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When They Question God's Right to be God - Begging the Question - 246 · Marriage Life and More and Bible Study

• 0:05
  Daniel Moore: We can't know for certain, but it's likely that Daniel questioned why God would allow his people to be taken captive and enslaved by harsh pagan rulers like the Babylonians.
• 0:14
  Daniel Moore: Now, if you think back to the beginning of Daniel's story, well, that's exactly how the entire ordeal began.
• 0:21
  Daniel Moore: This week, on Connecting the Gap, we continue our series on Unshaken, holding fast in a culture of compromise.
• 0:29
  Daniel Moore: We'll be back with this week's episode right after this.
• 0:59
  Daniel Moore: Welcome to Connecting the Gap.
• 1:04
  Daniel Moore: This is a podcast about marriage, bible and book studies.
• 1:07
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• 1:09
  Daniel Moore: I'm Daniel Moore, your host.
• 1:10
  Daniel Moore: Thank you, guys, for joining us this week.
• 1:12
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• 1:40
  Daniel Moore: Well, this week we are going to be getting back into our extended series on the book of Daniel, where we're using stories of Daniel throughout that book to talk about today's culture and how we need to stand firm and not compromise our beliefs when it comes to our walk with Christ.
• 1:57
  Daniel Moore: And this week we're in episode seven of that series.
• 2:01
  Daniel Moore: This one is entitled when they Question God's Right to Be God Begging the Question.
• 2:18
  Daniel Moore: Oswald Chambers once said Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.
• 2:26
  Daniel Moore: It was an incredible scene.
• 2:30
  Daniel Moore: Purple balloons and gold streamers, along with handmade signs and banners, adorned the entire neighborhood, hanging from trees, mailboxes, signposts and spread across yards all across the city of Birmingham.
• 2:44
  Daniel Moore: Signposts and spread across yards all across the city of Birmingham.
• 2:46
  Daniel Moore: But what made it truly remarkable wasn't just that these were the colors of the LSU Tigers.
• 2:50
  Daniel Moore: It was the deeply personal reason that sparked this overwhelming wave of decoration.
• 2:57
  Daniel Moore: Sid Ortis was a 16-year-old who had a deep love for his family, his faith and thanks to his parents for being from Louisiana, affectionately known as God's country, his LSU Tigers.
• 3:09
  Daniel Moore: After being diagnosed with bone cancer, sid faced the illness with incredible bravery, enduring multiple surgeries and rounds of chemotherapy.
• 3:19
  Daniel Moore: His uplifting, faith-driven attitude quickly became known and admired by many.
• 3:25
  Daniel Moore: To show their support, neighbors and residents all across Birmingham covered streets and neighborhoods in LSU's signature purple and gold.
• 3:34
  Daniel Moore: Now, keep in mind, alabama is typically awash in crimson and white, or blue and orange, especially during football season.
• 3:43
  Daniel Moore: Around there, football is taken very seriously, so this dramatic shift in team colors was a significant and heartfelt gesture.
• 3:52
  Daniel Moore: Even LSU's head football coach, les Miles, heard about Sid's battle and personally reached out to him, calling to talk and pray and inviting him to be on the field for their upcoming game against Auburn.
• 4:05
  Daniel Moore: Sid would later recall that day as the best day ever, when Sid's body could no longer fight the battle against cancer.
• 4:15
  Daniel Moore: Everyone's hearts broke for his family and for the remarkable young man their community had lost.
• 4:20
  Daniel Moore: Yet they found peace in knowing that his spirit lived on and that, in ways beyond their understanding, god had a purpose.
• 4:28
  Daniel Moore: Although they would miss Sid deeply, they found comfort in remembering his passionate heart and courageous spirit.
• 4:35
  Daniel Moore: Sid's mother, lynn, shared her belief that God may have been protecting Sid from something difficult that might have happened later in his life if he had lived.
• 4:45
  Daniel Moore: She admitted that Sid was the one among her children she worried might go off course or find himself in trouble.
• 4:52
  Daniel Moore: The pastor shared this at Sid's funeral Good people pass away.
• 4:59
  Daniel Moore: The godly often die before their time.
