I like to make plans, and I like it even more when those plans work out the way that I intended. Unfortunately, that rarely happens. When I can’t make plans for good, my brain starts making worst case scenario contingencies. My wife calls them “disaster scenarios” – you see when my plans don’t work out, I tend to always imagine the worse and then come the disaster scenarios. There seems to be no shortage of bad material for my brain to focus on, whether it’s work, school, Coronavirus, crime, political processes, and on and on.
Enough of the bad – here’s the good. In my disaster scenarios, the worst almost never happens. All of my worrying and fretting and sleepless nights are generally for naught. This is because the Lord seems to work best when times are tough. His strength is shown best in weakness (2 Corinthians 2:9). Through our disasters His glory shines through. It is true that us humans have a tendency to muck things up but we serve a God who uses muck as fertilizer. He grows us. Now please don’t misunderstand me, God doesn’t cause bad things to happen – that is the fault of our sinful human nature and the enemy who scripture describes as a murderer and the father of lies (John 8:44). However, in our mess, God works in us and through us. Though we struggle against an enemy, he is a defeated enemy! Through Christ there is a way to the impossible. By Jesus’ work we are reconciled to the Father through the Spirit.
Could anything be impossible to God? Our ways may seem broken and impassable. Wilderness. Deserts. They are nothing to God! He makes roads in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Why? To give drink to His people and a way through the impassable (Isaiah 43:18-21). To what end? Because we are His chosen people, and nothing will snatch us from His hand. What do we need to do? Declare His praise. It’s God’s work, not yours. When He makes a road in the wilderness, walk down it. When He provides water in the desert, drink. We can’t see the end from the beginning, but I know someone who can. Trust Him.
Romans 8:28 New King James Version (NKJV)
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
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