LIFE IS NOT FAIR: Devotional from "Am I Okay, God?" by Lorilyn Roberts

LIFE IS NOT FAIR

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23

Is life fair? Perhaps your family refers to you as the “black sheep,” the one who is different from everyone else.

I believed I was born under a cloud. My birthfather left my mother when I was two and I didn’t meet him again until I was thirty. It wasn’t until I was six that I realized most of my friends had a father. I couldn’t imagine why anyone needed one of those. I remembered when mine left and he never came back. Being raised by a single mother seemed normal to me—until people asked where my father was. I didn’t know.

Perhaps you can relate to me. Does life seem fair?

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From Seventh Dimension – the Door, a Young Adult Christian Fantasy (in this excerpt, Shale has met her birthfather for the first time, and she asks him why he left her):

Why was this so difficult? I needed to know the truth. I’d try again.

“I used to wonder what it would be like if we met. I dreamed of spending time with you. I didn’t like growing up without a father. Something was missing. I felt like a doughnut with a big hole in the middle. Mother never understood me—and she sure didn’t like you by the time I was old enough to realize everyone else had a father but me.”

—Shale Snyder and Brutus Snyder, chapter fifteen

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Life is not fair—in my opinion, most of the time. Bad things happen. No matter how hard you try, things don’t work out the way you think they should.

In my case, as a child, I tried to make sense of why bad things happened. I came to the conclusion that I must be flawed. I believed my parent’s divorce was my fault. I thought people didn’t like me (and bullied me) because I wasn’t likable.

For as he thinks within himself, so he is.

—Proverbs 23:7

My daughter was the Level 8 Florida Gymnastics Champion for the vault in 2012. In 2013 during the state competition, the equipment moved when she placed her hands on the vault. She bailed out of the vault to avoid getting hurt. Because she was so freaked out after her first run, she was unable to do the second vault and bailed out again. She scored a zero on the event which disqualified her from competing at the regional meet. If you have ever competed at a high level in any sports, you know how devastating this was to both of us.

Perhaps you’ve spent hours preparing a report and just before you save the final draft, your computer crashes and eats it. You have to turn it in tomorrow and now you can’t. You’re devastated.

Life is not fair, but it’s not because you are bad. If you think you’re no good, you will treat yourself with disdain. Others will pick up on the subliminal messages you send and may treat you disrespectfully. What should you do,  though, when life is not fair? How do you not blame yourself for the bad things that happen?

Shale’s life wasn’t fair. It wasn’t her fault that her father abandoned her. She didn’t deserve to be bullied. Her life was a mess—and she knew it deep down. She knew there was something she wanted, something she needed, but she didn’t know what it was.

Sometimes bad things happen to good people.

It would be easy for me to cite a few Bible verses and tell you to get on with it, make lemonade out of lemons and quit holding pity parties on Saturday night. After all, there’s always someone who is worse off than you. But it would not help you.

Are there things you can do besides feel sorry for yourself?

Try writing down all the things in your life that you’re angry about like Shale told God all the things that made her angry. Better yet, start keeping a diary and jot down your feelings each day.

If you’re like me, you might find it difficult to share your innermost thoughts. Shale was unable to express her hurts and that’s why Much-Afraid, the dog, was important to her. Shale kept resentments bottled up inside. She had no one who would listen to her, no one to confide in—once Rachel could no longer be her friend. She told God exactly how she felt by keeping a diary.

Maybe you don’t hate God but you would like some answers. Sometimes I want answers, too. Why did God allow this or that to happen? Why did my father leave me when I was a child? As wonderful as some adoptive fathers are, melding together as a family can take months or even years.

Have you been honest with yourself and listed several items on your sheet? If not, how can you be honest with God? Believe me, God won’t be upset with you if you do this.

Now take your list and go down each item and give it to God. God knows everything on your list before you even tell him. But there’s something healing about confessing to God the things that frustrate you and upset you.

This is part of building trust in God—that you can go to him, knowing he will understand you when you tell him how you feel.