• 5:02
  Daniel Moore: No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come.
• 5:07
  Daniel Moore: That's Isaiah 57, verse 1.
• 5:10
  Daniel Moore: Many non-believers in our culture struggle to accept the idea of a God who would allow someone like Sid to suffer from cancer and die at such a young age.
• 5:20
  Daniel Moore: They find it difficult to understand how loving God could permit the kinds of tragedies that we often see in the world Natural disasters, devastating events, birth defects, cancer, acts of torture and even genocide.
• 5:36
  Daniel Moore: This is why our response as Christians to these painful realities is so important.
• 5:41
  Daniel Moore: We may face the same questions, doubts and concerns when confronted with tragedy, and that's a natural part of our human experience, but it's in these moments that our faith is truly put to the test.
• 5:55
  Daniel Moore: It's when we must make the intentional choice to worship God and trust in His goodness, sovereignty and power.
• 6:02
  Daniel Moore: These are the times when we must remind ourselves and the world around us that we are not God, and even if he doesn't act in the way that we think he should, that doesn't change who he is.
• 6:15
  Daniel Moore: We are the creation, not the creator.
• 6:20
  Daniel Moore: God remains God even when His ways are beyond our understanding.
• 6:28
  Daniel Moore: Now, being in ministry means that I often pray for people who are desperately in need of a miracle from God, and it also means I've officiated some funerals for those very same people.
• 6:38
  Daniel Moore: I've never struggled to trust God's timing when he calls someone home.
• 6:43
  Daniel Moore: After all, heaven is better than here on this earth by far.
• 6:46
  Daniel Moore: But like many, I still find myself wondering why God doesn't heal more of the sick, especially people like Sid, whose life clearly brought so much light and inspiration to those around him.
• 6:57
  Daniel Moore: Now don't get me wrong.
• 7:00
  Daniel Moore: I've witnessed God perform incredible miracles late stage cancer suddenly disappearing, couples battling infertility joyfully welcoming children, and people near death making full, unexplained recoveries.
• 7:13
  Daniel Moore: Clearly, god is still at work, performing miracles every day, but it raises a difficult question why doesn't he do it more often?
• 7:25
  Daniel Moore: Why are some people healed while others suffer and pass away?
• 7:30
  Daniel Moore: No matter how many miracles we witness, these questions still surface.
• 7:37
  Daniel Moore: It's simply part of being human.
• 7:39
  Daniel Moore: But some things, they just never make sense.
• 7:44
  Daniel Moore: But some things, they just never make sense.
• 7:46
  Daniel Moore: As Christians, we're not immune to falling into the same thought patterns as others.
• 7:50
  Daniel Moore: When tragedy strikes, we find ourselves asking why did this happen, lord?
• 7:56
  Daniel Moore: Why didn't you stop this From there?
• 7:59
  Daniel Moore: Our doubts, fears and unanswered questions often spiral in our minds like a pinball machine, endlessly spinning with no real resolution.
• 8:07
  Daniel Moore: But the book of Daniel, alongside the writings of Job, ezekiel, ecclesiastes, lamentations and other parts of Scripture, continually remind us that our role isn't to demand explanations from God or attempt to dissect life losses like a formula waiting to be solved.
• 8:25
  Daniel Moore: When the unthinkable happens, we need to let go of the urge to think our way through it, analyze every detail or solve the mystery.
• 8:32
  Daniel Moore: Instead, we must lean into simple trust in God.
• 8:37
  Daniel Moore: It's the same kind of trust that we developed as children when we asked our parents why we had to get a shot, take medicine or stay away from sharp objects.
• 8:47
  Daniel Moore: At the time, we really couldn't fully understand, and maybe weren't even capable of understanding, why we had to face something painful or avoid something tempting, but we trusted that our parents' choices were rooted in love and meant to keep us safe and well.
• 9:05
  Daniel Moore: In the same way, we must choose to trust our Heavenly Father, even when life brings us heartache that we can't explain.
• 9:13
  Daniel Moore: We are not meant to measure our thoughts, reasoning or logic against God's.
• 9:19
  Daniel Moore: When we do, we shift the focus of worship away from Him and onto ourselves.
