"The Blame Game"

 "There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity." (Ecclesiastes 8:14 KJV)

  ""Why doesn't the Almighty bring the wicked to judgment? Why must the godly wait for him in vain?"" (JOB 24:1 NLT)

 We that have been pressed, (a nice way of saying crushed), are not weary in the journey, because we find it is something to be strengthened by; adjusting to whatever it might be, we make it count towards the good, in any way possible. Like that old saying, "The world gives you lemons, so you make lemonade!" 

 At least that is what I have found, whether it gets hard or harder, there is a way to find peace and joy, in just about every situation. All you need to do is to thank God for everything, even if it might be some sort of thing that seems bad; God can and will make it into something good! 

 Basically, there are only two things that are going to cause the righteous to be tormented and suffer any sort of hardship: either one, is good, if you are willing to allow God to get the glory. You might need to suffer through something, in order to draw closer to God, as it was with Job; or you might need to suffer through something to make something happen, as it was for Joseph. 

 The first of which can be a form of discipline or awakening, either way, it will be good for you, in the long run. That is, if you accept it as such, knowing that you have a Good Father, who doesn't allow you to go through something that doesn't do you good! 

 The second, is mysterious and can be exciting, if you are aware of something that God might be working in your life. Patience is the best way to live through whatever that might be, because the longer it takes, the bigger the work is going to be. At least that is how it usually turns out, unless you give up; and even then, like in the case of Moses, God doesn't quit! 

 As for the wicked, theirs is the fate of circumstance and judgment! They will have no one to blame but themselves, because God gives everyone a chance to turn to him, in one way or another. They might live richly and have everything they could ever want; but that will just make it harder and harder for them to surrender their lives to God. 

 Vanity comes into the equation when we feel as though we don't deserve whatever, however, or without, as if God owes us something! In that case, we need to look towards the cross! Then the blame game, becomes the shame game! Shame on you for thinking God's is to blame...

"Yet it was for our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6 NLT)