(A personal, prayer-response:)
How I love this passage, Lord, with its comfort and reassurance!
Paul reminds me here that You, O God, are all-wise and all-knowing; You know what’s best for each of us.
You cause all things to work together for our benefit, for those who love You (Romans 8:28).
Sometimes though, I have to admit, certain events confound and frustrate me. My finite mind cannot understand what good you could possibly bring out of:
- Severe financial setbacks for a godly family
- A rejection letter from a mission board for an eager candidate
- An announcement of divorce between a respected couple in the church
- A cancer diagnosis for a young mother
- The death of a child
But those of us who trust in You know that we can count on Your wisdom and knowledge in all things, and the absolute dependability of Your character—Your benevolent goodness, Your perfect righteousness, Your deep compassion, Your unfailing faithfulness and infinite love (to name a few)—even in the face of struggle and tragedy.
Remind me, Father, that “making room for mystery in my worldview”(1) is an important element of spiritual maturity.
And to demonstrate that mature trust, I can follow Job’s example. His first response to catastrophe was worship (Job 1:20).
And as I worship, I can praise and thank You, not only for those blessings I see but also for those I can’t.
Help me Father to rest in the knowledge that:
- Out of Your infinite wisdom, You select the best possible conclusion of events, and You adopt the best possible means for accomplishing that conclusion (2).
- You are the Most High God, Lord of heaven and earth. You are subject to no one and influenced by no one; neither can anyone thwart or hinder Your plans (3).
- Even my mistakes could never obstruct Your will.
- You, on the other hand make no mistakes. Your choices for me are always right, because they come from Your perfect mind and heart. You always know exactly what you’re doing.
- “Everything from You and for You” (v. 36) often includes mundane tasks, tedious routine, and lack of recognition. But I can count on the fact that, “in the midst of what seems terribly ordinary, You—in your wisdom and power–are doing something extraordinary” (4).
- Everything serves Your purpose (5). You direct everything toward the conclusion you ordained for it.
May I be joyfully submissive to Your plans for me, in light of these marvelous truths!
Notes:
- Sarah Young, Jesus Always, 65.
- Based on a J. L. Dagg quote, www.gracequotes.com.
- Based on an A. W. Pink quote, www.gracequotes.com.
- Alice Mathews, A Woman God Can Use, 77.
- A quote my dad copied into one of his Bibles, source unknown.
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When everything seems to be spiraling out of control, we can take heart because we know that our God has true and infinite control that our finite minds cannot begin to grasp. He is definitely working all things for good for those who put their trust in Him. Thank you, Nancy, for this uplifting and inspiring reflection. Blessings!
You’re welcome, my friend. Even in the midst of grief and pain, just knowing these truths provides immeasurable comfort. I know you agree, Martha!
Events in life do confound and frustrate us because we can’t possibly know the bigger picture of all of life over all of time. It’s easy for me to forget my finiteness when I see things that make no sense, like the examples you gave. A young mother with cancer or the death of a child. But God. It’s always But God. This was such a beautiful offering to the Lord of faith and faithfulness. Thanks for sharing this, my friend.
Thank you, Dayle. You are so right: when life doesn’t make sense, “but God” can keep us from sinking: “But God” is in control. “But God” knows what he’s doing. “But God” will reveal all one day, and then we’ll understand (John 13:7)!
All of what is written here and in God’s Word to us is true . Since creation, through the fall into sin, the great flood, the coming of the messiah, Jesus, God knew everything before it ever happened. His plans were so intricate and mind boggling we could never begin to fathom what He had in mind. All we need to know is that His superior wisdom and design are so good and intended for our good. He created history and knows when the end will come. Because of that we should honor, obey and serve Him as well as share His good news with the world. God has this!
Amen, Cathy! You raise a good point. Scripture offers numerous examples of circumstances that appear out of control, but when the whole story is revealed, we see evidence of God’s plan all along. I’m thinking of Joseph’s story (from slavery to Egyptian prime minister), David’s (from fugitive on the run to king of Israel), and Daniel’s (from captive to prime minister in Babylon). Of course there are many more instances. We can trust God because his record of working all things for good is 100%!
Such a great reminder for us as we journey through a fallen world headed toward our heavenly home.
