Comfort in the Sovereignty of God

“And Moses said, ‘When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.’” (rf. Exod. 16:8 ESV)

 

“Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…” (rf. Php. 2:14-15 ESV)

            As a theologically Reformed minister and pastor of a Reformed church, I unashamedly and wholeheartedly believe and affirm the Biblical doctrine of predestination. I am fully persuaded that God set forth before the beginning of time His plan and will for all that has transpired from Creation to the end of time as we find in the book of Revelation. He either directs or allows all things to occur, including all perceived good and bad things, like the weaving of a beautiful tapestry which often has a dark background to better illumine the lighter threads. He is not the author of evil, but uses our enemy, Satan, his minions and the evil they perpetuate to accomplish His holy ends. He is providentially in control of all things at all times, including us as part of His Creation. There is nothing that touches our lives that He does not allow nor do these difficult circumstances slip through His protective defenses of His people. Though some view it otherwise and often take it out of context, I personally find the sovereignty of Almighty God and His predestining actions a great source of comfort and peace because I know the goal of His movements and allowances are in my best interests along with all of His children. As Romans 8:28-29 states clearly, 

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren…”

 

With these truths in place and our faith placed in His wisdom, where then is there any room for complaining and “bellyaching” in the heart and life of the Christian? As Moses clearly says in Exod. 16:8 (as quoted above), when we complain, “…Your (our) grumbling is…against the Lord”. We easily overlook the many blessings that we presently possess in favor of looking with longing at the blessings of others with great envy (another sin, mind you), filling our hearts with ingratitude and making ourselves (and those around us) miserable. What we are not seeing is our own dishonor of Almighty God and His purposes being played out in our lives.

Note again what the Apostle Paul says in the passage above from Romans: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose…” Our present experience, whether good or bad, whether we are the victim of other’s actions or suffering from our own foolishness and pride, nothing of what we are going through is outside the parameters of His will for us. We are EXACTLY where He wants us to be right now. He has lessons, important lessons, He wants us to learn from these experiences. If we are submissive to His leadership and oversight, we will get through the hard times sooner. If we complain, become bitter, and rebel against His wisdom, the lessons will only be multiplied and our difficulties increase for us. If we are experiencing overwhelming blessing, He wants us to appreciate each moment and know that these “good gifts” come from Him alone (rf. Jas. 1:17) and not from our own making.

Out of our appreciation for His control and oversight of our lives we should then have attitudes that constantly, whether in good times or bad, reflect our thankfulness for His Presence in our lives. Complaining should be as far from the life of the believer in Christ as “the east is from the west” (rf. Ps 103:12 NASB). Grumbling, venting, bellyaching should not be pieces found in the repertoire. Rather, we should be thankful in all circumstances, appreciative to the Lord for life and for being with us “through thick and thin”. He has put us here on purpose, placed us in our present situation with goals for us in mind, and has promised “never to leave nor forsake us” (rf. Heb. 13:5 NKJV). Thus, we should trust Him and have positive attitudes while we await further disclosure as to His designs for us.  

Importance of Memorials

 

“Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?,’then you shall say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.”

(rf. Josh. 4:6–7 NASB)

 

 

            As I am writing this article, there is an ongoing and growing movement within the United States (and around the world) to tear down or remove long-standing statues and monuments of great historical significance. Those in the sights of protestors are usually representations of men who were either slaveholders themselves or were somehow connected with the practice through their affiliation with the American Civil War. In other countries, the focus of attention has been on those historical figures who have in some respect been a part of the same efforts or actions within the confines of their own people or realm. 

            Indeed, such practices as slavery and the beliefs in the extremist views of white supremacy are totally antithetical to the Christian faith and are unworthy to be held by those who trust and follow Jesus. Even the Apostle Paul, when interceding on behalf of the runaway slave, Onesimus, encouraged his owner to treat Onesimus with compassion, love and forgiveness as one would treat a fellow brother in Christ (which Onesimus was because of Paul’s sharing of the Gospel with him) (rf. Philemon 10-25). 

