So many times we turn to God wanting Him to be our Santa Claus.  We ask Him for blessings and help only when we've tried everything else first. We want God to make our lives easier, and we want Him to fix our problems.  But don't these motives cheapen our relationship with Him? 

We are told that "in this world we will have struggles," and it is through the struggles that God wants to draw us closer to Himself through Jesus Christ.  Every trial, every obstacle, every struggle is an opportunity to draw closer to God to get to know Him. As we seek an encounter with Him, HE works through us. 

I have learned, especially through my marriage trials, that the more I went to God to fix things, the less of God I actually encountered.  My expectations usually got in the way. 

Doesn't God want to bless us? Absolutely. But His blessings are not "things."   You will not find an "easy road," or a problem-free life when you seek Him.  His blessings come in the forms of peace, grace, mercy, joy, strength, protection, love, security, eternal life, forgiveness, etc.  And these things are found while walking THROUGH the hard times with God by your side, not by trying to get around the hard times.

Christians often tend to seek both the Old Testament God and the New Testament Jesus.  In the Old Testament, God did have "conditional" promises -- "If you do this....I will do this...." But that's not what Jesus promises.  Jesus promises us LIFE.  Life here on earth, and life eternal. But it's not by anything we do, it's all through Him. HE is the truth, the way and the life. 

If we're seeking anything other than a personal encounter with the Living Lord, then we are cheating ourselves of who and what Jesus wants to do in our lives.   Is our love for Jesus what He can do for us, or for who He is????