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I had gotten the feeling growing up that the answer to all the world's problems was to become Christian. American Christianity puts forth the image that all of our wealth and success is due to our obedience to God. And yes, God does bless us. But he says that he sends the rain on the just and the unjust. Our faith in him secures us salvation, our obedience to him brings us joy as we work with him. But it does not mean that the bill collectors will stop calling, the obnoxious guy at work will get a miraculous transfer to a foreign country, that your marriage will suddenly become a fairytale ending, or your kids will wake up tomorrow seemingly having a lobotomy in their sleep. In fact sometimes, things don't just NOT get better, they get worse. God decides whether to bless us or test us depending on what we need to grow at the moment. He is concerned with your needs, wants, and desires, ... He does want your comfort...but NOT at the expense of your future. He sees us from an eternity perspective. When we cry out that things were better before we obeyed Him, He knows. He empathizes with us. And He loves us through the valleys so that we can later stand on the mountain with Him.