            In thinking and acting with regard to the present conflicts and the pursuit to destroy such monuments, we must not enter into judging the past on the values of the present. Just as things changed from the past to the present, things which used to be at least tolerated if not accepted have become things to be abhorred and repudiated, so we must remember that the present will inevitably become the past as we move into the future. Generations to come will undoubtedly look upon some of the beliefs and actions taking place now and do so with revulsion and disregard. The present never continues into the present. Change for good or ill is always the case for individuals, no doubt, but also for nations and civilizations.

            Nor can we see the value of trying to eradicate the past by removing or destroying historical markers. They were designed as a memorial to an individual or group whose actions, attitudes or personal contributions changed the course of our people. Most of these acted within the bounds of their own historical context. We may not agree with all that they did or all that they believed, but their influence made a difference as noted by the existence of said monuments.

            Interestingly enough, God views the use of monuments or “memorials” with a great deal of approval and encouragement. In the passage quoted above, it must be seen that God knew His people would require a physical reminder of the great things He had accomplished on their behalf. Thus, for the generations to come, when asked about the reality of God and His actions for His people, they could point to “memorials” as a testimony of God’s direct intervention into their lives for the better. There was tremendous benefit in having historical edifices that brought back to memory the blessings and actions of the past.

            A people who allow their history to be removed and discarded are on a short path to total destruction from within. As stated by George Santayana, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it”, so will our nation continue to suffer if our history is destroyed before our eyes. Monuments and “memorials” must remain in place in order for us as a people to learn from our past as did God’s people in Joshua’s time. May the present effort come to naught before permanent damage to our nation is done.

 

Contentment and Change

“Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change                     His mind.” (rf. I Sam. 15:29 NASB) 

“For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.”

(rf. Mal. 3:6 NASB)

 

In the last installment, we looked at the subject of contentment and how this is a quality that we, as followers of Jesus, should strive to put into practice in our lives. In this episode, we want to explore the necessity of change in the experience of ourselves as human beings. 

Though, for many of us it is a daunting prospect, especially as we grow older, change is an unwanted visitor, an interloper that tends to disrupt what we would view as “normal” in our lives. We don’t enjoy the prospect of adapting ourselves to suit the new circumstances. We would rather have things stay the same because for a lot of us sameness is quite comfortable.

This is very true for a number of professed Christians who, when they find a church of which they become a part, it is their desire for the church and their experience within to remain unchanged…always. They like things the way that they are. They want no disruptions to the status quo. 

There are a number of things such professed Christians who possess this attitude do not realize. First of all, their becoming a part of said church brought change to that church simply because a new person had joined their ranks. Things in that church are no longer the same as they were before. Secondly, unless these newly added members vow to keep their views, opinions and ideas to themselves for the duration of their time as members, they will undoubtedly add their insights to the mix of those already in the organization, bringing about change to one degree or another. 

In other words, there is no humanly way possible to prevent change. It is a dynamic that must be embraced since, quite often, with it comes life and renewal of vision and purpose. Granted, not all change is positive; one should never seek change simply for change’s sake. However, if one realizes that change is as much a part of the human experience as breathing, then it becomes easier to accept when it arrives on our doorstep…especially, if God Himself is the One who has ordained it to occur.

Speaking of Him, the Lord is often the originator and activator of change, but, oddly enough, He Himself remains unchanged. As the Scriptures declare above, God may “repent” or “relent” in reference to His decisions or determinations on occasion, but He “does not change” in terms of His character, knowledge and being. He always remains the same. Thankfully that is the case, because His promises and accomplishments on our behalf would be compromised if this fact were not so. 

You see, He knows and wants His people to experience change periodically so that they will consistently be looking to Him for guidance as to the path or decision they should pursue. He wants us to be totally dependent upon Him who needs no such dependence or accountability Himself. He is quite sufficient on His own.

Therefore, we need not only to be on the lookout for change on the horizon, but, when it arrives, to also prayerfully assess whether or not it is from the Lord and in accordance with His Word. As it is determined to be “heaven-sent”, then we should be open and with willing hearts engage change with joy and gladness, knowing that there will be significant growth that comes with the change. This is how it is with God’s creation; it is the very same with God’s people. May we be wise and take the appropriate action when change arrives on our scene.