Beware of Filling In The Gaps

There is a time in our Christian walk where God will speak to us about something in our heart that must be addressed and remedied. Often it is a stronghold built and rooted in the mind and heart.

A stronghold often starts with a single thought that may be born out of distress or difficulty but it ends with a question directed toward God. Where were you when...? Why didn't you help me when...? Why did he or she have to died...? The question comes from a genuine need for some answer or response, but the heavens seem like brass and no voice from above seems to respond to the question.

The temptation is to fill in the gaps with an answer to satisfy us in some measure.

The result can be devastating in our perspective of God. We are on dangerous ground when we take Scriptures and mix it with our own thoughts and ideas to form some answer God never spoke (God is not obligated to answer or explain Himself to us). This becomes the brick and mortar of the stronghold. Underneath the question is a subtle accusation that God failed us. In other words, it's an assault on His character.

And this gives the Enemy an opportunity to whisper deceitful lies. He's the accuser, the father of lies and nothing pleases him more but to agree to someone who is hardly aware they are accusing God for coming up short. Remember in the garden in Genesis 3:3. He added what God didn't say in regards to touching the fruit.

How do we ask the painful and hard questions without accusing God? Simple. Tell Him honestly how you feel. Don't hide anything from Him but bring it to the light. Anything in the dark will soon fester and become foul, mainly our attitudes. Then let Him speak to you. Let Him ask the questions. God is strong, powerful and full of grace to handle anything we present to Him. Lastly, offer a sacrifice of praise which will cost us in the midst of heartache and pain. Just knowing God is still here, listening, waiting to restore and heal us, should make any one rejoice.

When we praise even as tears stream down our face, God meets us with a supernatural grace, and we move away from any accusations that otherwise would have formed a stronghold - to keep God out - and our pain and sorrow locked inside.