Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

• Colossians 1:15-20

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

• Romans 8:28-30

“I believe
that God can and will produce good out of all things, even out of the most evil.
For this he needs people who let themselves serve all things the best they can.

I believe
that in every plight God wants to give us as much power of resistance as we need.
But he does not give it in advance, so that we will rely not on ourselves, but on him alone.
In such faith all anxiety about the future would have to be overcome.

I believe
that even our errors and mistakes are not in vain, and that it is not harder for God to deal with them than with our presumed good deeds.

I believe
that God is not timeless fate, but that he waits for and answers sincere prayers and responsible deeds.”

• Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I Want to Live These Days with You (devotion for December 29, devotions compiled from his writings)

I liked the way Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote this.  It is like a creed with a series of “I believe” statements.  He starts off with a paraphrase of Romans 8:28, but you rarely see the entire paragraph quoted as I have done above.  I guess with foreknowledge and predestination peppering the next verses, some denominations would love to omit those verses.  But for those who love God, those verses tell us that God did everything for this moment so that we would see God in everything and rely on God for everything to come.

We do not need to rely on some omnipotent rolling of the dice, to fate.  When Jesus Christ is in our heart, we have purpose, direction, and guidance to get there.  Even when we stumble or get distracted, God even uses those moments to make the straight and narrow path seem even more appealing.

But there are other aspects of those distractions in life.  We meet people we might not ever have met.  We get to share God’s love with people who might never otherwise have seen someone who might show God’s love.

God has a purpose in all things and through all things He makes things work for our good while spreading good to those around us.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.