• 9:24
  Daniel Moore: When we do, we shift the focus of worship away from Him and onto ourselves.
• 9:26
  Daniel Moore: True worship is choosing to trust God even when we don't understand what's happening, recognizing His goodness, power and sovereignty in the midst of circumstances that don't make sense.
• 9:41
  Daniel Moore: We have to believe that he didn't make a mistake, even when we can't make sense of it.
• 9:45
  Daniel Moore: We don't have to understand God's ways, and I'm truly thankful for that, because in this life we won't be able to.
• 9:52
  Daniel Moore: It's simply beyond us.
• 9:54
  Daniel Moore: But what we can do is choose to love Him, worship Him and serve Him, no matter what we face.
• 10:02
  Daniel Moore: Even when others struggle to comprehend why we continue to worship a God who doesn't make sense to them, we can stand firm in our trust and devotion.
• 10:14
  Daniel Moore: We can't know for certain, but it's likely that Daniel questioned why God would allow his people to be taken captive and enslaved by harsh pagan rulers like the Babylonians.
• 10:24
  Daniel Moore: If you think back to the beginning of the story of Daniel, that's exactly how the entire ordeal began.
• 10:34
  Daniel Moore: It says in Daniel 1, verses 1-2,.
• 10:35
  Daniel Moore: In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it, and the Lord delivered Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God.
• 10:48
  Daniel Moore: And you know maybe, as everything unfolded.
• 11:05
  Daniel Moore: Daniel questioned why the culture of his captors constantly put his faith to the test.
• 11:07
  Daniel Moore: Why did his three friends have to be thrown into a blazing furnace?
• 11:11
  Daniel Moore: Why did he have to be placed in a den full of hungry lions?
• 11:14
  Daniel Moore: Although Daniel likely wrestled with questions, his unwavering faith in God clearly outweighed any doubts that he may have had.
• 11:21
  Daniel Moore: I believe his deep trust in God was a key reason that he thrived in the midst of a pagan culture.
• 11:28
  Daniel Moore: He simply knew God.
• 11:30
  Daniel Moore: He understood who God was, knew His Word and relied on the Lord's promises of deliverance.
• 11:37
  Daniel Moore: But where did that level of faith come from?
• 11:41
  Daniel Moore: How did Daniel cultivate such strong trust, the kind that equipped him to face any test, trial or temptation the Babylonians threw his way.
• 11:50
  Daniel Moore: And how can we go through this life with that same kind of faith?
• 12:08
  Daniel Moore: Well before we join Daniel in the lion's den, I want to first look at the struggles faced by another man known for his remarkable faith Job.
• 12:16
  Daniel Moore: His name has become a symbol of patience and endurance.
• 12:24
  Daniel Moore: Yet even Job's trust in God was pushed to its limits.
• 12:26
  Daniel Moore: What he went through was far beyond anything he could have ever imagined, predicted or prepared for, especially considering the kind of God that he believed in.
• 12:34
  Daniel Moore: So when everything around him fell apart, how did Job continue to live by faith?
• 12:40
  Daniel Moore: Why did he hold on to God, even after losing everyone he loved, everything he owned and even his health?
• 12:47
  Daniel Moore: Well, let's take a closer look at his story to uncover the source of Job's extraordinary faith.
• 12:58
  Daniel Moore: In Job 1, verses 1-3, it says man whose name was Job.
• 13:01
  Daniel Moore: This man was blameless and upright.
• 13:04
  Daniel Moore: He feared God and shunned evil.
• 13:05
  Daniel Moore: He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys and had a large number of servants.
• 13:17
  Daniel Moore: He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.
• 13:22
  Daniel Moore: So here, from the very beginning, we're told that Job was a righteous man.
• 13:27
  Daniel Moore: He's described as blameless and upright, a man who honored God and steered clear of evil.
• 13:34
  Daniel Moore: It's also clear that Job wasn't just a good man.
• 13:38
  Daniel Moore: He was incredibly wealthy.
• 13:39
  Daniel Moore: Finding someone who truly has it all is very rare.
• 13:44
  Daniel Moore: But at the start of Job's story he seemed to be that well-rounded individual.
