us or forsake us and that if we feel a distance between us a God then it is we who have moved not him. I've been there a few times and think I've learned until I face that situation all over again. Then I have to stop looking at myself and my situation and focus on him, be still and let him take hold of me again.

@Pearl, a beautiful post from a beautiful person, I have been thinking a lot of you Sister and how you gave me Consolement and prayed for me when I was going through my job crisis, you reached out to me, it helped a lot, and I’m going through it again, but I keep on and keep praying.

God bless you for your kindness and wisdom.
 

Nancy

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@Soverign Grace
I’ve been away awhile, life has its moments and gets busy at times, Sister Soverign Grace, how have I been led to this thread, when I’ve been feeling so down? But I never once feel like God has let me down, I have been really depressed lately, really bad and have been praying night and day, literally.

I don’t know how people can be so miserable towards others, when all you do is show respect and courtesy, yet I ask God to forgive them and will pray for them as I stated in another thread today.

Soverign Grace, thinking of you today Sister, Satan is at large fight him and renounce him and all his false promises, I carry the Cross and will continue to do so, and will be praying for you Sister, something brought me back to the forum and I came upon this thread that I am late to, but will be reading through it.

God bless you and be with you.



@Pearl, a beautiful post from a beautiful person, I have been thinking a lot of you Sister and how you gave me Consolement and prayed for me when I was going through my job crisis, you reached out to me, it helped a lot, and I’m going through it again, but I keep on and keep praying.

God bless you for your kindness and wisdom.

Hello @JohnPaul
Why indeed did you come on and read this today! No koinkidinks with our God! It hurts to hear of your depression. It has been knocking at my door for decades now and it is horrible. Consider yourself prayed for tonight and ongoing that God will lift your heaviness of heart and bring you back into His Peace. He always has a plan for us, yes??
God bless and keep you!
 
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JohnPaul

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Hello @JohnPaul
Why indeed did you come on and read this today! No koinkidinks with our God! It hurts to hear of your depression. It has been knocking at my door for decades now and it is horrible. Consider yourself prayed for tonight and ongoing that God will lift your heaviness of heart and bring you back into His Peace. He always has a plan for us, yes??
God bless and keep you!
My beautiful dear sister Nancy, how great it is to hear from you, I was led back here today because God works in mysterious ways and leads us where we need to be led, I have become depressed over the way my work life is going right now and that I didn’t make a good choice and coworkers can be really cruel, but I continue to pray, things get better, you see I can’t be cruel or callous, so it hurts me really bad when people are.

You’re prayers mean so much to me @Nancy and yes God Almighty always has a plan for us for he is Just and truthful and will never let us down, I fight Satan’s attacks, I know he is trying to draw me, but he won’t.

Thank you Nancy and much love to you and may God continue to bless you and keep you, always and forever!
 
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Nancy

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My beautiful dear sister Nancy, how great it is to hear from you, I was led back here today because God works in mysterious ways and leads us where we need to be led, I have become depressed over the way my work life is going right now and that I didn’t make a good choice and coworkers can be really cruel, but I continue to pray, things get better, you see I can’t be cruel or callous, so it hurts me really bad when people are.

You’re prayers mean so much to me @Nancy and yes God Almighty always has a plan for us for he is Just and truthful and will never let us down, I fight Satan’s attacks, I know he is trying to draw me, but he won’t.

Thank you Nancy and much love to you and may God continue to bless you and keep you, always and forever!

"that I didn’t make a good choice
- And He even digs us out of our own holes and hopefully learn from them (Most all of my choices have been wrong, even though I think they are good ones at the time) We just need to "hear" His voice. And it is so awesome to pray and watch Him work...I have found His peace and it is like none other. We fret, and worry and fear so many things in this life that pretty much never even happen, lol.
"and coworkers can be really cruel..." You got that right...and these are the ones we are to pray for and forgive even in their sin? Not easy during the storms, for sure.
My prayer for you John Paul is for the fullness of His peace so that you can rest in Him and His promises like, His provisions, His presence even when we don't feel loved by Him, we are. It all seems to boil down to faith for myself.
Trusting in Him for you brother.
In Him always!

ps
"you see I can’t be cruel or callous, so it hurts me really bad when people are."
You have a sweet and sensitive heart...can be a blessing or even a curse at times! I can be this way too.
 
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JohnPaul

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At the time..I don't handle it! I usually mulligrub.
Being human we sometimes feel like he failed us.
It usually happens when we felt He told us something which He actually did not tell us.

