Fruitful Words

In the book Facing Messy Stuff in the Church by Kenneth Swetland, the author writes how a pastor found a way to deal with his questions.

At one of his low moments, [Pastor] Drew was reading from the gospel of Luke. When he came to Luke 7:20, where John the Baptist sends word from prison asking Jesus, “Are you the One who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”

Drew admitted that he’d been asking God a similar question:

• Are You the One?
• Are You really with us in every circumstance?
• Can we really trust You?  

 The answer was in Jesus’ reply to John’s question:

• Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard:
• The blind receive sight,
• the lame walk,
• those who have leprosy are cured,
• the deaf hear,
• the dead are raised,
• and the good news is preached to the poor.
• Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of Me. (Luke 7:22-23)

 God used this passage to put things in perspective for Drew. He emerged from his doubts with a firm but humble conviction that God would never abandon His people no matter how bleak things seem. His theology of the sovereignty of God was renewed, and this gave a peace that was beyond description. As the same time, however, he was aware of, as never before, the reality of evil. (pp 189-190)

God is sovereign. Sovereignty of God [means] His absolute right to do all things according to His own good pleasure (Dan. 4:25, 35; Rom. 9:15-23; 1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 4:11). “sovereignty.” Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary. 28 Aug. 2007.

Recognizing and accepting the sovereignty of God as described in Disappointment with God and the book of Job helped me with similar questions. I still have hurdles and hurts when coming in contact with evil. I still get angry and confused and question God. At times I am truly dismayed at what God has allowed. 

Sometimes I feel this way for awhile.

But I have a plan. My plan is to accept and depend on the truth that God has a plan.

What have you found to be helpful?