Pastor’s Corner: “Who’s in Control?”
Isaiah 46:9-10 (NLT) – 9 Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. 10 Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.
When I watch or read the news and current events, it seems like our world is spinning out of control and the people who are supposedly in charge appear to be completely incompetent or dishonest and deceptive. But if we take a moment to look beyond what we see and focus on the character and goodness of God, His sovereign power and amazing grace are revealed and shine even brighter in the midst of the mess or the storm. In moments where our helplessness is on full display, isn’t it amazing that God remains in careful control of His world? He is not confused or surprised by any of this. There is One who is not afraid at this moment. We won’t always know why He does what he does, but we know who He is, and we know what He has promised to His children.
Ecclesiastes 7:14 (NLT) – 14 Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life. God has given all events to us. We must learn to accept and understand that God has chosen these for us out of love and wisdom. They have a special purpose. God has designed life to be full of the unexpected so that we might realize that we do not control our future. He does and He never loses control. That is a comforting realization!
The chaotic and uncertain times we are facing confronts the delusion of human independence and self-sufficiency. We like to think as human beings, that we are so advanced and capable. But look around – all it takes is a single virus to shut down the entire world and turn normally reasonable folks to being fearful, paranoid and irrational. Let this time remind you that you were created to be dependent on the Creator. The development of spiritual maturity is a move from independence to greater dependence on God through His son Jesus Christ. Exposing our delusion of self-sufficiency is a painful thing, but a good and freeing thing.
We are not in charge of life. The great satanic lie that subtly comes at us a thousand times a day is that we are gods, we are in charge, we can plan, we can direct, we can control. Because within the freedom of will that God has granted us there appears some truth to that, we easily believe the rest–that we are in ultimate control of everything. But the lesson of the Scripture, driven home again and again, is that that is not true. God is in charge. And what He sends us is always designed to benefit, even what we are facing today. This is the clear teaching of the Scripture, both in the Old and the New Testament alike. Even though adversity may have painful aspects, we are to understand that it comes from a loving God and to be grateful for it. “Let go of your concerns! Then you will know that I am God. I rule the nations. I rule the earth” (Psalm 46:10 GW).
The one benefit of these chaotic times is that it makes us long for our final destination and keeps our hearts and minds focused on heavenly things. The final promise of the gospel is this: There will be a day when such things will end forever, and we will be in a place where there will be no more sickness and no more suffering (Revelation 21:4). Hope in heaven is not some faint, dreamy wish, for those who are embracing some religious delusion. Hope in God’s promise is a confident expectation in a guaranteed result. Paradise is coming; it’s yours by grace.
It’s hard to imagine right now, but there will be a time when we will look back on this as a brief moment of trouble. We will do so in a perfect world, with perfect bodies, with perfect hearts, and in perfect relationship with God. Everything will be as it’s supposed to be, and we will live in peace and righteousness forever and ever. This daunting and uncertain moment of time that we are in reminds us of the most precious truths of the gospel. Instead of focusing on the what-ifs and the negativity and fear, how about meditating on those truths today?
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton