111 – Daniel – “Shame on You! I regret so much that I ever found your content!”
“Michael Chriswell—
I need you to know right now that while once you were a source of amazing encouragement to my faith, unfortunately you became the most dangerous and destructive influence against it during this most painful trial of my life. Because of your video about suggesting God had “deceived” you regarding your former spouse. You made an implicit attack on the doctrine of the omniscience of God— as well as the faithfulness of God— God’s perfect faithfulness depends on His omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, truthfulness, and immutability— and my whole life right now depends entirely on God’s faithfulness. To tell me that I should suspect that perhaps God has been misleading me in my particular situation with all His apparent confirmations of something, to imply that perhaps God has been ignorant of the ultimate outcome, and thus He is not completely trustworthy— SHAME ON YOU.
I regret so much that I ever found your content. Your message that inadvertently undermines confidence in God is without question the most destructive doubt-feeding poison I have foolishly allowed myself to consume. I hate that you made that video honestly. I hate it so much... and according to you— soooo many people get deceived by God— so many people are nourished on false hopes by God almighty. I despise the virulence of your words. I am in a very vulnerable position right now and deeply resent the fact that you would use your platform to wreak a reckless assault against my ability to trust in God’s character. Your message makes me feel sick.
One year later…02-10-2024
Michael—
sorry to bother you but as someone enduring the painful and perhaps never-ending season of waiting on the Lord, I do want to clarify something: You did indeed feel like God deceived (misled) you about your ex-wife Persis, correct? You thought for sure you were supposed to wait for her and then it never happened and so you had to wrestle with the realization— in your view— that God’s knowledge cannot be perfect b/c God got it wrong about your situation— and thus the pillar of God’s omniscience is removed from the edifice of God’s faithfulness— because if God’s knowledge is dependent on human actions and thus cannot be sure about the future— He’s essentially making guesses (in your theology)— right?
and so we’re all in a lot of trouble. In fact all of Biblical theology collapses. we can’t trust a God who can only make guesses and promise things based on His guesses— right???
I hope I’m wrong. please tell me that’s a wrong assessment”
When God's Promises Feel Like a Test
We often cling to God's promises like a lifeline, holding them tightly in our hearts, believing that their fulfillment is the key to our happiness. But what happens when the promise is delayed, when the waiting stretches into years of unanswered prayers, or like Moses, we never enter into it? Do we become so focused on the carrot dangling in front of us that we lose sight of the One holding the pole?
There is often terrible mystery to God. In His infinite wisdom, He sometimes uses promises as a tool for spiritual growth, keeping us in bondage to Him. He allows the waiting, the testing, the trials, to draw us closer to Himself, to reveal the idols in our hearts, and to teach us to find contentment in Him alone. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance" (James 1:2-3).
Surrendering our desires to God's will, even good desires like marriage, can be difficult like Daniel was experiencing in today’s recording. We may feel like Abraham, convinced that we know God's plan, only to have Him redirect our steps. We may feel like Jonah, clinging to the temporary comfort of a gourd, only to have it taken away. But these experiences teach us a valuable lesson: anything we hold onto too dearly, anything we place above God in our hearts, He may take away. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21).
The key to navigating this tension between desire and surrender is found in releasing our grip. It's about opening our hands, acknowledging that God's ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9), and trusting that He knows what's best for us, even when it doesn't align with our plans. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6).
This letting go, this loosening our grip on a promise, is not a sign of weak faith, but a step towards deeper intimacy with God. It's about recognizing that He is the ultimate good, the source of our true satisfaction, and that His presence is more valuable than any temporal blessing. "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). Release the grip, and find contentment in the One who holds your heart in His hands.