God wants to have a relationship with you. God never changes. It’s you and me who change. We forget all about God or stay too busy. God is waiting for you to come to him.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

—I Peter 5:7

That means everything that gets you upset, frustrated, or angry. If it’s your family—tell God so. If it’s a teacher, tell God so. If it’s a coach, tell God so. Confess your heart to the Great Physician who cares.

Things may not change on the outside. Your family may not ever understand your needs, and, quite frankly, they may not even care. But when you go to God and confess how you feel, something changes on the inside. You become a different person—a tiny bit, because you have given all that negative stuff inside of you to God. The Holy Spirit, or the Comforter, will come alongside and encourage you, lift you up, speak to your innermost being, and remind you that you belong to Jesus.

You might go to God today and expect him to change everybody and fix your problems, only to discover later that nothing has changed. You soon realize you still have to face your teacher tomorrow or live with your disagreeable family or deal with the rejection of a close friend.

Shale’s world didn’t change when she was locked up in her room for days at a time, but she found solace in her relationship with the king. Your relationship with Jesus Christ will make a difference.

Get out your Bible, dust it off, and start reading. Read the Psalms, written by David, found in the Old Testament. David was a man after God’s own heart and the most famous and best king of Israel. He spent much of his life being treated unfairly by others, but he loved God deeply. Meditate on these words.

Dear God, help me to see others as you see them so I don’t blame myself for things that are not my fault. When I’m angry with someone, I will remember you love me. It is that love that will compel me to lay down my rights to get even or to “prove” I am right.

Help me to remember I am responsible for taking care of myself to the extent of my ability. I can listen to music when I am sad, go for a walk in the woods. sing, keep a journal, and spend time with positive people. I can watch a funny movie or read a good book.

I may not be able to change some things. Please help me, God, to accept those things I can’t change. Please help me to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Help me to remember I am not responsible for other people’s bad choices. I am only responsible for how I choose to react to those choices. Help me to remember I am a child of God and deeply loved by you.

http://bit.ly/Life_is_not_Fair

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Am I Okay, God? Devotionals from the Seventh Dimension answers many questions teens and even adults ask dealing with hot topics like self-esteem, dating, bullying, abortion, careers, forgiveness, salvation, and deeper theological issues related to the end times and the Lord's return.

Woven into the devotionals are stories from the Seventh Dimension YA Christian Fantasy Series as well as from the author's life that touch on themes that are important to Christianity and what it means to be born again. Each of the 27 devotionals has a QR code and link to videos, music, and/or books for further discussion and enjoyment. 

Amazon:   http://bit.ly/Am_I_Okay

ISBN   978-0-9891426-5-6

ASIN   B00HMTMNBG

Book Trailer:  http://bit.ly/video_am_i_Okay

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I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE: Devotional from "Am I Okay, God?" by Lorilyn Roberts

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

—Philippians 4:8 

What did Jesus mean when he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life?”  

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From Seventh Dimension – The Door, a Young Adult Christian Fantasy:

What did I want? If I knew, would I be willing to risk everything to obtain it? I gazed at the lake—where was the king headed? I wished I knew the lake’s secrets. If he was the king from the garden, how did he get here? He seemed powerful in some ways but not in others.

—Shale Snyder, chapter twenty-three

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Shale faced the same issues that you and I face today—discovering the truth and what it means. How should I live, and is Jesus who he said he was?

Many religions offer you multiple paths to salvation or fulfillment. Baha’i embraces all religions and states that God sent messengers—like Jesus, Buddha, Moses, and Muhammad—to progressively teach us about God’s nature.

Islam teaches that if your good works outweigh your bad, and Allah wills it, he will let you enter into paradise.

Hinduism and Buddhism claim you go to heaven after many reincarnations when at last you become one with God.

Some Jews still wait for the Messiah’s return. Each year during the Passover Seder, a Jewish custom is to pour a cup of wine, “the cup of Elijah,” and send a young child to the door to look for the prophet who is to herald the coming of the Messiah.

Unitarians believe you can get to heaven any way you want and not to worry about the afterlife.

Wiccans don’t believe there’s a need for salvation.

What do you think?

