“From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” Acts 17: 26-27
If the Bible says that God determined the time in which we live and where we live, then why is it so hard for some to really grasp His sovereignty? There is no attribute more comforting to His children, than that of God’s sovereignty. Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe trials–they believe that sovereignty has ordained their afflictions, that sovereignty overrules them, and that sovereignty will sanctify them all. I am sure God wants me to address this 🙂 I HATE the “Health Prosperity Gospel,” and I HATE that most of our pulpits skirt around the suffering issue or outright speak an untruth about it. When you are seriously trying to find answers about this, God will meet you up close and personal with the truth.
You will hear some believers say, “Although God can turn our trials into good, he doesn’t wish hard times on us, let alone send them. What He really wants is to bless us and to keep us from suffering. The whole reason Jesus went through so much, is so that we wouldn’t have to experience hurt, pain, disappointment or affliction.” The Christians who hold this view are of sterling character – they study their Bibles, care about non-Christians, and show love for Christ in his kingdom everywhere they go. Nevertheless, the statement above is a hopeless mixture of truth and error, and it misses the core of why Jesus came. As far as why someone has a rare/incurable disease – they tend to blame the person who is sick. And that is nothing but hurtful and cruel.
First, despite Christ’s compassionate death for our sins, God’s plan – not Plan B or C or D, but His plan – calls for all Christians to suffer, sometimes intensely. The Bible is permeated with suffering! God doesn’t leave us in the dark about darkness. These verses are only a few of the many which point to the fact that we are to pick up our cross daily and follow in the footsteps of His suffering…
“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “ I Peter 2:21
“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.” 1 Peter 4: 12
To encourage us, God will write light moments into the script of our lives, but without fail, some scenes are going to break your heart, some of your favorite characters will die, and the movie may end earlier than you wish. Christian remember this… our lives here on earth aren’t meant to get better, our lives are meant to be replaced! Purpose… that’s what it’s about. Whether you use the words “God permitted” or “God caused,” it’s purposeful! If you disagree with this (God’s sovereign wise control), you will have a head on collision with…
“So the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD?” Exodus 4: 11
“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139: 13
In the New Testament, Jesus told His disciples that the blind man (in John 9) was not born blind because of his sins, but he was born blind to show the works of God. Yes, in this instance God would be glorified through this man’s healing; but healing isn’t the only way for God to be glorified…
To be continued…