I have 'presumed' that He will do a certain thing..and yet He didn't.
So I pouted. Once it was for 3 months. I thought He had assured me of something...but after the three months...*I had to confess that He HAD done what I was expecting (and believed) Him to do...but because it didn't happen HOW I expected it to happen or in a way I expected, I didn't even notice it was Him!! ( until He opened my eyes and said...I did do it , and I was there , all the time"

Praise God...He is patient and loving and will wait for us to see His hand in a thing...even it isn't the way we actually expected. xx
@Helen, you reached out to me also and gave me advice, I haven’t forgotten you either dear sister, you Pearl, Soverign Grace, and Nancy are all in my thoughts, you reached out to me in my time of need.
 

JohnPaul

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"that I didn’t make a good choice - And He even digs us out of our own holes and hopefully learn from them (Most all of my choices have been wrong, even though I think they are good ones at the time) We just need to "hear" His voice. And it is so awesome to pray and watch Him work...I have found His peace and it is like none other. We fret, and worry and fear so many things in this life that pretty much never even happen, lol.
"and coworkers can be really cruel..." You got that right...and these are the ones we are to pray for and forgive even in their sin? Not easy during the storms, for sure.
My prayer for you John Paul is for the fullness of His peace so that you can rest in Him and His promises like, His provisions, His presence even when we don't feel loved by Him, we are. It all seems to boil down to faith for myself.
Trusting in Him for you brother.
In Him always!

ps
"you see I can’t be cruel or callous, so it hurts me really bad when people are."
You have a sweet and sensitive heart...can be a blessing or even a curse at times! I can be this way too.
You said it right Nancy, and people take my kindness as a weakness and therefore don’t act so kindly towards me.
 

bbyrd009

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so, i got this vision of how what we call bubbles get started yesterday...lol
ha, yikes, sorry...so, ppl who make too much money in resort areas esp that have no probs paying $112 a month for a cell phone--man ida swore i did this already--anyway, drag the price up for the rest of us see mostly women sorry girls buried in here deep as i could
:D
 

bbyrd009

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And Elvis Presley an even bigger singing star died at age 42, but his death probably related more closely to his life style.
42 ha
guess the sermon was a little longer tho officially...but i reckon i can subtract 5 min for the opening lol
ah wrong thread, please dont read this post
 
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Helen

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@Helen, you reached out to me also and gave me advice, I haven’t forgotten you either dear sister, you Pearl, Soverign Grace, and Nancy are all in my thoughts, you reached out to me in my time of need.


I'm glad to see you here :)

I believe we all need each other...I find I can easily soar an eagle on wings of faith one week....then the following week I need pulling our of some ditch I fell in without looking!

One day I may be calling on you to lift me up out of the ditch :D

Good to see you on solid ground bro. ...even if you are facing challenges.... God is making you strong through all this testing . Bless you ✟
 

Soverign Grace

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I know this isn't physical suffering as you have related, SG, but, as far as growing in trust, one of my greatest struggles has been over the monetary poverty I came to. My trust has grown in stages, for lack of a better word. First, I learned to say, well, I see what it looks like, but He has said He will see to it, so I don't care what it looks like, I will trust that He will provide for me and give me enough.

Then, despite years of poverty, I began to make money. But then, I began to not make money again and it hit me that God doesn't have to give me money to provide for me temporally, but could instead make jars not run out and make shoes not wear out. So I realized that I had to once again say, well, I see what it looks like, but He can make food drop from the sky and make a days worth last for 2 days and make a loaf feed thousands, so it really isn't dependent on how much money He gives me. In fact, if I demand that's how He must do it, I will not see miracles of provision. And strangely, He has somehow stretched money and supplies. I don't know how...I just know that the math didn't add up to my bills and yet, there was enough. It has left me speechless at times how the obedience of trust, one small step at a time, allows Him to do strange miracles...

There are many different kinds of suffering - yes physical suffering is bad but who is to say what is worse? There were times during my ordeal that I begged God that He not let me wake up. But He did and I fought through another day. I was glad He never answered me because I was greatly blessed in ways I had not foreseen and I saw a long-time prayer finally answered - one I had sought for beating on Heaven's door. I'm still dealing with a good deal of pain but I think God is working something through it. Some days are worse than others and some days I feel I can't go on and I feel an emotional exhaustion; pain draws a lot out of you. But I have a good doctor. I don't know what it is about him but he's a good person. (I always wonder if I'm interacting with an angel unawares:) )

