He sticks like glue

Snug. Secure. Attached. Connected. Immovable. Bonded. Superglued.

These words describe the way that sticky stuff takes 2 separate objects and makes them one.

I like these words. Especially since they describe my relationship with God during some really tough times in my life. God never gives up on us no matter how hard we try to get ourselves loose. God just does not let go.

Which isn't to say that He controls everything we do like putting a bridle on a horse or a leash on a dog. He gives us each common sense and a spirit that can communicate with His.

When we go through afflictions, He lets us choose our response and no matter what that choice is, He sticks around to the bitter end.

I've often thought, as I've been randing at God about how unfair life is and "Darn it God, why is it always ME???", that God is smiling at me and thinking , "Go ahead. Wear those ranty pants. I can take it and I'll still be here when you're done."

And He is. Every time.

We can take solace in the fact that God is close. He isn't going anywhere no matter how scary things get. He can be there in a heartbeat if needed.

That must be how Job felt when he said "Though he slay me, Yet I will hope in him. (Job 13:15 KJV) Job trusted God even when the worst that could happen, DID happen. Or what Abraham was feeling when he took his son up the mountain to sacrifice him, to make the ultimate sacrifice to the Lord.

How hard the emotional battles must have been for these men. From the raw material of pain, grief and loss, their words of faith were wrested from them.

Our afflictions are not designed to break us. They are designed to bend us toward the eternal, the holy.

God sticks with us through it all. Even when we don our "ranty pants".

The Apostle Paul said that, no matter how much we try to pry ourselves loose, God doesn't separate from us.

(Romans 8:35, 38-39 NIV)

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Dear God,
Thank you for sticking to us like glue even when we rant and rave against life's unfairness. Help us to remember that "Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

In Jesus' Name we pray,
Amen.