• 13:48
  Daniel Moore: Yet with great abundance came greater vulnerability.
• 13:53
  Daniel Moore: Job had more to lose.
• 13:55
  Daniel Moore: Let's look at how his life began to come undone.
• 14:01
  Daniel Moore: One day, when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said the oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby and the Sabians attacked and made off with them.
• 14:14
  Daniel Moore: They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you.
• 14:19
  Daniel Moore: While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said the fire of God fell from heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you.
• 14:30
  Daniel Moore: While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said the Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them.
• 14:40
  Daniel Moore: They put the service to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you.
• 14:45
  Daniel Moore: Well, while he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house.
• 15:00
  Daniel Moore: It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you At this, job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head.
• 15:11
  Daniel Moore: Then he fell to the ground in worship and said Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I will depart.
• 15:19
  Daniel Moore: The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.
• 15:22
  Daniel Moore: May the name of the Lord be praised In all of this.
• 15:28
  Daniel Moore: Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
• 15:31
  Daniel Moore: That's Job, chapter 1, verses 13 to 22.
• 15:35
  Daniel Moore: Can you imagine how heartbreaking it must have been for Job to hear one piece of bad news, only for it to be followed by something even worse, and then something worse still.
• 15:47
  Daniel Moore: Finally, he received the most devastating news a father could hear the loss of all of his children at once.
• 15:54
  Daniel Moore: And yet, even in the face of losing both his wealth and his children, job chose to worship.
• 16:01
  Daniel Moore: He didn't accuse God or turn away from Him.
• 16:05
  Daniel Moore: Instead, he lifted up praise.
• 16:09
  Daniel Moore: In contrast, job's wife reacted the way many in our culture often do when faced with tragedy with deep anger towards God.
• 16:17
  Daniel Moore: But as Christians, our response should align more with Job's than with hers.
• 16:23
  Daniel Moore: Even when she urged him to curse God and die in Job 2, verse 9, job remained steadfast in his faith, refusing to turn his back on God despite his intense and painful suffering.
• 16:34
  Daniel Moore: But Job wasn't without flaws.
• 16:38
  Daniel Moore: While he never outright blamed God, he did begin to question Him, with a little encouragement from his friends, of course, as we see over the course of the next 35 chapters.
• 16:49
  Daniel Moore: I actually find Job's doubts comforting, because they remind us that even strong faith doesn't eliminate the struggle with the heartache, loss, disappointment or the doubts that often follow such deep pain.
• 17:01
  Daniel Moore: Still, it's important to pay close attention to what happened when Job began to question God.
• 17:09
  Daniel Moore: The scripture continues after Job finally voiced all of his doubts, god answered him out of a thunderous storm.
• 17:15
  Daniel Moore: Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm.
• 17:18
  Daniel Moore: He said who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?
• 17:23
  Daniel Moore: Brace yourself like a man.
• 17:25
  Daniel Moore: I will question you and you will answer me.
• 17:28
  Daniel Moore: Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
• 17:31
  Daniel Moore: Tell me, if you understand who marked off its dimensions.
• 17:36
  Daniel Moore: Surely you know.
• 17:37
  Daniel Moore: That's Job 38, verses 1 through 5.
• 17:42
  Daniel Moore: God had heard enough of the human reasoning coming from Job and his friends.
• 17:46
  Daniel Moore: Essentially, he responded you want answers, then let me ask you a few questions.
• 17:52
  Daniel Moore: First, have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
• 17:56
  Daniel Moore: Tell me, if you know all of this, what is the way to the abode of light and where does darkness reside?
• 18:03
  Daniel Moore: Can you take them to their?
• 18:05
  Daniel Moore: That's Job 38, verses 18 to 21.
• 18:08
  Daniel Moore: Much like a frustrated parent proving a point, god made himself clear.
• 18:22
  Daniel Moore: Job understood right away and came to a conclusion we all need to reach.
• 18:28
  Daniel Moore: Then Job answered the Lord I am unworthy.
• 18:32
  Daniel Moore: How can I reply to you?
• 18:34
  Daniel Moore: I put my hand over my mouth.
• 18:37
  Daniel Moore: That's Job, chapter 40, verses 3 and 4.
