Romans 8:28-39 We know
that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are
the called according to His purpose. For whom He
foreknew, He also predestined o be conformed to
the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom
He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified;
and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did
not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with
Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who
justifies. Who is he who
condemns? It is Christ who
died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who
also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation,
or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is
written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet
in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am
persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor
powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height
nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the
love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Our society is heavily influenced by the pagan
view of a world that operates according to fixed independent laws, as if the Universe
and the World was an impersonal machine that somehow came together through chance
and inner powers (like gravity and electro-magnetism) and built-in
infrastructures to keep things operating and allow it to continue. But the fact
is that there could not be a Universe without a Devine act of creation and that
when God created the Universe, He didn’t step out of the picture to let it
operate on its own. The things that we call “the laws of nature” only reflect
the normal way in which God sustains and governs the natural world. The God of
nature is nature’s God.
The
wicked concept that has captured the minds of so many people is the idea that
the laws that operate the Universe ultimately operate by “chance”. Assigning
any power to chance is the nadir of foolishness because the word “chance”
simply describes mathematical possibilities. Webster’s Dictionary defines “chance”
as (1) opportunity, (2) a possibility, (3) an imaginary power. Chance is
not a thing, it has no power, it cannot do anything and it cannot influence
anything because it isn’t anything. Chance is useful in calculating
mathematical possibilities, but out of context is diabolical because people
have taken this word, that is empty of any significance, and used it as a
replacement for the concept and existence of Almighty God. The Bible makes it
clear that nothing happens by chance. You’ve probably heard people say before
that they believe that “everything happens for a reason”. All things are under
the sovereign providence of God. This is exceedingly comforting to those who
understand and believe this.
In this
fallen world, it’s natural for us to worry about things that hurt or of loss in
our lives. The Romans passage above speaks to these things. But, even if and
when hurt or loss happens in our lives, all things working under the providence
of our Heavenly Father. Can we lay hold of that fact? God works all things for
good, but it’s hard for us to see in our short-sightedness because we sense the
pain now, and the loss now. We do not see the end from the beginning as God
does. Romans 8:18 says, “For I consider that the sufferings of
this present time are not worthy to
be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” The comfort comes in
knowing that, in Divine Providence, God is in control – not only of the
Universe (it’s existence and sustaining operation), but that He is Lord of
History. Our station in life (this time in history that God has placed us),
with what God in His Providence has ordained for us, is to be enjoyed. Our
lives are in His loving hand, sustained by Him and governed by His supreme wisdom
and goodness. Thy will be done. God stands over all things and He is the
ultimate source of our comfort.
Hebrews 12:2 “Looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”
Brian
4 comments:
Good series! :)
We are confined by time and we cannot see how all things work together for good. Things we do have ripples and they affect others in positive and negative ways BUT God is in control of all so He takes those negative things and uses them for good. So we may only see the negative part of the ripple we created and we may never see the outcome of the positive effect it has on someone later on when other ripples pull together to make that one ripple complete. (I hope I made sense there.)
I LOVE this...Our lives are in His loving hand, sustained by Him and governed by His supreme wisdom and goodness. Thy will be done. God stands over all things and He is the ultimate source of our comfort.
Thanks for sharing these profound thoughts.
Blessings,
<><
He is the ultimate source of comfort. I am so glad that there is someone in charge of all this!
Child of God, the blessing of concurrence of thoughts, words and actions of this world & each of us in conjunction with the supreme wisdom and goodness of our loving Creator forms the "coming together" of God's purposes in this world at this time in history. The "Love Chapeter: of 1 Corinthians, verse 13:12 tells us "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." "In God We Trust", In the Bible We Obey, and "In Christ We Follow" with faith, hope and love. Thanks for your wise insight for us all.
I concur Ma, God is the ultimate comfort. And it is not that we are lazy and want someone else to be in charge, as it is that we truly cannot be in charge of this unpredictable and chaotic world on our own. That which we are unable to handle, which is most everything, is managed by the Almighty Heavenly Father of those who "believe". That is the key to the door of seeking truth by the knowledge of God (Father, Son & Holy Spirit). Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are the fruit in our life of following the Good Shepherd. I see your peace in a fearful world that does not know the Lord. Thanks for writing Ma.
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