In Seventh Dimension – the Door, Shale went on a journey—it was her path. No two journeys through life are exactly the same. God knows which path you will take—but his unconditional love gives you free will to choose.

Along the way, you will be exposed to many “truths” and many lies. You must learn to discern truth from falsehood. The Bible says Satan is the “father of lies” (John 8:44). When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, shortly before being crucified, Pontius Pilate asked him, “What is truth?” (John 18:38).

Truth stood in front of Pontius Pilate, and yet he did not recognize the truth. Instead, he denied that truth, condemning Jesus the Messiah to death.

If truth stood before you, would you recognize him? Could you taste his goodness? Could you feel his breath and know it was the breath of life? Could you perceive God’s gentle touch? Would your mind be quickened if  God called your name?

It’s a scary thing to be confronted with the truth of Jesus Christ and yet deny him—deny his power, deny his sacrifice, and deny his love.

Satan makes our life difficult. Our sinful nature leads us astray. But if we confess our sins and acknowledge Jesus Christ as the way, the truth, and the life, we won’t be fooled into believing untruths. Nothing makes Satan and his demons angrier than hearing the name of Jesus. Fill your heart with God’s love, praise his holy name, and they will flee.

Thank you, Jesus, that you are the way, the truth, and the life. Help me to be more like you. Help me to be discerning in all things and protect me from being led astray.

Help me to focus on what is true and noble and be an example to others. Let my little light shine before men and light the path to you. Help me to know the way of salvation through living out my faith. In my life, Lord, be glorified.

The full collection of devotionals can be enjoyed in "Am I Okay, God?"

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http://bit.ly/Praise_MichaelWSmith

WHICH ANIMAL AM I MOST LIKE: Devotional from "Am I Okay, God?" by Lorilyn Roberts

  But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; and the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; and let the fish of the sea declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind? Does not the ear test words as the palate tastes its food?

—Job 12:7-11

Which animal do you identify with in Seventh Dimension – The Door? Do you perceive your nature to be like Worldly Crow; Cherios, the rabbit; Baruch, the donkey; Much Afraid, the dog; Nevaeh, the bird; or Lowly, the pig?

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“Will the king always be with me?”

“Always. The seventh dimension is within you. The animals represent parts of your character. Your suffering has produced good fruit. And always remember, the king is your heavenly father.”

—Shale Snyder and Astella, chapter thirty-seven

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All of us are multifaceted and complex, intricately woven together into extraordinarily complicated human beings. The Creator isn’t a novice at creating life. Look around you. He can breathe life into building blocks simply by speaking them into being.

Good and evil are at war against each other in the world and within ourselves. We will never be free of temptation until we enter heaven’s gates.

All of us at one point or another have been as wicked as Worldly Crow or as heavenly as Cherios, the rabbit, or Nevaeh—the unusual bird in the garden. Did you know that Nevaeh is “heaven” spelled backward?

Cherios comes from the word “charity,” which means generous actions to aid the poor, ill, or helpless, or to devote one’s life to love. Cherios gave her life as she praised the king before the demons in the Hall of Darkness.

The other animals were redeemed by the king. Baruch means blessed. In The Donkey and the King, Baruch was a temperamental donkey that struck out on his own and became lost. The king sent the sheep to find him in the wilderness, just as the king searches out each one of us when we become lost.

You may be feeling lost right now. Have you made foolish choices? The good news is that Jesus Christ won’t leave you there. Even if you’re as wicked as Worldly Crow, God still forgives if you ask for forgiveness. The king is in the business of fixing problems and situations that seem hopeless. The king’s way is even better than your way.

Maybe you’re like Lowly the pig. Do you feel worthless? God has given you everything you need to become the person he created you to be. Not one cell or gene is missing because God made a mistake. He’s gifted you with what you need to glorify him.

If you want to be a doctor, God has given you the brains and the ability to be one. If you want to be a dancer, God has made you graceful and athletic. If you want to be a teacher, God has given you the ability to teach. Not only that, he has given you the desire to want to do the things he created you to do.

