Are you truly grateful to the Lord for all that you have?
Do you praise him through all things? or do you harbor bitterness for the people and things he has "taken" from you?
It is easy to be mad at death (physical, emotional, spiritual, social) and blame it on God.
As if it was his plan for Death to be introduced from the start.
Let's get one thing straight. The death in the world is introduced by people when their actions and words line up with the Enemy. Alternatively, When you do not operate in the boundaries that God has placed for living in good relationship, you are bringing death. Full stop.
Are you bringing Death into the Culture, your family and community? Or are you actively combating the forces of evil by walking righteously and with a godly Integrity in which no fault can be found?
Job says such:
JOB 1:13-22
18 While this one was still speaking another came in and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine at their oldest brother’s house 19 when suddenly a mighty wind came from beyond the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it collapsed on the young people and they died. And I—only I alone—escaped to tell you!”
20 Then Job got up, tore his robe, shaved his head, fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 Then he said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will return there.
Adonai gave and Adonai has taken away;
blessed be the Name of Adonai.”
22 Through all this, Job did not sin nor did he cast reproach on God.
Have you lost a loved one and sinned in anger? Have you felt like you got the short end of the stick and being irate with God and your loved ones? Repent if you have.
God did not plan for death to be apart of the picture. In our arrogance we get mad at God for "taking" people and things from us. Uh, He is the author of life? The decider of time and space. How can we be so deceived?!?
How entitled and dangerous is the mindset of "How could you do this God!"
"How could you let this happen?!?!"
Every Good thing is the Lord's. Your loved ones, your good memories and experiences. They are all GIFTS from the Lord.
You and I NEVER deserved to receive any of these mercies. We were born into sin yet Abba loved us enough to still give us good gifts despite that.
We need to change our Mindsets. If we don't, death awaits and we can be actively bringing that death to all around us.
Praise him for the good things, even if they felt short lived to you. Be thankful and humble because we do not deserve the breath we breathe now.
You are not promised tomorrow. Use your breath in your lungs to praise the most high instead of complaining.
You don't want you last breath to be cursing the Most high.
The Psalms says much about this:
PSALM 4
1 For the music director, on stringed instruments, a psalm of David.
2 Answer me when I call,
God of my righteousness!
You set me free when I am in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.
3 O sons of men, how long will you turn my glory into my shame?
How long will you love worthlessness and pursue falsehood? Selah
4 But know that Adonai has set apart the godly for His own.
Adonai will hear when I call to Him.
5 Tremble, but do not sin!
Search your heart while on your bed, and be silent. Selah
6 Offer righteous sacrifices
and put your trust in Adonai.
7 Many are asking, “Who will show us some good?”
May the light of Your face shine upon us, Adonai!
8 You have put joy in my heart—
more joy than when their grain and new wine overflow.
9 I will lie down and sleep in shalom.
For You alone, Adonai, make me live securely.
Put aside all falsehood and worthlessness.
Pursue Righteousness (Jesus dwelling in you makes you righteous if you let him).
Tremble(or be Angry) BUT DO NOT SIN.
Search your heart and be silent. Seek the Lord and his wisdom.
Offer righteous sacrifices and put your trust in Adonai.
It is being in the humble posture of thankfulness to the Lord that we can start to walk differently from those in this world. To bring life and Glory to HIS name, not ours.
Ephesians says:
Ephesians 4:17-32
17 So I tell you this, indeed I insist on it in the Lord—walk no longer as the pagans do, stumbling around in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance in them due to the hardness of their heart. 19 Since they are past feeling, they have turned themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of immorality, with greed for more.
20 However, you did not learn Messiah in this way— 21 if indeed you have heard Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Yeshua. 22 With respect to your former lifestyle, you are to lay aside the old self corrupted by its deceitful desires, 23 be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self—created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25 So lay aside lying and “each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,”[d] for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, yet do not sin.”[e] Do not let the sun go down on your anger, [f] 27 nor give the devil a foothold. 28 The one who steals must steal no longer—instead he must work, doing something useful with his own hands, so he may have something to share with the one who has need. 29 Let no harmful word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for building others up according to the need, so that it gives grace to those who hear it. 30 Do not grieve the Ruach ha-Kodesh of God[The Holy Spirit],[g] by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness and rage and anger and quarreling and slander, along with all malice. 32 Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other just as God in Messiah also forgave you.
Today, Repent for the times you may have been angry at God for "taking away" someone or something. Repent of your anger and feelings of being entitled. "Well I worked for it, so I deserve it" is so dangerous.
Instead, change your mindset and be THANKFUL you had the chance to experience so much life filled with the gifts from Adonai.
Humble yourself. Think about all the people in your life you are blessed to know(and don't deserve to know) and pray for them. Lift them up and pray for them to know God and his Son more intimately (THIS IS ETERNAL LIFE!!!).
Release all anger, malice and bitterness towards those who have wronged you(or you have PERCEIVED they have wronged you) and forgive them in your heart. Repent and ask the Lord for forgiveness for holding that anger and bitterness toward them.
Then pray for them, too. For they are also the beloved children of God. Pray that they may return and know the Lord. Pray that they can get to the place to receive the Healing that they need. Everyone is hurting beyond all comprehension. Sin is CRUSHING EVERYONE. Only those who know Adonai may live securely and we should want all of his creation to be in relationship with him. Eph4:29 says 29 Let no harmful word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for building others up according to the need, so that it gives grace to those who hear it.
Extend grace to those who need it. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit by WILLFULLY LIVING IN BONDAGE to Rage, Anger, Quarreling, Slander and Malice.
In other words, sacrifice your selfishness.
Stop worrying about you.
Let God provide for you and protect you. Focus on helping those around you and being a servant to all. (The Lord's prayer says to ask him for your DAILY needs... So ask him. Then you may focus on the work he is doing to serve others. Stop striving for your own provision.)
The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Too many people focus on themselves (hence why we get angry when we feel someone has been taken from us. or why we harbor anger and bitterness when someone has "wronged" us).
Focus on God and serving those around you. Be humble and live in gratitude towards God.
He is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Beginning and the End and he loved you enough to give you good gifts when you were his enemy. How foolish to think we should do anything different to those who are hurting just as much as we used to/are.
Extra Credit...
This is what it looks like to live selflessly. To lay your life down for the kingdom.
Verse 24 is ESPECIALLY important. Be like your Heavenly Father, it is enough. But you are not above him.
Matthew 10:
And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;[a] 4 Simon the Zealot,[b] and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’[c] 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,[d] cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. 9 Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics[e] or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant[f] above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign[g] those of his household.
26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.[h] 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?[i] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.