• 18:40
  Daniel Moore: Job realized that he was in no position to claim understanding or worthiness when it came to grasping God's ways.
• 18:51
  Daniel Moore: Job is often seen as one of the strongest examples in the Bible of staying faithful under extreme pressure.
• 18:56
  Daniel Moore: Because of that, it's easy to read his story and feel like our own faith falls short by comparison.
• 19:02
  Daniel Moore: We might even feel discouraged, thinking that his level of trust in God is simply out of reach.
• 19:09
  Daniel Moore: But if we take a closer look at the foundation of his faith, the roots of his response, we'll find that it may not be as unattainable as it first appears.
• 19:18
  Daniel Moore: Job's response was grounded in three key beliefs.
• 19:22
  Daniel Moore: Together, these omni-beliefs reflect the kind of humble, wavering faith that we need to hold on to when the world urges us to walk away from God during life's most painful trials.
• 19:33
  Daniel Moore: Let's take a closer look at each one of these and see how they apply to our own journey.
• 19:40
  Daniel Moore: Number one a belief that God is all-powerful.
• 19:43
  Daniel Moore: The theological term for this is omnipotence, and it means more than just immense strength.
• 19:50
  Daniel Moore: It means the ultimate power from which all other power in the universe originates.
• 19:55
  Daniel Moore: It's the conviction that nothing is beyond God's ability.
• 19:59
  Daniel Moore: As Job expressed it in Job, chapter 42, verse 2, I know that you can do all things.
• 20:06
  Daniel Moore: No purpose of yours can be thwarted.
• 20:08
  Daniel Moore: When we're confronted with a difficult situation, one of the most powerful responses is to believe that God can make a way, even when we can't see one.
• 20:18
  Daniel Moore: This kind of faith-filled perspective can transform our lives as we learn to trust and believe that, no matter how irrational, impossible or overwhelming the situation seems, god is greater and more powerful than anything we face.
• 20:33
  Daniel Moore: We see this kind of fully committed, wholehearted faith in the life of Joseph also.
• 20:41
  Daniel Moore: Despite being betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery in Egypt, falsely accused and imprisoned, joseph had every reason to give up on his faith.
• 20:49
  Daniel Moore: God didn't seem to be stepping in to rescue him, but instead Joseph remained faithful, continued to worship God and lived out his faith in ways that, much like Daniel, caught the attention of those around him After Pharaoh elevated Joseph to second in command, after he helped save thousands, maybe even millions, of lives by trusting God and storing food ahead of a devastating famine, and after he confronted the very brothers he also rescued, joseph was able to say to them you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is being done the saving of many lives.
• 21:30
  Daniel Moore: That's Genesis 50 and verse 20.
• 21:32
  Daniel Moore: My faith, like yours perhaps, has gone through its share of testing.
• 21:38
  Daniel Moore: There have been seasons in my life when, from the outside looking in, it might have seemed more reasonable to let go of my trust in God, especially when his hand felt confusing or even invisible.
• 21:50
  Daniel Moore: From a human perspective, it may have looked wiser to take control myself rather than keep trusting and following him.
• 21:57
  Daniel Moore: But the way I see it, I'd rather place my hope in what an all-powerful God can do than rely on the limited certainty of what I can achieve on my own.
• 22:09
  Daniel Moore: The second point here is a belief that God is all-knowing.
• 22:12
  Daniel Moore: The theological term for this is omniscience, meaning that God possesses complete knowledge and wisdom, far beyond anything that we can comprehend or imagine.
• 22:23
  Daniel Moore: Job understood the vast gap between human understanding and God's wisdom when he said you asked who is this that obscures my plans?
• 22:33
  Daniel Moore: Without knowledge, surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.
• 22:38
  Daniel Moore: That's in Job, chapter 42, verse 3.
• 22:43
  Daniel Moore: His acknowledgement that God's ways are too wonderful for me to know beautifully reflects the heart of true faith choosing to trust even when you don't understand.
• 22:53
  Daniel Moore: You know, when my dad passed away two years after his diagnosis, I couldn't understand why God chose to bring him home to heaven for his ultimate healing rather than heal him here so we could have more time together.
