No good thing does He withhold
from those who walk uprightly
- Psalm 84:11b
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He does not hold back anything that will benefit His people. So also He does not permit anything which will not finally work out in the good of His people. If all Scripture is true (and we believe that it is) then this verse holds true even in the midst of the most severe storms of life. What a medicine to my soul, to consider that God has my good in mind even when He permits the winds of life to rage. For if such things were not to serve ultimately for my good then He would not permit it.
How strange this sounds in the ears of those who have imagined that God is good only when our circumstances are pleasant. Oh, but how potent is this medicine for those who will bow to receive it.
How strange this sounds in the ears of those who have imagined that God is good only when our circumstances are pleasant. Oh, but how potent is this medicine for those who will bow to receive it.
5 comments:
I have many people in my circle of friends who find it ludicrous to believe that God ordains anything "bad". But we see it in Joseph's story, we see it in the Cross. God permits, allows, ordains things we perceive as bad or evil, all for His glory. ALL things are working together for good to those who love Him...both the good and the bad.
I also have many friends who have not come to believe in the sovereignty of God over such situations.
Even so, I must admit that this is a difficult thing to get ahold of. For even though I feel like I understand this at least at some level, my understanding and belief in the absolute sovereignty of God gets tested most when the storms of life are raging.
Yet it is also at these times when I cling to this most dearly.
It is quite interesting that one can have difficulty trusting, and yet so love radically trusting at the same time.
God's sovereignty is one thing with which I've not really struggled. In fact, it helps me to know that God is in control...whether I succeed or fail at something, whether I live or die, get sick or remain healthy. I do understand, however, it is a difficult concept to accept for many people. I think it all comes down to a word in your final line in your comment: "trust". I have to come to understand that I must trust God's love for me and that His roadmap for my life is infinitely so much better than what I can plan out for my own life.
Scriptures such as this one are the water for my thirsty soul during the tough times. I've had to grow up in my faith and realize that lots of times life situations can be tough beyond what I think I can take, but that's when God's grace can be my sufficiency. Like Mike said here, I take comfort in the fact that my heavenly father is in control of all things.
What a comfort indeed to consider that the Creator of the Universe is mindful of our good.
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