We burned through a lot of money - medical care is expensive. My husband had a good job but that just hit us like an asteroid. I canceled some of our cable channels and am trying to convince my husband to cancel the rest. We keep the heat down and I hate the cold. I turn lights off. We don't eat out. And I shop sales. So we live very frugally - so I know what you deal with. I'm finding a surprising number of ways to cut costs. Now I'm like a miser! I just had a high bill for medical care that makes me weak in the knees. I had to go to Urgent Care and it was a $75 copay. I walked out and went to my family doctor and it was a $30 copay. So it pays to comparison shop everything. Health insurance is astronomical! My husband keeps assuring me we'll be alright but I'm a worrier by nature. I grew up basically poor - my parents had too many kids. I never want to go back to that. I am in minus zero condition to work and I signed on with a company I did some work for; I spoke with one of the supervisors yesterday and she's going to give me some work to do from home. So that's a blessing. My husband is working - and we're both retirement age. But sometimes I think that lean times are good for the soul. I can see God making me a better person. I was spoiled when we had good money and I didn't appreciate the value of the dollar - now after hardships and high bills I do. There is a company called "Rat Race Rebellion" that sends updates of temporary and unusual job opportunities if you're looking to do some side work.

As far as the physical suffering, I believe God is going to bring good out of it though it gets very hard. I am friends with a woman I met online whose son was murdered - she's a Christian. I do not understand that one at all. I try to support her and be there for her. She had to go year after year to hearings to ensure her son's murderer was kept locked up. He was released and she now wears a gun because she said he hates her. I also experienced a deep loss and she emails me around her deceased son's birthday and says that I'm the only one who understands.

I don't understand God and there were many times that I, along with Paul, despaired of life. I just wish that God hadn't chosen pain as a way to teach us. I can see some good through it, yet other times struggle. My pastor said that's when F-A-I-T-H takes over. "We walk by faith not by sight..."
 
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Soverign Grace

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Ticks used to be terrible here. Praise God for the fire ants. They just about eradicated them.

Stranger

We're inundated with ticks - a lot of people around us have Lyme's. Our dog had it. I wonder why someone never thought to bring in fire ants as a natural predator.
 

Soverign Grace

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I have never had one stomp at me. When they are startled or sense danger they will make a type of snort that sounds more like a wheeze. You may have heard it before in the woods and not known what it was. I think it also serves the purpose of warning other deer that man is in the woods.

Just yesterday after writing about this, I went to do some clearing in the woods. After awhile I got tired and sat down to rest on a log. So I sat there quietly for about 15 minutes and I see this 6 point buck come out of the brush. I was downwind of him so he had no idea I was there. He was going to come right up to me if I didn't do something. And it would have scared him to death. So I started humming a song and got his attention. He gave one of those intense gazes and then gave one of those wheeze snorts and his tail went up and he left quickly but not in a panic. And I heard him give several of those wheezes even as he got farther away, so I believe they are to warn other deer.

But, like I said, I have never had one stomp at me. So, you probably did the right thing in getting in your car. I used to raise rabbits. And when they sense danger they will stomp with one of their feet as a warning to others.

Stranger

You sound like a fellow nature lover. I love being outdoors and everything about nature - I think that somehow brings you close to God. My husband and I rented a place very close to the beach one time and I recall falling asleep to the sound of the surf - it was very peaceful. I loved getting up early to watch the dolphins.
 
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Soverign Grace

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I hear you there SG
I too am unaware of what particular gift/gifts that I might have. I do believe I have great discernment yet, am too unsure as how to use it. It was not at all hard to discern the spirit of other folks in Church but, it goes deeper and, not trusting myself to know this is something from God holds me back, not to mention the first time I did try to use it...the Pastor would not even give me 60 seconds of his time. And I do believe thoroughly that it was because he did not want to hear anything about what this person has done and continues to do so...if they do not hear you then...it will be up to God Himself to show him. There have been instances between other people as well but, I keep my mouth shut because it is not a "sure" thing and I do not like confrontation! It's frustrating, no? Not to know what might be our "gift". We can all have the gift of helps, and many also can (should) have exhortation so as to keep our spirits lifted. It's good to hear these things from a bro or sis in Christ from time to time. I just pray that I will not become weary in well doing which can be a strong temptation to do when we just do not "feel" it...

I think one of your gifts is the gift of mercy. You have a way of encouraging people and your love for others comes through. You could also have the gift of discernment as I believe we may have several gifts. That's a shame that a pastor would do that. He may have been squelching something that could have benefitted the church. I have never tried to exercise the gift of discernment - if I have it - in church. I probably should have tried to find out what my gifts were and used them.
 
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JohnPaul

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Often we do not see or understand why God doesn't seem to be answering our prayers, but God sees a much bigger picture than us- and it is often in the future, when we look back, that we get a glimpse of what he was doing. That's my experience anyway xx
Rita
Foot prints in the sand, when you were in you're darkest hour I carried you.