Feel Like God is Punishing Me and I Don't Know Why?

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Trials build character, patience, endurance and so forth, so are good over time.

Speaking of time, a thousand years is like a day to the Lord. It works out that, let's say you're 41 years old...that's one hour to the Lord. So if you were to ask the Lord a question, and He replies, soon, or, just a minute...It could be a couple-three years...so be patient.

Anyone who has been caught up in the Spirit knows that 5 minutes can seem like a peaceful eternity.

 

[Edward]

It took me quite awhile to digest the fact of trials being good for you. No one likes trials but perspective can lead to fortitude of spirit too so I began to look at trials as if they are merely training, which they are.

Take uhh, military SEALs training for instance. Who thinks their training was easy? I think it can be generally assumed that, the higher the position one will be assigned to after training, the harder the training will be.

So when I feel really dumped on, I think to myself, wow the Lord must have something very special for me later on!

Maybe what the OP is describing is some big test of his life?

Like I've heard (and posted before, here)...

Life is 10% what it deals you in the cards, and 90% how you react to it.

 

[smaller]

It took me quite awhile to digest the fact of trials being good for you. No one likes trials but perspective can lead to fortitude of spirit too so I began to look at trials as if they are merely training, which they are.

Indeed. And often, a person will remember back to a "trial" of the flesh and see that a similar principle applies in the Spiritual arena.

My dad was a general contractor and a farmer. When I was a kid most parents put their kids to labor. Sometimes hard labor. I started picking rocks in the field when I was 6 years old. Was running tractors by age 8. The old John Deere's with the bar clutch. (fond memories for sure)

Anyway one of my early lessons in "attitude" was on a construction site at an early age. Large slab area, cored 3', filled with class 5 fill, compacted. About 6 of us digging out the monolithic footing area around the outside. Blistering heat. Hard digging. Guys would hit the shovel a few times and then stop to cuss the work and the heat. All sweating profusely. Went on all morning til coffee break. More cussing the heat and the work. Drenched. For some odd reason I thought to myself I wasn't going to cuss, and was just going to give it my all, and not stop to cuss, just dig and dig and dig. So I did. Before lunch I had trenched double the distance of everyone else. Didn't say a word at lunch. The others stopped cussing. They perceived it was GAME ON with the bosses kid. All afternoon no one cussed and everyone tried to beat the other. I never had so much fun in my life at hard labor by stepping up and setting the mark and the attitude. Never had to say a word at the end of the day. Just took my reward, internally. Whether I got paid or not wouldn't have mattered. Earned something else that day that money couldn't buy.

That lesson is permanently adhered into my hide to this day. If I get on the labor field, I am going to set the mark, and the attitude. By my early 20's I was honchoing several crews of men, most of whom were twice my age. And I proved myself everyday by outworking them. That was how I gained respect. I earned it the hard way. Didn't have to talk about it either.

Eventually this 'mindset' took me to the top of my field. And I instantly recognize others who have this feature in themselves in my field. They have that "mark" upon them. They are the most valuable type of people you can find, and if you can get them to work for you, you will also succeed.

But they are a rare bird. Theology is no different. We just dig for different gains.

Genesis 3:
17 - cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; -

The lesson of the flesh always comes first in the ways of God in Christ.

Then, the same principle applies to our other working, the working of the Spirit, digging in His Word.

And yes, I have found "thorns and thistles." Just as God promised.

 

[Edward]

Indeed. And often, a person will remember back to a "trial" of the flesh and see that a similar principle applies in the Spiritual arena.

My dad was a general contractor and a farmer. When I was a kid most parents put their kids to labor. Sometimes hard labor. I started picking rocks in the field when I was 6 years old. Was running tractors by age 8. The old John Deere's with the bar clutch. (fond memories for sure)

Anyway one of my early lessons in "attitude" was on a construction site at an early age. Large slab area, cored 3', filled with class 5 fill, compacted. About 6 of us digging out the monolithic footing area around the outside. Blistering heat. Hard digging. Guys would hit the shovel a few times and then stop to cuss the work and the heat. All sweating profusely. Went on all morning til coffee break. More cussing the heat and the work. Drenched. For some odd reason I thought to myself I wasn't going to cuss, and was just going to give it my all, and not stop to cuss, just dig and dig and dig. So I did. Before lunch I had trenched double the distance of everyone else. Didn't say a word at lunch. The others stopped cussing. They perceived it was GAME ON with the bosses kid. All afternoon no one cussed and everyone tried to beat the other. I never had so much fun in my life at hard labor by stepping up and setting the mark and the attitude. Never had to say a word at the end of the day. Just took my reward, internally. Whether I got paid or not wouldn't have mattered. Earned something else that day that money couldn't buy.

That lesson is permanently adhered into my hide to this day. If I get on the labor field, I am going to set the mark, and the attitude. By my early 20's I was honchoing several crews of men, most of whom were twice my age. And I proved myself everyday by outworking them. That was how I gained respect. I earned it the hard way. Didn't have to talk about it either.

Eventually this 'mindset' took me to the top of my field. And I instantly recognize others who have this feature in themselves in my field. They have that "mark" upon them. They are the most valuable type of people you can find, and if you can get them to work for you, you will also succeed.

But they are a rare bird. Theology is no different. We just dig for different gains.

Genesis 3:
17 - cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; -

The lesson of the flesh always comes first in the ways of God in Christ.

Then, the same principle applies to our other working, the working of the Spirit, digging in His Word.

And yes, I have found "thorns and thistles." Just as God promised.

Brother, you can say that again! Lots of thorns & thistles!
I remember one time I prayed for more faith. I got dumped on big time with trials. I did come out of it with more faith so I did realize prayer answered, and praised God.

I also learned to be careful what I pray for.

Lord & Saviour. It's easy to get Jesus to be our saviour, believe & receive. Lord? That's not something that He gives to us. That's something that we make Him...and that's guaranteed not to be easy.

 

[smaller]

Brother, you can say that again! Lots of thorns & thistles!
I remember one time I prayed for more faith. I got dumped on big time with trials. I did come out of it with more faith so I did realize prayer answered, and praised God.

I also learned to be careful what I pray for.

Lord & Saviour. It's easy to get Jesus to be our saviour, believe & receive. Lord? That's not something that He gives to us. That's something that we make Him...and that's guaranteed not to be easy.

I think we have had very similar walks. Yes, I wanted to know more, to see more. But what I found out was NOT pleasant news. I ended up seeing more than I wanted to!

But then again I learned it in the flesh world first. "The trouble with experience is it teaches you what you really didn't want to know in the first place."

 

[Edward]

I think we have had very similar walks. Yes, I wanted to know more, to see more. But what I found out was NOT pleasant news. I ended up seeing more than I wanted to!

But then again I learned it in the flesh world first. "The trouble with experience is it teaches you what you really didn't want to know in the first place."

Yep. Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment...

I've watched/read a lot of testimonies of Brothers & Sisters, and a good bit of them are not pleasant. One would think they would be. But that's part of making Jesus, Lord of one's life, His will, not ours.

The consistent thread in the testimonies seems to be, that you will not die.

 

[smaller]

Yep. Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment...

I've watched/read a lot of testimonies of Brothers & Sisters, and a good bit of them are not pleasant. One would think they would be. But that's part of making Jesus, Lord of one's life, His will, not ours.

The consistent thread in the testimonies seems to be, that you will not die.

I used to cringe somethings when hearing testimonies from newbie christians about what they used to be and do. It's was like, please, turn that microphone off. tmi already