• 23:06
  Daniel Moore: But I have to trust that God is all-knowing and beyond my ability or right to question.
• 23:13
  Daniel Moore: I must acknowledge the limits of my understanding and accept that I can't fully grasp His ways.
• 23:20
  Daniel Moore: In doing so, I can rest in the assurance of His wisdom, perfect timing and divine purpose.
• 23:27
  Daniel Moore: As God said, this plan of mine is not what you would work out.
• 23:33
  Daniel Moore: Neither are my thoughts the same as yours, for just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours.
• 23:49
  Daniel Moore: That's Isaiah 55, verses 8 through 9, the TLB version.
• 23:50
  Daniel Moore: God knows things that we simply can't see or understand, and we have to choose to trust Him.
• 23:53
  Daniel Moore: While we often long for a better right now, god is preparing a better place for all eternity.
• 24:05
  Daniel Moore: Keep in mind God already knows how your story ends.
• 24:06
  Daniel Moore: He is working behind the scenes even now, in ways invisible to us for your ultimate good and His glory.
• 24:12
  Daniel Moore: Can you find the courage to believe that and trust Him with whatever burden you're carrying at this moment?
• 24:21
  Daniel Moore: The third thought here is a belief that God is ever-present.
• 24:23
  Daniel Moore: Theological language refers to this as omnipresent, meaning God exists beyond the boundaries of time and space.
• 24:31
  Daniel Moore: He is able to be with each of us we are at any moment.
• 24:36
  Daniel Moore: All we need to do is draw near to him and open our hearts.
• 24:39
  Daniel Moore: Job expressed this transformation when he said my ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.
• 24:48
  Daniel Moore: That's Job, chapter 42, verse 5.
• 24:51
  Daniel Moore: Many of us know about God from a distance, but when we come closer, truly close and personal, we begin to understand His heart and develop a deeper, lasting trust in Him.
• 25:03
  Daniel Moore: This was witnessed when Sid Ortis and his family chose to draw closer to God rather than turn away during the painful journey of his illness.
• 25:12
  Daniel Moore: While the world might argue that such intense suffering and unanswered questions should cause someone to doubt God's presence and goodness, sid and his family clung even more tightly to the truth of who God is.
• 25:24
  Daniel Moore: They experienced firsthand the peace and comfort that come from knowing God is with us at all times and in every place.
• 25:32
  Daniel Moore: They came to understand personally what it means when scripture says those who know your name trust in you, for you, lord, have never forsaken those who seek you in Psalm, chapter 9, verse 10.
• 25:44
  Daniel Moore: Job also experienced this deep closeness with God and held tightly to his faith even as the world crumbled.
• 25:52
  Daniel Moore: In the end, job's fortune was restored Twice over, but that abundance didn't erase the pain of losing loved ones or the sorrow of his grief.
• 26:03
  Daniel Moore: Still, job remained faithful to God through both blessings and suffering, whether he had much or little, whether he felt joy or sorrow.
• 26:14
  Daniel Moore: That kind of steadfast faith is what we need in order to resist the pressures and influences that the enemy uses to trap us.
• 26:20
  Daniel Moore: It's the same unwavering faith that we see in Daniel.
• 26:24
  Daniel Moore: No matter what challenges came his way, he never argued or complained about his circumstances.
• 26:30
  Daniel Moore: He simply trusted God and continued doing what he knew was right Pray, worship and obey.
• 26:39
  Daniel Moore: After looking closely at the lives of people like Job and Daniel, I'm convinced that true worship ultimately comes down to trust.
• 26:59
  Daniel Moore: It's about recognizing that God is God and we are not.
• 27:03
  Daniel Moore: In fact, we aren't even in a position to challenge God or question His ways, including what he says through His Word, if we only believe the parts of the Bible that we like and reject the parts that we don't, then we're not really placing our trust in the Bible.
• 27:18
  Daniel Moore: We're placing it in ourselves.
• 27:22
  Daniel Moore: At the core of standing firm in an ungodly culture is the decision to choose what we believe and, ultimately, who we trust.
