Sometimes, when things are going haywire around us, especially in the world we live in today, it seems as if God took a vacation and left mankind to fend for themselves. But Jeremiah reminds us, “Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?” (Lamentations 3:37-38 ESV) God knows, sees, and is in control even when it looks as if all is doomed, even when the cause is because of our sin.
The Enduring Word website states, “In a season of great suffering or calamity, it may be difficult to remember that God rules over all things – if not directly, then in what He allows. Yet the consideration of God’s sovereignty would also become the source of their hope. It was and is worse to be at the mercy of blind fate.” I know people who don’t believe in the Sovereignty of God and believe that everything that happens is just by fate. I can’t help but feel a deep sorrow for them. To not know or understand that everything is controlled by a loving God must be so depressing. It seems to me that they look at life in a fatalistic view…“We are born, live, die, and that’s it.” There is no hope in that viewpoint.
However, I praise God for His control over my life. When I don’t understand what He is doing or allowing in my life, I know He is the one who is ultimately in control, and that His plan is far better than mine. I know it sounds harsh to say that God is in control over even the bad things that come our way, but He has a reason for why we must go through those times, and it usually is in preparation for the next level in our journey. “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9 NIV) “The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the Lord, And He delights in his way [and blesses his path].(Psalm 37:23 AMP)
Sometimes when bad things happen to us it is because of our undoing, by sin in our lives. God uses even those times to help us. Lamentations 3:39 goes on to say, “Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins?” (ESV) In these instances, Jeremiah tells us what we are to do, “Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:40 HCSB) When we find ourselves in the middle of a mess because of our sin, we shouldn’t complain to God about the mess we’re in, but we should confess our sin, and turn back to Him, thank Him for showing us where we went wrong, and follow His leading as we get back to walking the pathway He has planned for us.
I know in my own life when I deviated from God’s plan for my life because of my stubbornness, the lessons I learned came from a loving God who is my Heavenly Father. The writer of Hebrews tells us that correction by God is for our good, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11 NIV) Even in my rebellion, God is in control and lovingly lets me know I’m going the wrong way and He corrects me and guides me back into His plan for my life.
Without the guidance of God, life would be chaotic. We see evidence of that all around us in our world today. The world is at odds with God and His plan, and our world is systematically being destroyed because of sin and people’s stubborn refusal to turn over control of their lives to God. Every person in this world needs to recognize that God is ultimately in control of everything. Each one needs to surrender to His leadership and know that He loves us and has an awesome plan for our lives. Then, and only then, will we experience His peace, love, and joy, and we will find hope for the pathway before us.
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