If you enjoy painting, God made you to paint. God needs Christians in all walks of life. We can’t all be lawyers or bankers or chefs. Perhaps the job you will have when you graduate from high school, technical school, or college doesn’t yet exist. My profession wasn’t around twenty-five years ago. The world is constantly changing.

Perhaps you’re like Much‑Afraid, the dog that pursued Shale. The Bible tells us in I Peter 5:7:  “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

This is much easier said than done, but just as Much‑Afraid stood up to the demon‑possessed man in the cemetery, God will give you supernatural power to overcome your worst fears. He does not mean for you to live in fear of the future or regret about the past.

Sometimes things don’t turn out the way you want them to, but it’s not because God failed or you failed. It’s because if you put your trust in Jesus, he knows what’s best in every circumstance. Jesus cares about the process more than the outcome.

The only moment you have is right now. We aren’t guaranteed tomorrow. And we don’t want to look back on our past with regret. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 5:16 that we should make the most of every opportunity.

The devil and his demons won’t like it if you read the Bible or pray to God daily. Expect at those moments when you’re most like Jesus to be attacked. The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8 that the enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

You must not give up. Shale was tested and overcame and you can overcome, too. The battle is a spiritual one. 

I imagine angels all around with swords in hand knocking down demonic strongholds. We must claim the power of the risen king to overcome demonic influence, the Worldly Crow part of us, and rely on the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ is not in the tomb. He is risen. He is sitting at the right hand of God the Father in heaven, interceding for you.

You have a future and hope. You were made with heavenly hands in your mother’s womb. When you start to doubt your value in God’s eyes, remember what Nevaeh whispered in Shale’s ear, “You’re a daughter of the king.”

http://bit.ly/dog_stories 

Thank you, Lord, that I am fearfully and wonderfully made— that you knitted me in my mother’s womb and knew me even before I was born.

I thank you for tall giraffes and whimsical butterflies and slimy snails and hooting owls. If this world can have so much vitality and variety, as darkened as it is with sin, I can only imagine the perfect world that lies in wait.

Let the animals teach me how to be kind. Help me to listen— to the call of the wild, the purring of a kitten, the roaring of a lion, or the cry of an abandoned dog. Help me to be your heart in a world that needs caring people to speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves.

May I grow more like you as I care for the animals I meet. May I be as wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove. May I remember that a kind person is kind to his animals even when no one is looking.

_~_~_

Note from Lorilyn Roberts

I am busy writing my second book in the Seventh Dimension Series.  So if my posts seem a little more sporadic, bear with me. It's difficult to tear myself away from the writing to post on my blog. Summer 2014 is the projected publication date.

BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD: Devotional from "Am I Okay, God?" by Lorilyn Roberts

May his name endure forever; may his name increase as long as the sun shines; and let men bless themselves by him; let all nations call him blessed. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone works wonders.
—Psalm 72:17-18


God has existed since before the beginning of time. He created time. He created the universe. He created you, but he is not a created being.

From Seventh Dimension – the Door, a Young Adult Christian Fantasy:

Rachel stood and recited a Jewish prayer. “Blessed is the name of his glorious kingdom forever and ever.”
—Rachel Franco, chapter one

💛💛💛

In Revelation 1:8, God says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

The God of the Bible goes by many names that describe his character. The Jews and the Christians share the same God—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Christians believe God is three in one—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is not Mohammad, Buddha, or Karma.

God is all-powerful and all-knowing. Cling to that when life seems out of control, before chaos takes over and leads to frayed nerves, discouragement, and even depression.

God has promised to give you a special name that only he knows when you get to heaven. Think about what name God might give you. Who are you when no one is looking?

God wants to bless you. He knows how to turn hardships into “blessings.” These “blessings” will help you to grow in your dependency on him and make you mature.

If everything were easy, you wouldn’t need God and you would remain untested. Then when hard times come—and hard times always come—you would fall.

Satan will call you all sorts of names. Don’t listen to him. Remember how much God loves you and the name he will someday give you. Honor God above all else and put him first. Experience his presence throughout the day. Read the Bible and pray unceasingly.