• 27:29
  Daniel Moore: If we fail to recognize the difference between our role as human beings, god's creations made in His image, and the unmatched character and power of God, our doubts can slowly chip away at our faith.
• 27:43
  Daniel Moore: The culture around us often encourages us to let go of our convictions about God and His Word, urging us instead to adopt humanism the idea that we are in control of our own lives.
• 27:55
  Daniel Moore: To adopt humanism the idea that we are in control of our own lives we need to recognize both our limitations and our deepest longings.
• 28:01
  Daniel Moore: They are closely connected.
• 28:03
  Daniel Moore: When we experience God's love and acceptance, when we worship Him, walk with Him and follow His lead, it becomes easier to let go of our desire to control everything.
• 28:15
  Daniel Moore: His lead it becomes easier to let go of our desire to control everything.
• 28:19
  Daniel Moore: Truly knowing and worshiping God brings a deep fulfillment and gradually strengthens our trust in Him, putting down roots that hold firm even when life feels painful, irrational or overwhelmingly hard.
• 28:28
  Daniel Moore: This truth is clearly seen at the close of Jesus' time on earth.
• 28:34
  Daniel Moore: After sharing a final meal with His disciples before his death, jesus, fully aware of the suffering he was about to face, still chose to pray to his Father.
• 28:42
  Daniel Moore: In Luke, chapter 22, verses 39 to 44, it says Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives and his disciples followed him.
• 28:51
  Daniel Moore: On reaching the place, he said to them Pray that you will not fall into temptation.
• 28:57
  Daniel Moore: He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours be done.
• 29:10
  Daniel Moore: An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him and, being in anguish, he prayed more earn son, asking his father to take away the cup of suffering that lay before him, one that included betrayal by a close friend, a humiliating arrest on false charges, brutal physical abuse and the most agonizing death imaginable.
• 29:43
  Daniel Moore: Naturally, no one would want to endure that, not even Christ.
• 29:49
  Daniel Moore: Yet after expressing his desire, jesus ultimately prayed for his Father's will to be done and not his own.
• 29:57
  Daniel Moore: Though fully God and fully man, he chose to lay down his ability to control the unfolding events and submitted himself completely to his Father's plan.
• 30:07
  Daniel Moore: He trusted God fully, even while longing to avoid the pain, accepting it for the sake of all humanity.
• 30:14
  Daniel Moore: And take note of what Jesus told his disciples to pray for while he was just a short distance away.
• 30:23
  Daniel Moore: In Luke 22, 40, jesus understood that his followers would soon face the temptation to lose faith, to abandon hope and, in Peter's case, to even deny knowing him.
• 30:37
  Daniel Moore: He knew that when people encounter situations they can't understand, especially when it comes to why God allows certain things to happen, they are prone to doubt.
• 30:47
  Daniel Moore: The human mind struggles to create logical explanations for suffering, illness, violence and other painful realities in the world.
• 30:56
  Daniel Moore: Yet we know that God has given us the freedom to choose, to decide whether we will worship and follow Him or turn to something or someone else.
• 31:06
  Daniel Moore: Even when you can't comprehend what God is doing, will you still choose to trust Him?
• 31:14
  Daniel Moore: When life feels confusing and God's actions or silence don't seem to make sense, you have to be intentional about where you place your worship and your attention, because there will always be someone or something trying to pull you away from your faith, something or someone competing for your worship.
• 31:33
  Daniel Moore: What is currently competing for your worship?
• 31:36
  Daniel Moore: What is currently competing for your worship.
• 31:37
  Daniel Moore: What is pulling your heart away from bowing down before God and leading you towards something else?
• 31:43
  Daniel Moore: Maybe it's a painful experience or a heartbreaking loss that's causing you to question God's goodness, power or sovereignty.
• 31:51
  Daniel Moore: Or perhaps the confusion over certain circumstances and difficult relationships is tempting you to distance yourself from God and invest your time and energy elsewhere.
• 32:02
  Daniel Moore: Maybe your career has taken the place of true worship.
• 32:07
  Daniel Moore: Your energy is focused on achievement, impressing others and climbing the ladder.
• 32:12
  Daniel Moore: There's nothing wrong with loving your work and striving for excellence, but if it becomes the thing that you value most, because it's where you find your worth and validation, then it has become an idol.
• 32:25
  Daniel Moore: Maybe sports are taking up more of your time and attention than they should.
• 32:29
  Daniel Moore: Going to a football game, your kid's soccer match or any event you're passionate about can almost feel like a religious experience.
• 32:35
  Daniel Moore: There's focus, enthusiasm, music, celebration and even mourning when your team loses.
• 32:46
  Daniel Moore: But when taken too far, sports can become a poor replacement for a real relationship with the living God.
• 32:51
  Daniel Moore: Nothing else will ever truly satisfy us like worshiping God.
• 32:54
  Daniel Moore: That's why the devil works tirelessly to redirect our worship toward anything but him.
• 33:04
  Daniel Moore: In doing so, he not only steals our focus, but takes pleasure in being worshiped himself.
• 33:10
  Daniel Moore: The enemy doesn't show up in a red costume with horns.
• 33:12
  Daniel Moore: He appears in the form of everything that we think we desire.
• 33:15
  Daniel Moore: So we must be careful what we choose.
• 33:19
  Daniel Moore: We become what we worship.
• 33:24
  Daniel Moore: If you're not happy with the person you're becoming, take a closer look at what you're storing in your heart.
• 33:29
  Daniel Moore: If what you find there doesn't align with who you want to be, simply turn to God, ask for His forgiveness and invite Him to reclaim His rightful place at the center of your heart.
• 33:40
  Daniel Moore: If you haven't fully surrendered your life to Jesus and bowed your heart in true worship, or if something else has taken His rightful place, then let me ask you isn't it time, isn't now the moment, to satisfy that deep longing within you and encounter the God who created you, sees you and loves you?
• 34:01
  Daniel Moore: Isn't it time to kneel before Jesus and give Him your heart?
• 34:05
  Daniel Moore: You know, when I gave my heart to Christ, I didn't know what to pray, I didn't have the right words.
• 34:12
  Daniel Moore: Someone guided me, helping me say what I truly wanted to express.
• 34:17
  Daniel Moore: You know, kind of like a pastor leading a couple through their vows at a wedding.
• 34:21
  Daniel Moore: It wasn't complicated at all.
• 34:24
  Daniel Moore: The Bible tells us that if we want to be saved, we need to confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that he is God.
• 34:33
  Daniel Moore: When we do that, we are saved, and you can read about that in Romans 10, verses 9 and 10.
• 34:42
  Daniel Moore: Now is the time to finish this episode and take a moment to pray.
• 34:46
  Daniel Moore: If you're unsure what to say, here's a simple prayer to help guide you.
• 34:51
  Daniel Moore: Feel free to make it personal and put in it your own words.
• 34:55
  Daniel Moore: Most importantly, pray with sincerity and a genuine heart.
• 34:59
  Daniel Moore: Pray, dear God.
• 35:01
  Daniel Moore: I need you.
• 35:02
  Daniel Moore: I want a genuine relationship with you.
• 35:08
  Daniel Moore: Today, I open my heart to truly knowing you.
• 35:10
  Daniel Moore: Please forgive me for living my life my own way.
• 35:15
  Daniel Moore: I invite Jesus to be the Lord living my life my own way.
• 35:16
  Daniel Moore: I invite Jesus to be the Lord of my life.
• 35:18
  Daniel Moore: Jesus, I want to know you more.
• 35:21
  Daniel Moore: I place my trust in you for the things I understand and the things that I don't.
• 35:27
  Daniel Moore: Today, I declare that you are all-powerful, all-knowing and always present.
• 35:33
  Daniel Moore: You are my God.
• 35:37
  Daniel Moore: In your name I pray Amen.
• 35:39
  Daniel Moore: That's going to do it for this week's episode, and as we go, don't forget that we believe that God's Word never fails us.
• 35:49
  Daniel Moore: God's Word has stood the test of time and through Jesus' death on the cross, he has connected the gap.
• 35:55
  Daniel Moore: Connecting the Gap podcast is a part of Connecting the Gap Ministries.
• 36:00
  Daniel Moore: We pray that you have a blessed week.