Day 40 - A Walk In The Desert?

Day 40 - Good evening everyone. Sorry for the late post. For the past 3 days I have had a minor headache and yesterday turned into a migraine. So I thought! Turns out it is a tension headache from either stress or anxiety. So I went to work this morning and was feeling better. By midday the headache was back so I went to my favorite massage place in the world....Hand and Stone. Told them my issues and sure enough they have a massage for that. So when I thought I would down and out for the night again, I feel much better.
I was excited this morning because it's day 40! Just sounds like a big number to me. And the past few weeks God has been amazing to me and my family. I couldn't help but think why now? I'm living the life I'm supposed to live, acting the way I'm supposed to act, reading the bible, going to prayer, helping others......so why me? Why now? I had to miss prayer. I had to miss serving the Lakewood Football team a spaghetti dinner. I haven't missed anything in the past few weeks and started to questions God this morning. Do you not want me to work? Do you want me to lay in bed useless? Don't you want me to pray and praise You? I just didn't get it. Fact of the matter is some days you just feel like garbage. It's life. It happens. But why the worst on day 40 when I was looking forward to this day for a long time? Then I started my research. Here's what I got:

The rains (in Noah's day) fell for 40 days and nights (Genesis 7:4).

Israel ate Manna for 40 years (Exodus 16:35).

Moses was with God in the mount, 40 days and nights (Exodus 24:18).

Moses was again with God 40 days and 40 nights (Exodus 34:28).

Moses led Israel from Egypt at age 80 (2 times 40), and after 40 years in the wilderness, died at 120 (3 times 40; Deuteronomy 34:7).

The spies searched the land of Canaan for 40 days (Numbers 13:25).

Therefore, God made Israel wander for 40 years (Numbers 14:33-34).

40 stripes was the maximum whipping penalty (Deuteronomy 25:3).

God allowed the land to rest for 40 years (Judges 3:11).

God again allowed the land to rest for 40 years (Judges 5:31).

God again allowed the land to rest for 40 years (Judges 8:28).

Abdon (a judge in Israel) had 40 sons (Judges 12:14).

Israel did evil; God gave them to an enemy for 40 years (Judges 13:1).

Eli judged Israel for 40 years (1 Samuel 4:18).

Goliath presented himself to Israel for 40 days (1 Samuel 17:16).

Saul reigned for 40 years (Acts 13:21).

Ishbosheth (Saul's son) was 40 when he began reign (2 Samuel 2:10).

David reigned over Israel for 40 years (2 Samuel 5:4, 1 Kings 2:11).

The holy place of the temple was 40 cubits long (1 Kings 6:17).

40 baths (measurement) was size of lavers in Temple (1 Kings 7:38).

The sockets of silver are in groups of 40 (Exodus 26:19 & 21).

Solomon reigned same length as his father; 40 years (1 Kings 11:42).

Elijah had one meal that gave him strength 40 days (1 Kings 19:8).

Ezekiel bore the iniquity of the house of Judah for 40 days (Ezekiel 4:6).

Jehoash (Joash) reigned 40 years in Jerusalem (2 Kings 12:1).

Egypt to be laid desolate for 40 years (Ezekiel 29:11-12).

Ezekiel's (symbolic) temple is 40 cubits long (Ezekiel 41:2).

The courts in Ezekiel's temple were 40 cubits long (Ezra 46:22).

God gave Nineveh 40 days to repent (Jonah 3:4).

Jesus fasted 40 days and nights (Matthew 4:2).

Jesus was tempted 40 days (Luke 4:2, Mark 1:13).

Jesus remained on earth 40 days after resurrection (Acts 1:3).

Women are pregnant for 40 weeks (time of testing).

So what does all this mean? The number forty is used by God to represent a period of testing or judgment. I truly believe that God was testing me to see how I would handle myself over a rough period of 3 days. Even though I missed prayer night, people there were praying for me. Even though I missed volunteering at Lakewood, people understood. Our health is important to God. He always wants the best for us. He doesn't want us to harm our bodies by smoking, drinking, doing drugs and so forth.
I prayed to God a couple days ago and asked for the strength and courage to give up smoking just like I gave up all the other evil things in my life. I believe this was his test. Because yesterday I was in so much pain I laid in bed all day and night without once thinking of smoking. I asked and through a migraine headache, he provided. Now, I would rather not have the headache and hoped to just have the strength to do it on my own. But then again, can we do anything on our own? So when you least expect it, God answers if you truly believe. Amen?
Even though I missed two important things I really wanted to do, I still prayed. I still worshiped and still read the bible with my head pounding. God first, no matter what!
So does God really test us? Does he test our faith or is it the Devil temping us. I do believe that we are tested by God from what I read in the bible as well as believe the Devil tempts us everyday.

Sometimes God does test our faith, just as He tested the faith of the ancient Israelites by allowing them to go through hard times in the wilderness, "in order to know what was in your heart" (Deuteronomy 8:2). If our faith is weak, it may not be obvious when life is going smoothly and we aren't challenged in any way. But when hard times come, a weak faith will be revealed for what it really is: shallow and unable to help us through life's difficulties. It may be anything: an unexpected headache, the death of a loved one, the loss of our job, or even a friend who turns against us. But when hard times happen, the true nature of our faith will be revealed.
But God doesn't test us because He doesn't know how strong we are.
Instead, He tests us because we don't know how strong we are -- and we'll only realize it when times of testing come. The psalmist prayed, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts" (Psalm 139:23).
None of us likes to go through hard times (and God isn't necessarily behind them, even if He does allow them). But God can use them to show us our weaknesses. And when that happens, we need to ask God to help our faith grow. Testing should make us spiritually stronger -- and it will as we turn it over to God. The Bible says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials ... so that you may be mature and complete" (James 1:2, 4).

Moral of the story......When we are weak, we are strong.

Best I could do today guys, hopefully tomorrow will be better!
Song of the night: When I am Afraid: Laura Hackett
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbvgOJl8H2c

Bible Verse of the day: 2 Corinthians 12:10
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Thanks for listening today, but if you're having hard times, today might have helped. Hoping.....Praying.......
Scott

PS: even though the website isn't done yet, some pages are up to date so check out my church Alive Again! http://aliveagainalliance.wordpress.com/
To Go!  Anywhere, Anytime, to Anybody.