Thank you, Jesus, that through you I am blessed. If you were all I had, you would be sufficient. There is no one else like you. Thank you for loving me even when I am unlovable.

For beautiful music and photographs witnessing the glory of God, go to: http://bit.ly/names_Kadosh

To purchase "Am I Okay, God" on Kindle at Amazon, go to: http://bit.ly/Am_I_Olay

SEVENTH DIMENSION CONNECTION: Devotional from "Am I Okay, God?" by Lorilyn Roberts

… for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

I Peter 1:23

When we meet the king face-to-face, we either become more like him or we walk away, unwilling to submit to his authority.

Remember when the king cast the demons out of the cemetery man and later drowned them in the lake? I shared this in the first devotional. The story in The Door comes from the Bible.

While The Door is a fantasy, the events that happened surrounding the king are true. If you accept God’s salvation through Jesus Christ, Satan and his demons will not be happy about your newfound faith.

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From Seventh Dimension – the Door, a Young Adult Christian Fantasy:

Descending from the heavens were beautiful creatures, too numerous to count, decked out in white. They wore glowing robes of dazzling splendor. As they tended to the man Baruch called a king, I watched, too awed to speak and too stunned to know what to think.

A few minutes later, I regained my senses.

“Now you know what an underling is,” Baruch said.

“A coward, a bully, a demon.” I shook my head, still stunned. “Baruch, you did see all of that, right? I wasn’t imagining it.”

“Heehaw. Now you know the king.”

—Shale Snyder and Baruch, the donkey, chapter  eighteen

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While we can’t see spiritual beings, the Bible makes it clear they visit us in our homes, at work, and in the car—angels and demons alike. Who have you entertained lately? Angels in disguise? Or did you let down your guard? Satan and his demons know how to trip you up.

In Ephesians 2:2, Satan is referred to as the prince of the air. We don’t see him because we have physical bodies designed to inhabit this world. I call the realm that spiritual beings inhabit the seventh dimension.

Scientists agree there are many galaxies besides our own. Less understood is how many dimensions there might be. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, referred to being taken up into the third heaven. He didn’t know if he was in the body or out, but it changed his perspective of God and the future.

Here is something I want you to think about. If part of you changes in the physical dimension, then it’s going to affect the spiritual realm.

Planet Earth is the battleground for spiritual activity. While earthly kings go to war to conquer, demons fight for control or possession of unsuspecting people. The demons follow the will of Satan, and as they did to the demon-possessed man in Gadarene, they torture. Even with the demon-possessed man, however, the demons couldn’t prevent the man from seeking Jesus, who cast the demons out and later drowned them in the lake.

The only way to protect yourself from spiritual attack is through the armor of God (prayer and reading the Bible), and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Without going too far into the metaphysical aspect, let’s examine it in psychological terms. If you respond in a certain way to someone, he will act one way. If you respond in a different way, his response will be different. That’s a tiny way of looking at it.

If you change on the inside because of the Holy Spirit’s work in your heart, the change will be perceived by others, even on a subconscious level. Remember Newton’s law from your science class? For every action, there’s always an equal and opposite reaction.

Your responses to the world around you will be different because you’re now different. The Bible says when you become saved, you’re “born again.” Unless you’re born again, you can’t enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

When Shale returned home, she had undergone a metamorphosis. Her responses to her environment were different, forcing those around her to respond differently.

When I was twelve and accepted Jesus into my heart, I felt different. My father remarked a few weeks later, “You have been acting differently. You seem different.”

I wish I had shared the reason why with him. I was afraid he wouldn’t understand, but I knew why. The Holy Spirit had made a difference in my life.

It’s very difficult to change yourself. Try to change one habit in your life and see how hard it is, but when you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, he helps you to change. Sometimes the changes are subtle and at other times they are profound.

Sanctification by the Holy Spirit is a life-long process. God wants you to grow and learn. It’s in the process that we learn how to live out our salvation. The change in you will affect the world around you in ways that you aren’t even aware.

Thank you, Jesus, for giving me a new life in you—that I am born again and alive in you. I am thankful the Holy Spirit is helping me to become more like you.

http://bit.ly/born_again

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