Thank you Linda. I for one need the reminders!
‘…in the midst of what seems terribly ordinary, You—in your wisdom and power–are doing something extraordinary”. Lord help me to remember this.🙏🏾🙏🏾🌻
I pray the same, RH! It’s safe to say our God never does mediocre work. “Extraordinary” only begins to describe his miracle-working genius!
Your post this week reminds me of Psalm 31:14 – “My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.”
I tend to get a bit jittery watching events unfold in this world, BUT your post was of great comfort to me.
In fact, I paraphrased one of your statements on my timeline: “Lord,in the midst of what seems terribly ordinary, You—in your wisdom and power–are doing something extraordinary!”
There are no better hands to be sheltered in than our Lord and Savior!
Isn’t that an encouraging statement from author Alice Mathews? It gives my spirit an uplift too, refreshing my faith in what our almighty God can do. Our times are indeed in God’s hands; we need not fear the enemy!
This post reminded me of the passage from scripture 1 Thessalonians 5:16 -18: “Be cheerful no matter what; pray at all times; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ to live.” We do not have all the answers in life, and that is where faith comes in. We trust in God who is all and knows all. God is our Heavenly Father. His love and mercy far exceed anything we could ever begin to understand. Very good post!
Amen, Linda! Praise God he’s provided instructions for surviving the difficult seasons of life. You’ve included important steps in your comment: pray, thank, praise, and trust. He’s carried millions of saints through trials in the past; he will do the same for us–out of his love and mercy.
Hi Nancy, This point has always comforted me too: “Even my mistakes could never obstruct Your will.” God is bigger than all of our mistakes, and that’s a tremendous comfort!
AMEN, Stacey!
We may never know the whys for what we experience in this life until we get to heaven. God sees the big zoom out picture and how it all fits together.
Won’t it be amazing, Matt, when we can see it too!
Amen. Nancy, God’s light encouraged me to read this testament. Life’s winding road sometimes tales one’s eyes away from His light. Blessings for the truth and encouragement shared.
Thank you, Richard, for your encouragement. May we “look to the LORD and his strength and seek his face always” (1 Chronicles 16:11)–in all circumstances!
Hi Nancy,
Maybe it’s all done to show how nothing is bigger than God or so small that it can’t bring God’s good out of it? Thank you, Gary
Gary Avants Forbear Productions * *garyavants66@gmail.com garyavants66@gmail.com
Amen, Gary–right you are!
Such a wonderful reminder of navigating the realities we may face in this world. May we keep trusting and depending on Jesus. Resting in His faithfulness.
Amen, Manu. That’s who I long to be, Manu–one who trusts completely, depends on Jesus wholly, and rests in his faithfulness always!
Our earthly challenges loom large, but our faith has a way of balancing our lives. God’s Word infuses us with hope for our heavenly destiny. Thank you, Nancy, for the inspiration of your reflections: )
You’re so welcome, Nancy. Praise God for his inspiration! Also, praise God for balance in our lives, that he most certainly provides. I can’t imagine doing life without him!
you know one thing I love about you, Nancy? How you always point me back to God in scripture. Thank you for this faithfulness!
You know how I love the Bible, Jean! I always want the people who visit here to know that what’s presented is based on the truth of scripture–that it’s not just my opinion. Isn’t it wonderful to have a reliable source of truth we can turn to!
The Scripture is beautiful, and so is your post.
Thank you, Mary. I discovered Romans 11:33-36 during a time of crisis long ago and it has offered solace many times since. I’m so glad you found beauty here too!
I love this. There are so many things that we can’t fathom God allowing–but we know Him to be good, wise, kind, and righteous. The better we know Him, the better we can trust Him.
Amen, Barbara: “The better we know Him, the better we can trust Him.” I’ve known saints who’ve endured much pain and/or suffering with the peace, joy, and strength of the Spirit. That’s the kind of Jesus-follower I want to be!
God works ALL things together for good to those who love Him…and I don’t have to lift a finger, but to trust and obey. Thank you for turning my mind to such precious truths this morning, Nancy.
You’re most welcome, Patty. I for one need frequent reminders to “trust and obey, for there’s no other way”–just as the old hymn asserted.