{"id":3414,"date":"2024-09-07T13:35:47","date_gmt":"2024-09-07T13:35:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=3414"},"modified":"2024-09-15T15:03:31","modified_gmt":"2024-09-15T15:03:31","slug":"8-september-2024-where-is-god-when-life-is-painful","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=3414","title":{"rendered":"8 September 2024: Where is God when life is painful?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:33% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240908.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3415 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240908.png 480w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240908-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240908-24x18.png 24w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240908-36x27.png 36w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240908-48x36.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-090a7876-6b6f-475f-bd24-2fdf9d5343ad\"><strong>Bethel Baptist Church<br>Worship Service @ Home<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-090a7876-6b6f-475f-bd24-2fdf9d5343ad\"><strong>8 September 2024<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-black-color has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=3407\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"15\" height=\"10\" class=\"wp-image-1006\" style=\"width: 15px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow.png 120w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow-24x16.png 24w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow-36x24.png 36w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow-48x32.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 15px) 100vw, 15px\" \/> <strong>Previous Service<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-black-color has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=3426\"><strong>Next Service<\/strong> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"15\" height=\"10\" class=\"wp-image-1007\" style=\"width: 15px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow.png 120w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow-24x16.png 24w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow-36x24.png 36w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow-48x32.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 15px) 100vw, 15px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><sup>Image courtesy of www.freebibleimages.org<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Welcome<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"background-color:#f8e9c8\"><em>\u201cWe all like to give and receive presents showing love. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son to die on the cross for our salvation. Let us give Him all the glory!\u201d<br><\/em><br>Stella<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Worship<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"God Moves in a Mysterious Way (Tune: London New  - 6vv) [with lyrics for congregations]\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/d5_BhPwROzo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><sup>&#8216;God Moves in a Mysterious Way&#8217; was written by William Cowper in 1774.<\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Word<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back in the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land.<\/p>\n<cite>Ruth 1:1<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Such a beautiful story as we find in the Book of Ruth, has a very sad beginning. We read at the end of the book of Judges:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.<\/p>\n<cite>Judges 21:25<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"background-color:#f8e9c8\"><em>\u201ca particularly dark background \u2026 an era of frightful social and religious chaos. The book of Judges teems with violent invasions, apostate religion, unchecked lawlessness, and tribal civil war (and) threatened fledgling Israel\u2019s very survival.\u201d<\/em><br><br>Robert Hubbard (p. 84 of his commentary on Ruth)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Add to this, <em>\u201cthere was a famine in the land\u201d.<\/em> Commentators have different views on Elimelech\u2019s response to this famine. Some say he sinned by going to Moab and thus he died. His sons married Moabite women and they die (Ruth 1:3, 5) and Naomi grew very bitter (Ruth 1:20-21). It is all very difficult and painful. Others mention that Abraham and his son Isaac responded in a similar way to a famine, Abram went to Egypt (Gen. 12:10), and Isaac to Gerar, home of the Philistines. The Lord even appeared to Isaac and told him to stay there rather than go down to Egypt, and even confirmed to him, the covenant He had sworn to Abraham (Gen. 26:1-6). Also, famine drove Jacob and his sons to Egypt where they met up with Joseph and greatly prospered (Gen. 41-50), ultimately leading to the Exodus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"background-color:#f8e9c8\"><em>\u201cFamines, despite tragic appearances, often advance God\u2019s plan for His people.\u201d<\/em><br><br>Robert Hubbard<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We know the end of the story and can easily quote, <em>\u2018God works all things for good!\u2019<\/em> But we have to try and put ourselves in the place of this family and all the pain they went through. People gave names to their children as guided by the Lord. Naomi, means <em>\u201cpleasant\u201d<\/em>, Mahlon, <em>\u201csickness\u201d<\/em>, Chilion, <em>\u201cwasting\u201d<\/em>, Elimelech, <em>\u201cThe Lord is King\u201d<\/em>, and Bethlehem means <em>\u201cHouse of Bread\u201d.<\/em> Naomi refused to be known as Naomi and told everyone to call her Mara, which means <em>\u201cBitter\u201d<\/em>, and the <em>\u201cHouse of Bread\u201d<\/em> was unable to provide in this famine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do we ever feel like this, that everything has been stripped away from us. That everything is barren, desperately painful, perplexing, puzzling, confusing. We are not able to make sense of it and like Job of old we cannot find the face of God, we cannot hear Him speak to us. But, and at the risk of churning out platitudes,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"background-color:#f8e9c8\"><em>\u201cGod orchestrates even hardship, suffering and difficulties for His eternal purposes.\u201d<\/em><br><br>John Piper on Job<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So much in Scripture points to this and we will see it the more as we work through Ruth over the next few weeks, Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Quote of the week<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"background-color:#f8e9c8\">There are two kinds of people, those who say to God, <em>\u201cThy will be done&#8221;<\/em>, and those to whom God says, <em>\u201cAll right, then, have it your way\u201d<\/em>.<br><br>C. S. Lewis<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Verse of the week<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For my thoughts&nbsp;are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,\u201d declares the&nbsp;Lord. \u201cAs the heavens are higher than the earth,&nbsp;so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.<\/p>\n<cite>Isaiah 55:8-9<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Let\u2019s Pray<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Father, You are the Sovereign Lord; by the power of Your Spirit within, may Your will be done in and through me, all the days of my life, in and through Jesus Christ, my Lord, Amen!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Image courtesy of www.freebibleimages.org Welcome \u201cWe all like to give and receive presents showing love. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son to die on the cross for our salvation. Let us give Him all the glory!\u201dStella Worship Word Back in the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine &#8230; <a title=\"8 September 2024: Where is God when life is painful?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=3414\" aria-label=\"Read more about 8 September 2024: Where is God when life is painful?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3414","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3414"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3414\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3429,"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3414\/revisions\/3429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}