“From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’” Acts 17:26-28

If this is true—that God has put us in a certain space and time to encourage us to connect with Him—we must not despise our circumstances because they have purpose. First Corinthians 7 is clear:

Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches…Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to. I Corinthians 7:17, 24

Though we hear lies from satan…do not pay attention to what the dark world is saying, for we are God’s workmanship and NOT just an afterthought or a mistake. There are powerful persuasions that prevent one from ever perceiving God’s Love. Lies center around you and get you to focus on pride, projection, and how your situation is far worse than others. We must see that there is a God who is there and who has a plan of love for you, to encourage you to reach out, to connect with Him in love forever. It is all for your ultimate good and salvation.

May I ask you an important question that should not be dropped and one that should be asked every day until you meet your Maker…have you reached out to God enough? What have you done with your last 24 hours, weeks, months, years? Have you acknowledged and thanked God for your circumstances sufficiently? If not, you have missed valuable time and wasted years simply because you have interpreted troubles as punishment rather than purposeful.

Read more in The History of the Love of God, Volume II